SMUIN BALLET PRESENTS DANCE SERIES ONE

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SMUIN BALLET PRESENTS DANCE SERIES ONE Program includes: Broken Open by Amy Seiwert Maslow by Ben Needham-Wood French Twist by Ma Cong Bouquet by Michael Smuin Performances in Carmel March 25 and 26,

1 SMUIN BALLET PRESENTS DANCE SERIES ONE Program includes: Broken Open by Amy Seiwert Maslow by Ben Needham-Wood French Twist by Ma Cong Bouquet by Michael Smuin Performances in Carmel March 25 and 26, 2016 SAN FRANCISCO, CA (22 February, 2016) Smuin Ballet continues its 22nd Season with Dance Series One at the Sunset Center in Carmel March The program features two acclaimed new works, Broken Open by Smuin Ballet s Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert, which was named one of the 10 Best in Dance for 2015 by the San Francisco Chronicle and Maslow by Smuin dancer Ben Needham-Wood, which was also lauded by critics upon its debut. Combining contemporary ballet and hip hop stylings, Maslow is set to an original score by composer and cellist Ben Sollee. The series also includes the return of Ma Cong s fast and flirtatious French Twist and Michael Smuin s stunning Bouquet. Timeless in its beauty, the lyrical Bouquet is set to a pair of glorious Shostakovich piano concerti. Tickets ($57-$73)* are available by calling the individual venues or visiting Dance Series One features Broken Open, a new work by Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert, which the San Francisco Chronicle called "fresh, challenging and relevant" and "endlessly inventive, fascinating." The Contra Costa Times also lauded Seiwert s "keen craftsmanship." This piece is set to music by internationally acclaimed cellist and composer Julia Kent, who creates music using looped cello, found sounds, and electronics. As a choreographer, Seiwert s collaborations with artists of other disciplines and commitment to experimental work from a classical base make her a unique voice in the Bay Area dance community. The Bay Area Reporter declares her to be the most talented and prolific young choreographer working from a ballet base around here and the San Francisco Chronicle has called her sharply innovative and one of the country s most exciting young dance makers. She was named one of 25 to Watch by Dance Magazine, one of the Hot 20 under 40 by 7x7 Magazine, and her choreography has been listed in

2 the Top 10 dance events of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle three times. In addition to Smuin Ballet, Seiwert s work is in the repertory of companies across the country, including Ballet Austin, BalletMet, American Repertory Ballet, Washington Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Louisville Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet, as well as Robert Moses KIN. Cellist and composer Julia Kent is a Canadian, now based in New York City. She has released three full-length solo albums, her music has been featured in a number of films, and on NPR s Radiolab, and she has composed and performed music for theatre and dance, including the Balletto Civile in Italy. As a solo artist she is in demand at alternative music festivals around the world. Smuin company member Ben Needham-Wood contributes a new piece, entitled Maslow, set to an original score by rising composer and cellist Ben Sollee, whose music has been heard on NPR s Tiny Desk, HBO s Weeds, and more. In this short piece, Needham-Wood explores the theories of American psychologist Abraham Maslow, whose work focused on how people fulfill their greatest potential (referred to by Maslow as self-actualization ). Maslow offers a glimpse inside the mind of a young man searching for what lies beyond his highest expectation. In September of 2015, San Francisco Classical Voice called the up-and-coming choreographer someone to watch out for. Needham-Wood is in his third season as a dancer with Smuin Ballet. Before joining the company, he spent five years performing with the Louisville Ballet where he danced principal and featured roles in a variety of classical and contemporary works. Needham-Wood made his debut as a choreographer with Smuin Ballet last season during The Christmas Ballet with a contemporary piece set to Zee Avi s Frosty the Snowman, and has also created works for the Louisville Ballet and the Dance Theatre of San Francisco. Ben Sollee has performed at Carnegie Hall (as part of a tribute to Paul Simon), South by Southwest Music Festival in 2011, and TEDx San Diego in The New York Times has said, Sollee s meticulous, fluent arrangements continually morphed from one thing to another. Appalachian mountain music gave way to the blues, and one song was appended with a fragment from a Bach cello suite, beautifully played. His music can be heard in shows such as ABC s Parenthood, as well as the film Killing Season starring John Travolta and Robert De Niro.

3 The series includes the return of Ma Cong s fast and flirtatious French Twist. Inspired by the American cartoon Tom and Jerry, French Twist uses contemporary movement set to five musical selections by the late French composer Hugues Le Bars. A quirky piece accented by angular arms and flexed feet, the music is at times reminiscent of a manic spider spinning its web, simultaneously fragile, sturdy, and exquisite. Cong s choreography utilizes every note of the vivacious tracks to their fullest capacity, as dancers slide across the floor through legs and around chairs to a sultry and mysterious waltz, and manipulate each other like marionettes in an energetic cat-and-mouse caper. The San Francisco Examiner said French Twist features dancers interacting with agility and precision and showcases the rising talent of Cong. Currently resident choreographer at Tulsa Ballet, Cong was named one of the 25 to Watch by Dance Magazine in 2006 for both dancing and choreography. As a choreographer, Cong has created many works for Tulsa Ballet, as well as works for other companies such as Ballet Met Columbus, Ballet Florida, Ballet Nouveau Colorado, Richmond Ballet, and Houston Ballet. Michael Smuin s stunning Bouquet also returns to round out Dance Series One. The Contra Costa Times called it among Smuin s most poetic pieces of choreography, while Critical Dance also noted, Smuin s choreography couldn t better represent such powerful music, and the dancers carry it out spectacularly. Created in 1981, a quartet and a pas de deux are each accompanied by glorious second movement concerti by Dimitri Shostakovich. In the quartet, a lone woman is faced with choosing a suitor; in the lush and lyrical pas deux, the possibility of a romantic relationship proves to be ephemeral. Both sections capture the sensitivity and passion of every note as Smuin s approach explores the care and sensitivity in a search for the ideal suitor and the joy and intimacy of new love. A romance in both the literal and philosophical sense, Michael Smuin contrasts the 19 th century romantic longing with a more contemporary romantic style. Debuting in San Francisco in 1994, Smuin Ballet immediately established itself as one of the Bay Area s most eagerly watched performing arts companies of international acclaim, performing to sold-out houses on U.S. and European tours. The Company pushes the boundaries of contemporary ballet within a distinctly American style, combining classical ballet training, technique, and artistry with uncommon physicality and expression. Smuin offers audiences an experience of ballet that is

4 entertaining, evocative, and original. Michael Smuin s singular philosophy to create pieces, which merge the diverse vocabularies of classical ballet and contemporary dance has served as the Company s touchstone since its inception. Since 2007, Artistic Director Celia Fushille s vision includes sustaining and increasing the Company s reputation for presenting compelling and innovative repertoire, as well as attracting new audiences to the medium. Smuin Ballet continues to showcase Michael Smuin s work, while enriching its impressive repertoire with contemporary choreographic voices, commissioning world premieres and collaborating with inventive choreographers from around the world. For Calendar Editors: WHAT: WHEN: WHERE: TICKETS: Smuin Ballet continues its 22nd Season with Dance Series One at the Sunset Center in Carmel March The program features two acclaimed new works, including Broken Open by Smuin Ballet s Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert, which was named one of the 10 Best in Dance for 2015 by the San Francisco Chronicle. Also on the bill is Maslow by Smuin dancer Ben Needham-Wood, which also received critical acclaim upon its debut. Combining contemporary ballet and hip hop stylings, Maslow is set to an original score by composer and cellist Ben Sollee. The series also includes the return of Ma Cong s fast and flirtatious French Twist and Michael Smuin s stunning Bouquet. Timeless in its beauty, the lyrical Bouquet is set to a pair of glorious Shostakovich piano concerti. March 25, 2016 at 8pm March 26, 2016 at 2pm Sunset Center San Carlos at 9 th Ninth Avenue, Carmel For tickets ($57-$73)* or more information, the public may call the Sunset Center box office at (831) or visit *All prices are listed without fees box office and order fees may apply. Discounts are available for students and groups of 10 or more PRESS: Contact Carla Befera & Co christina@cb-pr.com

5 DANCE SERIES ONE PHOTOS: For high res photos, please visit: Media Contact: CARLA BEFERA & CO.

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