Smuin Ballet’s Choice Holiday Show
WALNUT CREEK, CA—Is it high art, or is it sheer entertainment?
The indestructible Smuin Contemporary Ballet has opened up its colorful annual Christmas Ballet, a cornucopia of the new and old offering variety show, modern ballet, night-club pizzazz, step dance, sacred dance, tap, and everything from snowfall to an Elvis impersonator.
It’s all carried off with high energy and humor, with sight gags like the spotlight falling on an audience member who pops up a colorful umbrella during a brief fifth-row “snow” flurry from the heavens. Clearly the versatility of Smuin himself continues to thrive under his former dancer, Artistic Director Celia Fushille.
Unlike “Messiah,” “Nutcracker” or “A Christmas Carol,” the SB’s Christmas Ballet is a constantly evolving family holiday packet, with three of its 31 numbers new, featuring 17 performers in this its 25th year, and a multi-city run concluding in Carmel Dec. 29. In all there are some eight (mostly female!) choreographers credited, with founder Michael Smuin’s work, bulging with chameleon variety, still the most frequent contribution. No way that SB will fall victim to hardening of the arteries any time soon. This is the Bay Area’s exuberant version of take-me-to-the-stars escapism.
One of the memorable surprises this year is Tessa Barbour, featured first as ballerina, then as choreographer of the new number “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” There she pairs with Maggie Carey, not in ballet but in a highly original tap dance pairing. In her earlier klezmer ballet, she showed her (why-me?) acting acumen opposite four males who abruptly leave her in the lurch, exhibiting her light-hearted, resilient dismay.
Rex Wheeler’s new “Silver Bells” provided a flirtatious pas de deux for Carey and the animated company stalwart Ben Needham-Wood. Amy London’s new “Still, Still, Still” gave space for three ballet couples dancing under the stars.
Two contrasting males merited plaudits for their solos, starting with the high-leaping jumping-jack show of Mengjun Chen inthe lightning-fast maneuvers of “Riu, Riu, Chiu,” followed by the suave dancer with real danseur-noble potential, João Sampaio.
The satirical Elvis number featuring Max van der Sterre (but minus the usual Elvis attire, perhaps after admonitions from Elvis attorneys)had several ladies swooning over the star. He also left the audience jubilant.
The sole jarring note was the dancers having to pass the hat after the show, suggesting that the financial health of the company was not remotely on a par with its show-biz savvy and ballet acumen.
All the seasonal music and songs spanning four or more languages was prerecorded.
SMUIN CONTEMPORARY BALLET starting its Christmas Ballet run Nov. 22 at the Lesher Center, Walnut Creek; multi-city run concluding in Carmel Dec. 29. For SB info, go online: www.smuinballet.org.
