The Christmas Ballet

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
700 Howard St. San Francisco

San Francisco's nontraditional holiday tradition is back and better than ever at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, with the Smuin Contemporary American Ballet's cool Christmas show featuring everything from ballet and tap to swing and jazz. This year's 21st anniversary edition of The Christmas Ballet starts out with snow-kissed dancers clad all in white performing classical favorites such as Tony-winning choreographer Michael Smuin's The Gloucestershire Wassail and Ave Maria. The second half's red-costumed dancers let loose with a collection of fresh, fun and fantastical numbers, inspired by great tunes like "White Christmas," "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and the perennial favorite, "Santa Baby."