Michael Smuin
title: "Michael Smuin" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1938-births", "2007-deaths", "american-theatre-directors", "american-male-ballet-dancers", "american-choreographers", "musical-theatre-choreographers", "primetime-emmy-award-winners", "artists-from-missoula,-montana", "tony-award-winners", "20th-century-american-ballet-dancers"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Smuin" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Michael Smuin |
| image | Replace this image male.svg |
| imagesize | 180px |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Missoula, Montana, US |
| death_date | |
| death_place | San Francisco, California, US |
| occupation | Choreographer, dancer |
| spouse | Paula Tracy (1961–2000) |
| yearsactive | 1970s-2007 |
| :: |
| name = Michael Smuin | image = Replace this image male.svg | imagesize = 180px | caption = | birthname = | birth_date = | birth_place = Missoula, Montana, US | death_date = | death_place = San Francisco, California, US | occupation = Choreographer, dancer | spouse = Paula Tracy (1961–2000) | yearsactive = 1970s-2007 | website =
Michael Smuin (October 13, 1938 – April 23, 2007) was an American ballet dancer, choreographer and theatre director. He was co-founder and director of his own dance company, the Smuin Ballet in San Francisco.
Biography
Born in Missoula, Montana, Smuin was a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre and the San Francisco Ballet, for which he served as co-artistic director from 1973 through 1985. In 1994 he founded Smuin Ballet.
Smuin's Broadway credits included Little Me (1962) as a dancer, Anything Goes (1987) as a choreographer, and Sophisticated Ladies (1981) and Shogun: The Musical (1990) as choreographer and director. He also choreographed the 1995 West End production of Mack and Mabel.
Smuin's film credits included The Fantasticks, A Walk in the Clouds, The Joy Luck Club, The Cotton Club, and Rumble Fish.
Smuin collapsed and died of a heart attack while teaching company class in San Francisco.
Awards and nominations
;Awards
- 1984 Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography – Great Performances: Dance in America
- 1988 Tony Award for Best Choreography – Anything Goes
- 1988 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography – Anything Goes ;Nominations
- 1981 Tony Award for Best Choreography – Sophisticated Ladies
- 1981 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – Sophisticated Ladies
- 1981 Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography – Great Performances: Dance in America
References
| last =Ryce | first =Walter | title =Smuin Ballet balances art and entertainment | newspaper =Monterey County Weekly | location =Seaside, California, United States | date =6 June 2013 | url =http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/archives/2013/0606/article_a4af1652-ce36-11e2-a2bf-0019bb30f31a.html | access-date = 6 June 2013}}
References
- Tribune Staff. "125 Montana Newsmakers: Michael Smuin". Great Falls Tribune.
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