SMUIN BALLET - GENUINELY SPARKLING...A MIXTURE OF STYLE AND FUN

'Top Center' - Terez Dean. Photo: Keith Sutter 

DEVILISHLY CLEVER

SMUIN AND HIS VISION

BLACK WATCH  - BELOW

I HAVE SEEN MANY SMUIN BALLETS -- AND THIS ONE AT THE YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS IS THE MOST AUDACIOUS AND ORIGINAL BALLET MOVES THAT I HAVE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS. 

The production at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco is an event of divine madness and full of comedy, opera and romance. If you want to see Thrills, chills and excitement then you will want to enjoy this glittering evening. You know you want to go. It's the perfect place for magic.

The program is Sensual, funny and outlandish at times. The direction has it -- and the performers have it all. Talent is all over the place. Believe me - this Smuin Dance Series at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts keeps Smuin's talent alive with "Bouquet", "Chants d' Auvergne" and "Jazzin". 

Lets start with dancers Jane Rehm and Jonathan Dummar in "Petal" by Helen Pickett. It is part of "Bouquet" (Smuin's 2013 Spring Dance Series. All together now is "Jazzin" (full company) - by Darrell Grand Moutrie. It is also part of "Bouquet." Also in 'Jazzin' - John Speed Orr and Erica Chipp is in the Regional Premiere of "Jazzin. If you loved "Billy Elliott" on the stage and Screen -- then you will feel the magnetism in the audience. Jazzin is explosive...sensational and yes, HOT!

I'm telling you -- this production brings out amazing imagination, originality  and immense style. I'm not kidding - it's lush and lovingly constructed. 

Next Year's 20th Anniversary Season will include World Premieres by Darrell Grand Moultrie and Smuin Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert, and Jiri Kylian's ballet 'Return to a Strange Land'. The program will move from San Francisco, to Mountain view, Walnut Creek, Livermore, and Carmel between October and June 2014. 

At the Yerba Buena Center - the show will run through May 19. 

MAGNIFICENT!!!! "A MUST SEE" 

FOUR GLASSES OF CHAMPAGNE!!!! (highest rating) - tradmarked- 

(((Lee Hartgrave has contributed many articles to the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Datebook and he produced and hosted a long-running Arts Segment on PBS KQED)))

EXTREE!

O.K. here we go. "Black Watch" is indeed startling and at times thrilling and very upsetting. 

But, if you do decide to sit through this two hour show with no intermission. Then, you may want to keep your legs crossed. Why? Because you can't leave the auditorium to go to the bathroom. If you do they will not let you back in. The language is very coarse. You'll have to bare S---T and F---k over and over all night long. 

If that's not enough the bagpipe music is enough to drive you crazy. BORING is a better word. Yes, their is a good story here. But, the four letter words get to be a little too thorny. The physical Theatre is indeed rousing -- but are your legs still alive after sitting for two hours? I noticed that many, many people just couldn't keep their eyes open. 

The best thing about the show is that this hymn to soldiers. If you like to be depressed -- then the sadness in every scene show us constant battle scenes. 

In spite of the macho humour, constant explosions and enemy attacks in this panic-stricken noise. Simply put- I would not recommend the play as it is. It's a theatrical experience that I will easily forget. 

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