Smuin Contemporary Ballet Celebrates The Season With THE CHRISTMAS BALLET

Smuin's joyful holiday tradition The Christmas Ballet will reutnr spreads yuletide cheer with its signature showcase of classical and contemporary dances set to delightfully festive tunes.

With the surprise unwrapping of new treats each year, this celebratory medley incorporates a variety of dance styles including ballet, jazz, swing, and more. The Christmas Ballet offers something for everyone: an elegant first act presenting beautiful classical ballet set to beloved carols, followed by the red-hot second act with joyful contemporary numbers set to pop favorites.

Smuin's holiday spectacular was declared “A treat from start to finish” by SFGate and “Sheer joy…the finest toast to the season” by the San Francisco Chronicle. The LGBTQ+ Night performance of Smuin's irrepressible holiday classic will also return December 20, featuring fun twists and a special guest appearance by Lady Camden (of “RuPaul's Drag Race”), with a portion of the proceeds benefiting local non-profit organizations.

Smuin's The Christmas Ballet will tour the Bay Area, beginning with shows in Walnut Creek (November 23-24), continuing in Mountain View (December 5-8), and wrapping up with San Francisco (December 13-24). Tickets ($25-$119) are available by calling the individual venues (see below for details) or visiting smuinballet.org.

Smuin's The Christmas Ballet premiered in 1995 and has long been a festive tradition for dance lovers across the Bay Area. Along with a return to Michael Smuin's original pieces, the company will unwrap new surprises from Artistic Director Amy Seiwert, company artist Brennan Wall, and Smuin alum Rex Wheeler. The first act, Classical Christmas, will unveil a world premiere by Seiwert, in addition to traditional favorites such as Michael Smuin's “Bach Magnificat,” “Gloucestershire Wassail,” and “Licht bensh'n”. The Cool Christmas second act will feature the premieres of Wall's “Last Christmas” and Wheeler's “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” as well as a spirited medley of contemporary festive numbers including Michael Smuin's tropical “Christmas Island,” and dancing conifers in “Droopy Little Christmas Tree.” And fans can rest easy, Smuin's iconic “Santa Baby” featuring the “world's longest feather boa” will be back. Critics and audiences alike have cheered the playful program, calling it “Sharply danced with a side of silly,” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “Top-notch. Enchanting.” (San Francisco Examiner)

The LGBTQ+ Night performance of Smuin's irrepressible holiday classic on December 20 will be hosted by San Francisco drag queen Lady Camden, who rose to international acclaim following her appearance on season 14 of “RuPaul's Drag Race.” The drag persona of former company artist Rex Wheeler, Lady Camden returns to Smuin for a fabulous evening of fun twists and surprises, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting local non-profit organizations. An afterparty hosted by Lady Camden will follow the performance.

Smuin will host a pre-show talk at 1:15pm prior to the Saturday matinees at each venue. Led by the company's artistic staff, audiences will enjoy insights into the program and creative process behind the ballets. Smuin will also provide accessibility offerings for The Christmas Ballet including an ASL-interpreted performance (7:30pm, Saturday, December 21), a pre-show haptic tour (12:45-1:00 pm, Wednesday, December 18), and performance with audio description (2:00pm, Wednesday, December 18). For more information, visit smuinballet.org.

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