Smuin Contemporary Ballet - "Future Forward"

Smuin Contemporary Ballet
Future Forward
Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek
May 1st, 2026

In just a matter of weeks, Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s 2025/2026 season will reach its conclusion. And what a year it has been! Mixed repertory programs, premiere works, a holiday extravaganza and the launch of their new choreographic platform, Spring Point. Before heading to Mountain View, the final bill of the year, Future Forward, ran for a weekend at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek. It was terrific. Ahead of curtain, Artistic Director Amy Seiwert shared that the four ballets we were about to see were incredibly different, and that was not an exaggeration. Future Forward gave us storytelling. Topically urgent narratives. Embodied grace. And it highlighted the link between choreographic and musical form. It was a great night of concert dance and certainly had this viewer (and I’m sure others) anxious to see what Smuin has in store as it looks ahead to its future.

Yuri Rogers and Maggie Carey in
Skarpetowska’s Sextette 
Photo Maximillian Tortoriello

Katarzyna Skarpetowska’s Sextette (2021) took the first leg of the evening’s ballet tour. And it was a brilliant journey into compositional structure. The suite for six dancers (four women, two men) beautifully mirrors its Baroque score by J.S. Bach. A long era in music history (1600-1750, depending on who you ask), the Baroque style is known for certain characteristics. One is how voices exist as simultaneously independent and interdependent. Individual musical lines are strong in their own right, and at the same time, enter a conversation with others. Like in an invention or a fugue. That conversation continues and develops until the piece in question reaches its finale. 

So, with Sextette. It was an ongoing exchange between the classical and contemporary worlds. The music, of course, was classical. The white shorts and crop tops (costuming by Susan Roemer), contemporary. A courtly atmosphere. Pointe shoes. And this dialogue was especially pronounced in Skarpetowska’s choreography. Classical petit allegro was contrasted with parallel stances. Textbook arabesques cascaded into bird arms. Russian pas de chats and temps de cuisse were followed by inventive interpretations on the classic fish dive.

More or less, we stayed in the same historical era for Michael Smuin and Raquel Bitton’s Hearts Suite, a dramatic, theatrical duet that delves into the commedia dell-arte and operatic spaces. Here we experienced ballet as storytelling. Danced (compellingly) at this performance by Tess Lane and Dominic Barrett, Hearts Suite is unrequited love. Through its solo and shared moments, it conveys yearning, longing and desire, and as the pas de deux ends, the resolution is somewhat unclear. And I think that’s on purpose.

Having premiered on San Francisco Ballet in 1986, Hearts Suite is forty. The three other works in Future Forward are from the current decade. Programming something from somewhere in the middle might have been an idea to consider. But regardless of its age, Hearts Suite served as a reminder of how incredibly intricate Michael Smuin’s choreography was and is. It looks lyrical and easeful, but at its core, it is both technically intricate and deeply layered.

Andi Schermoly’s Jane Doe opened with a non-descript egalitarian quality. Six couples, costumed by Christopher Dunn, in black; charcoal chairs dotting the space. Each woman stared ahead stoically, with dread, and immediately, I was concerned for them. As the world premiere continued, it was clear that the concern was well-founded. An urgent narrative was unfolding – the treatment of women by men. Their limbs were manipulated by their partners. Palms were violently grabbed. Dancers were aggressively dragged across the floor. Hands clasped over mouths. It felt perilous. And then a potent shift. In a physical statement of defiance and strength, the six women came together in a determined, grounded variation, complete with staccato, body percussion. Jane Doe’s first two-thirds confronted the audience, and it was powerful.

As Jane Doe went on, it ventured a little into the Dance Theater realm – adding elements like additional costuming, music, props, scenework and intentional absurdity. But dipping into that genre for a short time doesn’t always read, and in this case, Jane Doe’s thread got a bit lost. 

Eleanor Prince & Dominic Barrett in
Seiwert's Still Falling
Photo Maximillian Tortoriello

Future Forward closed with another world premiere, Seiwert’s Still Falling. Set against Jim French’s ombré cyclorama, Still Falling was a multi-chaptered suite where elegance reigned supreme. Whether in solo, duets, trios, quintets or full cast expressions, every movement, every moment, was polished and refined. And it featured Seiwert’s singular way of exploring the possibilities that ballet vocabulary and technique have. Elegance was certainly the throughline, but there were plenty of moods and tones at play. Some chapters were sweeping and expansive, others delicate and soft. A broad dynamic spectrum was on full display. Smooth, legato variations against sprightly, precise gestures. Still Falling was ravishing and I cannot wait to see it again.

 

Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Alonzo King LINES Ballet
Blue Shield of California Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco
April 18th, 2026 (matinee)

It’s been a minute since I last saw LINES Ballet in performance. Schedules just weren’t aligned in the last few years, and so I’ve missed a number of their recent engagements. Luckily, things did line up this year and I was able to take in the company’s 2026 spring home season which paired the world premiere of Legacy with an encore of 2024’s Ode to Alice Coltrane. Even with the passage of some time, the program was everything I remember LINES to be. Collaboration was central with both works celebrating the marriage of music and movement. The company, including some newer faces, is as technically astonishing as ever. And there is an air of exquisite elegance. In Artistic Director Alonzo King’s choreography. In the dancers’ interpretation of that physical syntax. In the artistic dialog that sang from the stage. Such a delightful afternoon at the theater!

 Dancer Maël Amatoul and musician esperanza spalding in King's Legacy
Photo Chris Hardy

The debut of Legacy was the centerpiece of LINES’ 2026 bill, a sixteen-piece suite that brought the company into a living conversation with bassist, singer and composer esperanza spalding. Dancers in sparkling, glittery, sequined costumes entered and exited the space with graceful, expansive, sweeping limbs – arms and legs seemed to extend to infinity and beyond. Wearing a gorgeous flowing gown, spalding and her upright bass took the downstage right corner. A brilliant combination of recording, looping, live strings and vocals imbued the atmosphere as the dancers continued their statements of artistic strength and physical wonder. There were directional shifts. Lightning-fast motion. Undulating torsos and off-center balances. Deep, deep plié and wide standing postures. The aesthetic was undeniably Alonzo King choreography. Undeniably LINES Ballet.

As the thirty-minute work continued, there was a special chapter that stood out from the rest. Costumed (by Robert Rosenwasser) in white, feathery cropped pants, company artist Lorris Eichinger emerged from the wings, and from the start to the end of his variation, was completely locked in with spalding. Theirs was a moment for statements, answers, questions and exclamations and it made at least this viewer, yearn for more such connections. Legacy was clearly a live, performative conversation and for much of it, spalding seemed relatively alone in that endeavor. She certainly made a visible and earnest effort to connect with the dancers onstage and when it did happen (like with Eichinger), it was magical. 

Rounding out LINES Ballet’s 2026 spring season was 2024’s Ode to Alice Coltrane, a second meeting of score and physicality. Set to recordings from jazz musician and composer Alice Coltrane, the multi-episode work featured much of the signature LINES style. Huge leaps met with extended jazz lay-outs, as did fouetté turns with some truly phenomenal demi-pointe balances. 

Tatum Quiñónez and LINES company in King's Ode to Alice Coltrane
Photo Chris Hardy

The beginning and ending of Ode to Alice Coltrane were dramatic and deliciously charged. As the piece opened, dancers slowly crawled like cats in front of a large, transforming black scenery flat. Harp music, atmospheric haze and Rosenwasser’s filmy, gauzy costumes added a decidedly ethereal tone to the space. And the juxtaposition of that lightness with King’s grounded movement provided an interesting textural depth. Ode to Alice Coltrane’s final sections brought an updated interpretation of Dvořák’s New World Symphony to the table. Everything about those final moments was uplifting and otherworldly. Like a sumptuous journey of discovery. 

At nearly fifty minutes, Ode to Alice Coltrane felt on the lengthy side. For me, the middle sections seemed to abide in a fairly similar space – dynamic- and movement-wise. But lengthy or not, the choreography is beautiful, the dancers are stunning and the experience is one to remember.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Cal Performances presents

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley

April 12th, 2026

The Bay Area spring dance season would not be complete without Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s annual residency at Cal Performances. And what a dramatic spring week to backdrop the company’s 2026 engagement! The weather ran the gamut from warm, sunny skies to a weekend of freezing torrential downpours. But regardless of the forecast, AAADT fans turned out in droves abuzz to see what the troupe had in store this year – four unique programs of Bay Area premieres, re-envisioned productions and of course classic masterworks. Program B, AAADT’s closing bill, paired two 2025 pieces (both which were new to local audiences) with Founder Alvin Ailey’s iconic modern composition, 1960’s Revelations.

Opening the afternoon was Maija García’s Jazz Island, a work that felt decidedly Dance Theater-esque. A moon backdrop gave a planetary celestial feel; García’s grounded and supple choreography, a Caribbean/Island quality. An array of characters imbued the space: a goddess, vendors, a mysterious (almost nefarious) man with a top hat and cane, and a community of inhabitants. An intricately crafted set of scenes flowed seamlessly keeping stops and starts at bay. Props. Costumes. Humor. West Side Story style confrontations. A strong and present narrative undertone, though not a linear story. All set to a lovely jazz score by Etienne Charles. 

These many theatrical elements worked in concert to capture a day in the life of this place and the people who call it home. Their triumphs and accomplishments. Their challenges and obstacles. Their wants, desires, experiences. I enjoyed Jazz Island, though I think I need to see it again to grasp all the moving parts. There was a lot going on at the same time. Having said that, I think the biggest take away from this first viewing is how the piece speaks to the breadth and range of this company. It felt somewhat of a departure for AAADT, which is a good thing. Keeping a dance group vital requires honoring history while simultaneously pushing forward with newness. Jazz Island was definitely a new force.

Next up was another 2025 work, Embrace by Fredrick Earl Mosley. A series of vignettes set to contemporary music, Embrace is special. Again, there wasn’t a linear narrative at play, but the work was not at all abstract. Embrace was a statement of kinship, love and inclusion. It joined moments of animosity with moments of support. There was yearning, charged romance and even a little desperation. I didn’t want to take my eyes off the stage for a single second, and I bet most of the auditorium shared that sentiment. 

Embrace also utilized a unique theatrical device throughout – a collection of modular tables and benches. In each chapter, the furniture took on a different configuration to support the movement, almost acting like additional cast members. In the first variation, the soloist used a table’s edge like a ballet barre. Then, the tables shifted and became an additional stage surface as “At Last” sang through the air. During Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work,” the tables became seats and backdrops, the dancers squiring them about the space. As Embrace continued, the set pieces provided pathways, level changes and wing space without being distracting. Genius.

Mosley’s choreography was also a stroke of genius – smooth, sumptuous and gooey in the best possible way. A slow promenade in attitude literally left me breathless. Lit from the side by shinbusters, a full throttle unison sequence read like a celebration of youth. Dancers communicated the notion of risk-taking with daring flying leaps. And an amazing late pirouette rotated on and on; I think it was at least five or six consecutive turns. 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ailey's Revelations
Photo Paul Kolnik

And finally, the consummate finale, Revelations. I sometimes tire of pieces that I’ve seen many, many times, but I never tire of this suite set to African American spirituals. And at this viewing, I found myself, once again, taken by the work’s stunning visual images. The flexed palms, cupped hands and kneeling attitude in “I Been ‘Buked,” followed by “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel’s” deep hinges and goal-posted chaîné turns. The écarté promenade during “Fix Me, Jesus” always elicits gasps (and it did on Sunday). As Revelations reaches its middle, the captivating visuals continue to stun: the boat pose in “I Wanna Be Ready” and the army crawl in “Sinner Man” – leading to Revelations’ extraordinary conclusion. During this final chapter, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham,” I always close my notebook to be completely present with the performances, the choreography and the contagious joy emanating from the stage.