PRESS RELEASE

Season features the world premiere of Two Elevens from choreographic duo Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber alongside the West Coast premiere of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Faun, Balanchine’s Jewels, and more

Inaugural season of SF Ballet’s Tiny Dances, featuring an adapted Swan Lake for young audiences, launches in November 2026 

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) October 5, 2026—Single tickets for San Francisco Ballet’s (SF Ballet’s) 2026–2027 Season are on sale today via the Ballet’s website and Ticket Services.  

Curated by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, the 2026–2027 Season brings together timeless masterpieces and groundbreaking new works by the art form’s most adventurous visionaries, exploring ballet’s rich and wide-ranging legacy while pointing to its continued innovation and evolution. Anchored by emotional storytelling, sumptuous design, and technical brilliance, audiences are invited to be transported and transformed. 

SF Ballet’s 2026–2027 Season includes:  

• A mixed-bill reimagining the spirit of the Ballets Russes for today that includes Two Elevens, a world premiere commission from Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, presented alongside Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Faun following its Company premiere at New York City Center’s “Fall for Dance” festival and Yuri Possokhov’s Violin Concerto;  

• A world premiere commission from William Forsythe for the 2027 Opening Night Gala;  

• an evening-length program of all three works in George Balanchine’s Jewels, performed by the Company in its entirety for the first time in 17 years;  

• A showcase of Europe’s leading contemporary choreographers, including Hans van Manen, Christopher Wheeldon, and Akram Khan;  

• Sumptuous story ballets including The Sleeping Beauty and A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and more. 

This year also marks the launch of San Francisco Ballet’s Tiny Dances, a new family programming series designed to introduce young children ages 2–8 to the magic of live ballet in a relaxed setting through refined performances by San Francisco Ballet School. The series debuts in November 2026 with a specially adapted production of Swan Lake, choreographed by SF Ballet’s Associate Artistic Director Antonio Castilla, at San Francisco’s iconic Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. 

Programming in SF Ballet’s 2026–2027 Season will include: 

Nutcracker 
December 4–27, 2026 
On Christmas Eve 1944, SF Ballet made history with the American premiere of Nutcracker, launching a national holiday tradition that continues to enchant audiences today. Set in 1915 San Francisco during the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, Helgi Tomasson’s Nutcracker takes place in a city celebrating a new age of technology and international collaboration, much like the San Francisco of today. 

SF Ballet will host its fifth annual Sensory Friendly Performance of Nutcracker on Sunday, December 27 at 11am, in partnership with Autism Society SF Bay Area, creating a welcoming space where neurodiverse audiences of all ages and abilities can experience the wonder of Nutcracker in a relaxed setting. 

This season, SF Ballet’s Young Patrons Circle will host a new opening night after party, the Nutcracker Nightcap, at the Taube Atrium Theater across from the War Memorial Opera House, starting at 9pm following the evening performance on December 4. The event will feature themed cocktails, other refreshments, and interactive activities. Nutcracker Nightcap is a 21+ event, and tickets are on sale for $150. 
 
2027 Opening Night Gala 
January 14, 2027 
SF Ballet will host its 94th Season Opening Night Gala on January 14, 2027, featuring a world premiere commission from William Forsythe. Additional details to be announced this fall. 
 
The Sleeping Beauty 
January 29–February 7, 2027 
The Sleeping Beauty is the pinnacle of the classical ballet canon. Choreographed by Helgi Tomasson after Marius Petipa and set to Tchaikovsky’s impressive score, this production honors the grandeur of the 19th-century classic while bringing a fresh vitality showcasing regal pageantry, virtuosic technique, and enduring romance. It is a fairy tale that is both enchanting and captivating for audiences of all ages–elegant, timeless, and a celebration of classical ballet at its finest. 
 
Titans of Choreography 
February 16–21, 2027 
This mixed bill of three major, brilliant European choreographers celebrates the range, nuance, and stylistic diversity of contemporary ballet. Hans van Manen’s Grosse Fuge returns, showcasing his hallmark precision and sculptural clarity. Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour, complete with costumes by Zac Posen, dazzles with sweeping lyricism and modern elegance. Akram Khan’s Dust brings visceral intensity and dramatic storytelling, pushing the boundaries of movement and emotion. This curation presents contemporary mastery with three distinct points of view, offering audiences a rare glimpse into the nuance and range of these visionary voices. 
 
Jewels 
February 27–March 7, 2027 
George Balanchine’s Jewels is a singular masterpiece: an abstract triptych that evokes the brilliance of precious gems inspired by the jeweler Van Cleef and Arpels. Emeralds shimmers with the elegance and refinement of 19th-century French Romantic ballet, a reflection of Balanchine’s vision of France’s grace and charm. Rubies sparkles with wit, energy, and a touch of New York City jazz, epitomizing the creative partnership between Stravinsky and Balanchine with a distinctly American flair. Diamonds exudes the grandeur and order of Imperial Russia, preserving the essence of the classical heritage Balanchine absorbed as a young man at the Mariinsky Theater. Together, these three luminous ballets form a dazzling tribute to ballet’s past, present, and enduring splendor. 
 
A Midsummer Night’s Dream 
March 19–27, 2027 
Set to Felix Mendelssohn’s luminous score, George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream conjures a world where mischievous fairies, bewitched lovers, and bumbling mortals collide in a swirl of magic and mayhem. Balanchine’s sparkling choreography brings every moment to life. Exquisitely crafted costumes and dreamlike sets by iconic French designer Christian Lacroix — created for the Paris Opera Ballet — drape every scene in shimmering splendor. Joyful, radiant, and utterly transporting, this production is pure enchantment for dreamers of all ages. 
 
Divine Creatures 
April 8–14, 2027 
This program traces the enduring influence of ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev through works that reimagine the spirit of the Ballets Russes for today. Dubbed “two ‘it’ choreographers” by the New York Times, witness the world premiere of Two Elevens from Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, featuring music by Andy Akiho, a trailblazing Pulitzer Prize finalist and seven-time Grammy-nominated composer. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Faun refracts myth through a modern lens, echoing Nijinsky’s revolutionary sensuality. Yuri Possokhov’s Next@90 Festival hit Violin Concerto returns with its technical brilliance and Stravinsky’s virtuosic score. Distinct in style yet united by collaboration across disciplines, these three works celebrate risk, reinvention, innovation, and artistic virtuosity—hallmarks of Diaghilev’s legacy and the adventurous heart of this season. 
 
Manon 
April 23–May 2, 2027 
Considered one of his most notable and widely celebrated, Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon returns to critical and audience acclaim. Showcasing his expertise of narrative choreography and acute insight into human psychology, this is MacMillan at his best. The story of Manon’s struggle to escape poverty makes it one of the most dramatic, sensual and devastating ballets, showcasing the juxtaposition between her impoverished origins and the lavish world she longs to inhabit—paying the ultimate price for true love and freedom.  

2026–2027 Season Tickets 
Single tickets to the 2026–2027 Season and Tiny Dances performances may be purchased online at sfballet.org or by calling Ticket Services at 415-865-2000, open Monday through Friday, 10am to 4pm. Prices are subject to change. 

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. 

About San Francisco Ballet School 
Founded alongside the Company in 1933, San Francisco Ballet School is one of the most highly sought-after training institutions in the industry and the longest continuously operating professional ballet school in the United States. The program of San Francisco Ballet School, led by School Director Grace Holmes and Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, has a dual mission: to cultivate the next generation of professional ballet dancers for San Francisco Ballet and companies around the world, and to invite young children and adults to experience the joy and creativity of dance. 

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press@sfballet.org  
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