It’s not yet Thanksgiving, but one Bay Area radio station already has turned to Christmas music programming, and, even better, Smuin Contemporary Ballet has opened its annual run of “The Christmas Ballet.” It’s a lovely and fun way to get the holiday season off to a good start.
The troupe’s series of engagements (with upcoming performances in Carmel, Mountain View and San Francisco through Dec. 28) are onstage weekend in Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center.
Saturday’s matinee audience happily weathered the paper snowflake shower in the rambunctious closing number, “White Christmas,” choreographed by Ben Needham-Wood. (Program notes thank Clement Chen III, the 2025 sponsor of the snowfall!)
The dance remains the delightful conclusion to the holiday production established by company namesake Michael Smuin in 1995, known for its spirited, beautiful classical first act with the dancers wearing white, and jazzy, comedy-laced act 2 with the performers in red.
Smuin dancemakers do a great job selecting musical accompaniment. The soundtrack of classical, traditional and pop tunes is ear-pleasing throughout, boosting every piece in the fast-paced, 28-number show. Per tradition, there are familiar works by dancer-choreographer Smuin, who died in 2007, nicely interspersed with newer pieces by local choreographers (some former Smuin troupe members) including Julia Adam, Val Caniparoli, Nicole Haskins, Ben Needham-Wood, Myles Thatcher and Rex Wheeler.
Choreographer Amy Seiwert, the troupe’s artistic director, contributes excellent numbers, including the premiere “Ma Navu,” a romantic, first-act duet featuring Shania Rasmussen and Dominic Barrett set to an Israel folk tune sung by moody female choral ensemble Kitka. Seiwert’s other pieces on the program: the uplifting “Sleigh Ride,” with two white-clad couples moving to the St. Petersburg Philharmonic playing Prokofiev; the tranquil “Dona Nobis Pacem” featuring the troupe and a trio dancing to Yo-Yo Ma’s gorgeous cello; the hilarious mashup “The Twelve Days of Christmas” with the company jostling to master a cappella group Straight No Chaser; and the romantic “River” with Maggie Carey and Ricardo Dyer dueting to Joni Mitchell.
Two more world premieres, both fun second-act solos, are Thatcher’s “My Gift, Your Presence,” featuring a fluid Tess Lane enjoying various presents; and Adam’s “The Sweater” in which Tessa Barbour delightfully partners with a hockey stick to an instrumental version of “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late).”
As is the case every year, “The Christmas Ballet” serves up amusing, show-bizzy costumes, props and effects: There’s the reportedly longest feather boa in local stage history in Smuin’s “Santa Baby”; tap-dancing conifers in Smuin’s “Droopy Little Christmas Tree”; a fabric-flowing ocean and a Santa-hat-wearing shark in Smuin’s “Christmas Island”; stylish hats and fans in Smuin’s “Christmas in New Orleans”; and martini shakers and glasses in Caniparoli’s bouncy “Jingle Bells Mambo.”
Notable standout performances at the opening matinee included: Claire Buehler, Jacopo Calvo and João Sampaio in Wheeler’s classical “Excelsis” set to Vivaldi’s joyous “Gloria”; AL Abraham’s strong solo in Smuin’s “La Virgen Lava Pañales” set to Placido Domingo; and Barbour’s sensational Irish step dancing in Smuin’s “Bells of Dublin.”
As the crew brings the goods (lighting by Michael Oesch, costumes by Sandra Woodall and scenery by Douglas Schmidt) these dancers —Abraham, Barbour, Barrett, Isabel Borges, Buehler, Calvo, Carey, Cameron Cofrancesco, Gabrielle Collins, Dyer, Cassidy Isaacson, Lane, Marc La Pierre, Rasmussen, Wen Na Robertson, Yuri Rogers and Sampaio — give their all.
Following the performance, company veteran Lane addressed the audience, mentioning how “The Christmas Ballet” stays fresh because it changes every year. Preceding the show, Seiwert welcomed patrons, closing her remarks with what she said was a quote from Smuin: “If you like what you see today, please tell your friends; if you don’t keep your mouth shut.” Count this as a “like.”
Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s “The Christmas Ballet” continues Dec. 5-6 at Sunset Center in Carmel; Dec. 11-14 at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, and Dec. 18-28 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Tickets are $25 to $129 at smuinballet.org.