PRESS RELEASE

EGOT-winning actress Rita Moreno named Honorary Chair; program to feature guest artist Adji Cissoko, Principal at Alonzo King LINES Ballet

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) November 24, 2025—San Francisco Ballet (SF Ballet) today announced award-winning actress Rita Moreno as the Honorary Chair for the 2026 Opening Night Gala, taking place on Wednesday, January 14. Curated by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, the event will feature a black-tie dinner and a one-night-only performance at the War Memorial Opera House celebrating the best of San Francisco’s vibrant dance community—including an appearance by special guest artist Adji Cissoko, Principal at Alonzo King LINES Ballet—followed by the legendary After Party in City Hall, a highlight of the evening year after year. 

The Gala will celebrate the launch of a new season at SF Ballet guided by Rojo’s bold vision for the Company, featuring previews of what’s to come in 2026, including Don Quixote, Blake Works I, and Stars and Stripes, and gala-exclusive excerpts from bold contemporary works by American choreographers and revered classics that pay tribute SF Ballet’s rich legacy of artistic excellence. Gala tickets go on sale Wednesday, December 3. 

SF Ballet is thrilled to have Rita Moreno as this year’s Honorary Chair. With credits spanning from Singin’ in the Rain to West Side Story and accolades including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Kennedy Center Honors Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award, and the National Medal of Arts, Moreno’s trailblazing spirit of courage, reinvention, and advocacy mirrors SF Ballet’s dedication to breaking new ground in dance and inspiring artists to create boldly. 

This year’s After Party will feature live music by DJ Shellheart, the official DJ of the Golden State Valkyries, and returning favorites DJ Chris Clouse and live band Wonderbread 5. The event immerses partygoers in a transformed City Hall, including an open bar, light refreshments, interactive photo opportunities, and dancing. 
 
The 2026 Gala’s performance program includes: 

• Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan by Sir Frederick Ashton, paying homage to the iconic San Francisco-born pioneer of modern dance; 

• The Epilogue Pas de Deux from Alonzo King’s Deep River, a soulful, moving piece that bends the lines between classical and contemporary ballet aesthetics, featuring guest artist Adji Cissoko from Alonzo King LINES Ballet; 

• The 2nd Movement from Glass Pieces by Academy Award-winner Jerome Robbins, a New York-born choreographer who incorporates postmodern dance and urban movement into this traditional ballet work; 

• Bloom by three-time Tony Award-winner and New York City Ballet Resident Choreographer Justin Peck; 

• An excerpt from Mark Morris’s A Garden, which had its world premiere at SF Ballet in 2001, featuring a pas de deux initially created on SF Ballet Rehearsal Director Joanna Berman; 

• Victor Gsovsky’s Grand Pas Classique, a pas de deux famous for its challenging choreography that exhibits pristine classical ballet technique and fantastic strength; and 

Excerpts from works in the 2026 Season, including: 

• The Act III pas de deux from Helgi Tomasson and Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, with Kitri and Basilio’s sumptuous wedding scene; 

• The “Forever” pas de deux, an intimate, peaceful duet, from William Forsythe’s Blake Works I; and 

• The pas de deux and finale from George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes, serving as a nod to the influential choreographer who defined American ballet in the 20th century. 

Opening Night Gala Dinner 
Hosted in partnership with the SF Ballet Auxiliary, Gala Chair Terra Sollman, Dinner Chair Rochelle Lacey, and Décor Chair Brigitta Whiting, the evening begins with a red-carpet reception in the Polk Street lobby of City Hall. Dinner begins at 5pm. Tickets: $2,000-12,500. 

Young Patrons Circle Dinner 
The Young Patrons Circle (YPC) dinner, Co-Chaired by Devon Youngblood and John Oberbeck, begins at 5:45pm with a red-carpet reception in the Van Ness lobby of City Hall, followed by a cocktail buffet in the South Light Court at 6pm. YPC is a social and philanthropic group of 150+ young professionals. Tickets: $650-1,349 and includes an annual membership to YPC. 

Tickets 
To purchase dinner tickets, visit our website. Performance-only tickets are available via the Ticket Services Office at 415-865-2000, Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm or online beginning on Wednesday, December 3. General Admission After Party tickets may be purchased as an add-on to a performance ticket for an additional $175. 

Silent Auction 
A virtual auction filled with bespoke SF Ballet behind-the-scenes experiences and one-of-a-kind local opportunities goes live Monday, January 12, and will close at 11:59pm on Tuesday, January 20. 

Proceeds from the Gala benefit a wide range of SF Ballet artistic initiatives, including new work development, scholarships for SF Ballet School students, and community education programs for thousands of children, young adults, families, and seniors. The 2026 Opening Night Gala Presenting Sponsor is Osterweis Capital Management, alongside Patron Sponsor KPMG, Supporter Sponsor Amazon, and Official Wine Sponsor Kosta Browne. 

Production Credits 
Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan 
Choreographer: Sir Frederick Ashton 
Composer: Johannes Brahms 

Pas de Deux from Don Quixote, Act III 
Choreographer: Alexander Gorsky after Marius Petipa 
Composer: Ludwig Minkus 
Staging and Additional Choreography: Helgi Tomasson and Yuri Possokhov 

2nd Movement from Glass Pieces 
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins 
Composer: Philip Glass 

Bloom 
Choreographer: Justin Peck 
Composer: Caroline Shaw 

Excerpt from A Garden 
Choreographer: Mark Morris 
Composer: Richard Strauss after François Couperin 

Grand Pas Classique 
Choreography: Victor Gsovsky 
Composer: D. F. E. Auber 

“Forever” from Blake Works I 
Choreographer: William Forsythe 
Composer: James Blake 

Epilogue Pas de Deux from Deep River 
Choreographer: Alonzo King 
Composer: Jason Moran 

Pas de Deux & Finale from Stars and Stripes 
Choreographer: George Balanchine 
Composer: John Philip Sousa, arranged by Hershy Kay 

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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