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.^[1] He also choreographed for the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Washington Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Milwaukee Ballet.^[2]

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

• 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

• Steven Winn (23 April 2007). "SF dance pioneer Michael Smuin collapses, dies". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
• Steven Winn (24 April 2007). "Michael Smuin: 1938-2007, Prolific dance director had showy career". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-08-13.

• Smuin Ballet official website
• Michael Smuin at the Internet Broadway Database  
• Michael Smuin at IMDb
• KQED artist profile