Smuin Ballet performs in Sarasota

One of San Francisco's most popular and most acclaimed dance companies will be in Sarasota this weekend for five performances.

Famed dancer and choreographer Michael Smuin founded Smuin Ballet 22 years ago. His vision, he said was "to infuse ballet with the rhythm, speed, and syncopation of American popular culture."

Smuin won a Tony Award for choreographing "Anything Goes" in 1988 and was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, a choreographer for Dance Theatre of Harlem and artistic director at San Francisco Ballet. He died in 2007, but his company still enhances its early reputation for classical ballet technique combined with physicality and expression.

The Sarasota program includes "Broken Open," which the San Francisco Chronicle called "fresh, challenging and relevant"; "Maslow," by Smuin dancer Ben Needham-Wood, which combines contemporary ballet and hip-hop; "French Twist," which was Tom and Jerry cartoons; and Smuin's lyrical "Bouquet," which is set to a pair of Shostakovich piano concerti.

Details: Feb. 26-28, FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Show times: 7;30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets: $35-$110. Information: 941-359-0099, sarasotaballet.com.

-- Marty Clear

This story was originally published February 24, 2016 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Smuin Ballet performs in Sarasota ."