Photo: Keith Sutter
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Smuin dancers Jonathan Powell and Erin Yarbrough-Powell appear in "White Christmas," choreographed by dancer Ben Needham-Wood, part of Smuin's annual "The Christmas Ballet." Photo: Keith Sutter
Smuin dancers Jonathan Powell and Erin Yarbrough-Powell appear in "White Christmas," choreographed by dancer Ben Needham-Wood, part of Smuin's annual "The Christmas Ballet." Photo: Keith Sutter
Photo: Keith Sutter
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Smuin dancers Nicole Haskins, Mengjun Chen, and Lauren Pschirrer in "We Three Kings," created by dancer Rex Wheeler, part of Smuin's annual "The Christmas Ballet." Photo: Keith Sutter
Smuin dancers Nicole Haskins, Mengjun Chen, and Lauren Pschirrer in "We Three Kings," created by dancer Rex Wheeler, part of Smuin's annual "The Christmas Ballet." Photo: Keith Sutter
Photo: Keith Sutter
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Smuin dancers Tessa Barbour and Rex Wheeler, Lauren Pschirrer, Terez Dean and Jonathan Powell, Nicole Haskins, Valerie Harmon and Dustin James, and Erica Chipp-Adams in Choreographer-in-Residence Amy SeiwertÕs "Christmas Concerto," part of Smuin's annual "The Christmas Ballet." Photo: Keith Sutter less
Smuin dancers Tessa Barbour and Rex Wheeler, Lauren Pschirrer, Terez Dean and Jonathan Powell, Nicole Haskins, Valerie Harmon and Dustin James, and Erica Chipp-Adams in Choreographer-in-Residence Amy SeiwertÕs ... more
Photo: Keith Sutter
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Tessa Barbour and Ben Needham- Wood in “Christmas Tree Rock.”
Tessa Barbour and Ben Needham- Wood in “Christmas Tree Rock.”
Photo: Keith Sutter

Smuin Contemporary American Ballet’s “The Christmas Ballet” aims to satisfy all flavors of holiday cravings. The show is split into two acts, opening with snowy-clad dancers performing traditional seasonal favorites like Michael Smuin’s “Bach Magnificat” and “Ave Maria.” Act 2, “Cool Christmas,” comes with a costume change, dancers now wearing cinnamon reds to signal the arrival of more contemporary numbers like “Santa Baby” and “Droopy Little Christmas Tree.”

The lineup for this year’s show includes a premiere from Amy Seiwert set to Vivaldi’s jubilant “Christmas Concerto.” This number will be Seiwert’s last as choreographer-in-residence for Smuin before she transitions to her role as artistic director with Sacramento Ballet.

— Maxine Marshall

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“The Christmas Ballet”: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 14-16 and 21-23; 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17; 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 16-17, Wednesday, Dec. 20 and Dec. 22-24. $25-$89. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard St., S.F. www.smuinballet.org