THIS SEASON, SMUIN IS A SHOO-IN
It’s such a beautifully simple idea that I often ponder why great dance companies don’t offer a seasonal treat as the Bay Area’s Smuin Ballet does. Instead of the same yearly program (you know, that Tchaikovsky chestnut), Michael Smuin created The 
Christmas Ballet, a changeable program which is divided into a traditional first half (“Classical Christmasâ€) and a jazzy, playful second half (“Cool Christmas”). This winning yuletide mixture of short sketches was also invented so that other choreographers could contribute their own bite-size morsels to this delectable tray of Christmas cookies. It is a tribute to Smuin that this company will forever celebrate the old and the new, and you can see what stuffers have been added to their stocking as the company tours the Bay Area. After a Mountain View engagement Dec. 11-15, it’s off to SF’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Dec. 18–28.
This rightfully popular seasonal showcase has everyone’s taste in mind: If ballet isn’t to your liking, hang on as this creative cavalcade brings you tap, swing and a treasure of other dances drawn from holiday traditions from around the world. I 
love it because it is reminiscent of ripping into dozens of white elephant gifts: Will I open something gorgeous, sensitive and dramatic; something sexy; or something just outright amusingly enjoyable? Will the music be classical or Christmas carols? A little Bach and Mozart or a little “Santa Baby” and “Christmas in New Orleansâ€? One thing is certain: Expect incredible dancers in fine form who are also capable of inventive theatricality and comedy as they capture the essence of a high-spirited holiday.
This year’s dazzling array of 32 pieces (accompanied by prerecorded music) include previous favorites such as Amy Seiwert’s frisky “Sleigh Ride,†Mr. Smuin’s sparkling “Wassail,†and that perennial darling “Christmas Island” (in which a surfer boy becomes a hero, and dancing girls do the hula while Leon Redbone croons away). 
San Francisco choreographer Val Caniparoli (one of the best in the nation) will offer his “Jingle Bells Mambo.†There will also be world premieres from Robert Dekkers, set to “Carol of the Bells,†and from Choreographer-in-Residence Seiwert, set to Kay Starr’s “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.â€
This abundant show is a microcosm of a group which, since its inception in 1994, has become a company of international notoriety. Artistic and Executive Director Celia Fushille both preserves and escalates the company’s standing for presenting accessible and ground-breaking repertoire while nurturing newer choreographic voices. Most important is that they continue to attract new audiences of all ages to the medium, and the diversity of classical ballet and contemporary dance in The Christmas Ballet—spiced up with fun holiday cheer—is a perfect way to introduce your youngsters to the world of dance.
photos by David Allen
Smuin Ballet
XXmas: The Christmas Ballet, 2013 Edition
December 11-15, 2013
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
500 Castro Street, Mountain View
(650) 903-6000
December 18-28, 2013
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Lam Research Theater
700 Howard Street, San Francisco
(415) 912-1899
for calendar and online tickets, visit www.smuinballet.org