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Smuin Ballets/SF is presenting a new,
evening-length program, Dancin’ with Gershwin, that demonstrates the
accomplished showmanship of choreographer Michael Smuin.
Using songs composed by George Gershwin, as well as some of his orchestral
music, Smuin has devised an entertainment that moves along briskly. The songs, that span Gershwin’s all-too-brief
career (he died at age 38), keep changing mood. Smuin
has used recordings old and new of the songs, with many familiar singers represented in
his selections. Willa Kim’s costumes are
colorful and witty. The design elements and
lighting, by Rick Goodwin and Sara Linnie Slocum, also contribute to this engaging
evening.
Who could resist the charms of
Allison Jay? She appears magically through a
sea of ostrich feather fans (shades of Sally Rand, for those who remember the famous fan
dancer) held by a corps of six men. Jay wears
a tight red velvet dress revealing an impressive cleavage adorned with
“diamonds.” To the voice of Marilyn Monroe singing “Do It Again,” she
prances, slinks and vamps through a clever dance in which the fans play an active part. This was the highlight of the evening.
The dozen members of the company
obviously relish what they are doing, and the audience has a good time with them. The program beings with a piano (painted bright
red) in the spotlight as the overture plays. Hern‡n
Piquin springs into action, “playing” the keyboard with his feet, timed to the
music, and is joined by Celia Fushille-Burke in a lively routine that sets the tone for
the evening ahead. As the overture ends, the
piano “flies” away and the program moves quickly into an homage to Al Jolson and
his signature song, “Swanee.” The
dexterous Shannon Hurlburt, dressed like Jolson, is backed by six smaller Jolsons, and the
routine they perform draws upon the well-known Jolson moves.
The first part of the program
emphasizes upbeat selections, with an occasional romantic pas de deux, and an acrobatic
solo by the lithe Hern‡n Piquin danced to “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from
the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. This
number employs shadow projections that give visual representation to the lyrics--another
witty, theatrical touch. There is also a
dance for two couples with the women seated on rolling chairs, an homage to Busby Berkley
routines, and a Andrews Sisters-inspired rendering of “Of Thee I Sing.”
The second part of the program
begins with a moody dance (set to the Adagio section from the “Concerto in F”)
for two couples. The story implied in the
dance is that the couples are mismatched—the man of one couple yearns for the woman
of the other couple. Antony Tudor’s
masterpiece Lilac Garden uses the same premise and is a ballet that Smuin knows
well. In fact, throughout the evening, Smuin
borrows from other choreographers, putting their movements together in his own way. Smuin is more a synthesizer than an original
creator of movement; he makes astute choices
in what he borrows.
Two young performers (the
accomplished Roberto Cisneros and Anthony Huxley, both age 12) are featured in a tap
routine (one of several tap dances) that ends with a stab at hip hop. Smuin is always up to date in his use of
vernacular movement. Cisneros is also
featured in an homage to Fred Astaire in which he mimics the moves of Shannon Hurlburt
dancing to a recording of “Fascinating Rhythm” made by Fred Astaire. The program ends with the entire company dancing
to “Slap That Bass,” bringing the evening to a spirited close.
- Larry Campbell
