Michael Smuin Dies

Michael Smuin was born on Oct. 13, 1938, in Missoula, Montana. Michael studied tap dancing as a child and caught the dance fever for good when his mother took him to see the touring Ballet Russe at the University of Montana. At age 14, he moved to Salt Lake City on a dance scholarship at the University of Utah. In 1953, San Francisco Ballet director Lew Christensen recruited Michael when he was just 15. He moved to San Francisco and received his high school degree from Galileo High School.

After dancing with San Francisco Ballet for eight years, Michael married a fellow company member, Paula Tracy. The couple moved to New York in 1961. Michael was cast in a Broadway musical, "Little Me," directed by Bob Fosse, in 1962. Michael and Paula mounted a night-club dance act and they toured around the country and overseas with Xavier Cugat. First Michael and then Paula joined American Ballet Theatre in 1965. Michael choreographed "Pulcinella Variations," "The Catherine Wheel" and other pieces for ABT before the couple returned to San Francisco. They divorced in 2000.

Smuin spent 12 years, 1973 - 1985, as a choreographer and co-director of the San Francisco Ballet, a period that coincided with his work on "Sophisticated Ladies" on Broadway and various film projects. He helped raise the company's national and international profile with works such as Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest, which each won Emmy's for their PBS "Dance in America" series. Two other well-known ballets out of the dozens he created during his time at SF Ballet include Shinju and A Song for Dead Warriors.

Since it was founded in 1994, Michael Smuin created more than 40 new works for his eponymous company. His creations for his Company range from the purely classical such as his 9/11 tribute Stabat Mater (2002) and popular Carmina Burana (1997) to the innovation of Bluegrass/Slyde with its revolving-pole set and integration of dance styles to story ballets like Zorro (2003) and Pinocchio (1999) to the wildly popular dances with the music of Frank Sinatra (Fly Me to the Moon 2004) and Dancin' With Gershwin (2001). His 16-member Company of dancers is devoted to him, as are his entire staff, volunteers, and countless patrons. Smuin Ballet will continue to perform and to honor Michael's legacy.

Amy Seiwert, a Smuin Ballet dancer for the past eight years said:
"He absolutely loved what he did," She recalled something Michael said to her once and that she often repeated back to him. " 'If I only did the things I was supposed to do,' " Michael told her, "'I would never do anything.' "

Michael is survived by a son, Shane Smuin; brothers Douglas Smuin and Stephen Smuin; and his former wife, Paula Tracy. Plans for a memorial are pending.

http://www.smuinballet.org/