PRESS RELEASE

Composer Floating Points to perform live alongside Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Ballet Orchestra during every performance of Mere Mortals

Mere Mortals examines the ancient story of Pandora through the modern lens of technological advancement

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) April 14, 2026—San Francisco Ballet (SF Ballet) today announced details for Aszure Barton and Floating Points’s Mere Mortals—a ballet that reimagines the ancient Greek myth of Pandora and Prometheus using a modern perspective on the unleashing of artificial intelligence and technology—at the War Memorial Opera House, onstage April 24 to May 3.

Commissioned by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo to open her inaugural season in San Francisco in 2024, Mere Mortals marked SF Ballet’s first full-length commission from a female choreographer. Following its world premiere and multiple sold-out performances during the 2023–2024 season, the landmark production returns to the Opera House stage with live performances by DJ, producer, and composer Floating Points and the SF Ballet Orchestra, led by Shelby and Frederick Gans Music Director & Principal Conductor Martin West. This fall, Mere Mortals will have its European premiere at Edinburgh International Festival and London’s Sadler’s Wells.

Aszure Barton’s choreography builds distinct movement languages for each character, fashioned in broad-shouldered coats and sleek unitards designed by Michelle Jank. In the original myth, Pandora is the first mortal woman, fashioned by the gods and gifted a sealed jar by Zeus with a single instruction: do not open it. Curiosity wins, and she releases all the evils of the world into existence. When the jar is sealed again, one thing remains inside: Hope.

This ballet originally premiered in San Francisco—a city known as the epicenter of technology—at a time when the AI conversation was accelerating from niche industry topic to global phenomenon, and its 2026 return lands with even greater urgency.

“Mere Mortals does not tell people how they should think, but rather opens up rich dialogues about our humanity, reflected through the artistic collaborations seen onstage,” said Rojo. “It is my hope that audiences leave the theater feeling inspired to participate in conversations about the future of art and technology, considering both the excitement of innovation and the concern of what is at stake.”

His first-ever ballet score, Floating Points’s original composition utilizes the Buchla synthesizer, an instrument invented in the Bay Area in 1963. The Barcelona-based creative studio Hamill Industries, frequent collaborators of Floating Points, integrates three mobile LED screen panels to enhance the visual storytelling throughout the ballet, employing artificial intelligence as an artistic tool in the creation of some of the onstage visuals. The full sensory architecture is complete with lighting designed by Jim French.

All evening performances of Mere Mortals are followed by an immersive after party in the Opera House lobby, featuring a slate of local DJs including DJ Mozhgan, DJ Nooka Jones, DJ Brown Angel, and DJ Archie Sullivan. Sullivan has been a member of SF Ballet’s corps de ballet since 2024, and his DJ set will take place following the opening night performance.

Tickets and Performance Dates
Mere Mortals is onstage at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco from April 24 to May 3. Tickets may be purchased online at sfballet.org or by calling Ticket Services at 415-865-2000, open Monday through Friday, 10am to 4pm. Casting and prices are subject to change.

Friday, April 24 at 8PM
Saturday, April 25 at 2PM and 8PM
Sunday, April 26 at 2PM
Tuesday, April 28 at 7:30PM
Wednesday, April 29 at 7:30PM
Thursday, April 30 at 7:30PM
Friday, May 1 at 8PM
Saturday, May 2 at 2PM and 8PM
Sunday, May 3 at 2PM

NOTE: No “Meet the Artist” interviews during the run of Mere Mortals

Run Time
1 hour and 7 minutes
No Intermission

Production Credits
Choreographer: Aszure Barton
Music Composted By: Floating Points

Production Design and Visuals: Hamill Industries
Costume Design: Michelle Jank
Lighting Design: Jim French
Dramaturg: Carmen Kovacs
Collaborative Assistant: James Gregg

World Premiere: January 26, 2024—San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California

Music: Original composition commissioned by San Francisco Ballet. Costumes constructed by Parkinson Gill Ltd. Additional costumes constructed by San Francisco Ballet Costume Shop. Scenic construction and painting by San Francisco Ballet Scene Shop.

About San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Ballet, led by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, is a world-leading ballet company and a trailblazing commissioner, collaborator, and presenter in dance. With a deep commitment to new and contemporary works and the classical repertoire, SF Ballet is a catalyst for the future of ballet, investing in commissions and acquisitions; presenting established and emerging choreographers with a breadth of viewpoints; uplifting dancers, artists, and creatives across disciplines; and cultivating the next generation of the world’s top dancers in its School.

Contact
Public Relations, San Francisco Ballet
press@sfballet.org
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