Smuin’s Annual Gala takes place 5:30pm, Saturday, March 22, 2025.
Smuin Contemporary Ballet will celebrate its 31st season with Smuin’s Annual Gala. This year’s edition commemorates Artistic Director Amy Seiwert’s inaugural season and will be hosted by co-chairs John Konstin and Lee D. Baxter, along with Smuin's Board of Trustees and the Friends of Smuin Host Committee. Arts, community, philanthropic, and civic leaders of San Francisco will mingle with Smuin artistic staff and artists at this grand fête honoring the company’s achievements at the forefront of contemporary ballet for more than three decades.
Beginning with a cocktail reception, the evening will include a gourmet dinner by McCall’s Catering, and specially curated performances by Smuin artists. Guests will also enjoy a thrilling live auction featuring one-of-a-kind gifts and experiences. Smuin’s Annual Gala takes place 5:30pm, Saturday, March 22, 2025, at The Galleria at San Francisco Design Center, 101 Henry Adams Street, San Francisco.Tickets are$600 - $1,100 per person, $6,000 - $11,000 per table.
The 2025 edition of Smuin’s Annual Gala will celebrate Artistic Director Amy Seiwert‘s inaugural season. Seiwert took the helm of Smuin in July 2024, following her appointment as Smuin’s Associate Artistic Director in April 2023. A former Smuin dancer, she was named the company’s first choreographer-in-residence by Smuin Artistic Director Emerita Celia Fushille in 2008, a post she held for a decade. A multiple-time Isadora Duncan Award nominee, her choreographic works have been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Kennedy Center, The Joyce Theater, The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, and others. Seiwert’s dances are in the repertory of companies nationwide including Atlanta Ballet, AXIS Dance, Ballet Austin, BalletMet, BalletX, Cincinnati Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Oakland Ballet, ODC/Dance, Opera Parallèle, Robert Moses KIN, and Washington Ballet.
Live auction items will include rare and memorable experiences including walk-on roles in Smuin’s annual “The Christmas Ballet” production. A favorite year after year, delectable cakes baked by company artists will also be auctioned off to a lucky few in the audience. Funds raised at Smuin’s Annual Gala will support the company in staging its innovative productions around the Bay Area and its thrilling future under Seiwert’s leadership. “Every day at Smuin Contemporary Ballet, we pay tribute to the inspiring and innovative legacy of Michael Smuin,” said Seiwert. “As the premier destination for contemporary ballet on the West Coast, we serve as a vibrant hub for pioneering works that push the boundaries of dance. Our stage is not just a space for performances; it is a sanctuary for creativity and exploration, where artistic expression flourishes.”
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