From the San Francisco Chronicle
(04-23) 17:02 PDT -- Michael Smuin, former co-artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet and founder of his own dance company, collapsed and died this morning at his company's studios.
Smuin, who was 68, had a broad and rich career as a dancer and dance-maker. A native of Missoula, Mont, he began dancing at a young age and danced with both the American Ballet Theatre and the San Francisco Ballet. At 27, he began a second career as a choreographer. He enjoyed a brief tenure as co-director of San Francisco Ballet with Lew Christensen, but found himself out of a job when his contract was not renewed in 1984. He was succeeded at San Francisco by the company's current artistic director, Helgi Tomasson.
Veteran observers of the Bay Area dance scene know all the details of the upheaval, but it's so much ancient history to others.
After making dance for film, Broadway and in Las Vegas, Smuin returned to the Bay Area in 1994 to form his own company, Smuin Ballets/SF, which continues to this day. It is a smaller company than San Francisco Ballet, but, from the start, Smuin's social and artistic contacts served him well.
His ballets include "The Catharine Wheel," "Pulcinella Variations," "Romeo and Juliet, "The Christmas Ballet," "Shinju," "Zorro," "Frankie and Johnny" and "Fly Me to the Moon."
E-mail David Wiegand at dwiegand@sfchronicle.com