Smuin Ballet Celebrates the Dark and the LIght

Smuin Ballet kicked off its 2011-2012 Season at the Palace of Fine Arts with a world premiere Dear Miss Cline by Choreographer in Residence Amy Seiwert set to the music of Patsy Cline. This acrobatic upbeat piece completed an evening that presented previously performed repertoire including the late Michael Smuin’s seductive fantasy of possession and passion Tango Palace played out in the steamy underworld of tango. Along with the sultry qualities this particular dance is known for that include elements of the passionate French Apache style, Tango Palace definitely captivated the playfulness that Smuin expressed in his notes: “I wanted to make a piece that was more than heavy breathing, bared teeth and swooning back bends – tangos with a twinkle in the eye.” It was refreshing to see two of the men dancing so gracefully together after being refused by one of the women. With subtle lighting (Sara Linnie Slocum & Michael Oesch) and beautifully suggestive costumes in combinations of jewel toned turquoise green/blues and fiery orange/reds (Ann Beck), Tango Palace started the evening off with ferocious pizzazz.

Following Tango was Stabat Mater, Smuin’s response to 9/11. Set to Dvorak’s choral work of the same name, this breathtaking piece eloquently expresses the hope of moving forward after grief and loss and ten years later still has the emotional strength it did when first introduced. Least interesting of the evening was the pas de deux The Eternal Idol named for the August Rodin sculpture of a nude couple locked in an embrace. More reminiscent of the little mermaid statue of Hans Christian Anderson at Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens, Eternal Idol is far too repetitive in tone and costumed so obviously in ill-fitting body suits that destroy the fine efforts and expertise of Ms. Cornwell and Mr. Dummar to invoke the sensuous intention of the piece.

It’s hard to ruin the music of Patsy Cline. While Seiwert’s quirky choreography brought out the humor of the ten Cline tunes, one sometimes wished for more daring interpretation in which the movement would be less tied to the exact rhythms which gave the pieces a predictable quality. Perhaps a rearrangement of the program would create an even more dynamic evening. If, say, Dear Miss Cline began the evening and the more varied Tango ended it omitting The Eternal Idol altogether.

Smuin Ballet’s Bay Area tour of their Christmas Ballet will run November 24 through December 24. For more information about upcoming performances go to www.smuinballet.org or 415.556.5000.