Dance Alongs
Family and Sensory Friendly Dance-Along Workshops
San Francisco Ballet offers Family Dance-Alongs and Sensory Friendly Dance-Alongs throughout the season. Share the wonder of ballet with your family and experience the joy of dancing together. Led by SF Ballet’s Professional Teaching Artists and SF Ballet School Faculty Members, our interactive 60-minute Dance-Along workshops explore the story, choreography, music, and characters of some of Ballet’s most beloved productions, through hands-on activities that unlock the magic of a ballet performance.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
SWAN LAKE DANCE-ALONGS
Soar into the magical world of Swan Lake. Spread your arms to dance like the Swan Queen or cast a magical spell like Rothbart. Join us in the ballet studio for a fun-filled introduction to the story, characters, choreography, and music of Swan Lake. Whether it’s a child’s very first ballet class or the beginning of a lifelong love of the performing arts, our Dance-Alongs are a joyful introduction to the wonder of ballet that the whole family will enjoy.
Sunday, October 4, 2027
- 9:30–10:30 am Family Dance-Along Swan Lake (suggested for ages 3–7 and their grown-ups)
- 10:30-11:30 am Family Dance-Along Swan Lake (suggested for ages 3–7 and their grown-ups)
- 11:30 am–12:30 pm Sensory Friendly Dance-Along Swan Lake (this sensory friendly workshop is suggested for ages 5–12 and their grown-ups)
NUTCRACKER DANCE-ALONGS
Are you team Nutcracker or team Mouse King? Our Dance-Alongs are a wonderful way to prepare young children for their first time seeing the ballet Nutcracker, or a magical refresher for children who already know the story by heart. Join us in the ballet studio. Together, we’ll explore the characters, story, music, and choreography of San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker.
Sunday, December 20, 2026
- 9:30–10:30 am Family Dance-Along Nutcracker (suggested for children ages 3–7 and their grown-ups)
- 10:30–11:30 am Family Dance-Along Nutcracker (suggested for children ages 3–7 and their grown-ups)
- 11:30 am–12:30 pm Family Dance-Along Nutcracker (suggested for children ages 3–7 and their grown-ups)
- 1:00–2:00 pm Sensory Friendly Dance-Along Nutcracker (this sensory friendly workshop is suggested for ages 5–12 and their grown-ups)
- 2:15–3:15 pm Sensory Friendly Dance-Along Nutcracker (this sensory friendly workshop is suggested for ages 13–22+ and their grown-ups)
MORE INFORMATION
WHO'S THIS FOR
Family Dance-Alongs are recommended for families with children ages 3–7. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Sensory Friendly Dance-Alongs are open to all ages and abilities, and aim to reach a neurodiverse audience.
LOCATION
Dance-Alongs take place in the SF Building located at 455 Franklin Street. The check-in table is located at 455 Franklin Street; printed tickets are not required. Please do not go to the Opera House entrance.
COST
Tickets are $25 per person, adult or child. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Participants should wear comfortable clothes that allow for movement, and are welcome to wear their favorite costume. Ballet shoes are welcome but not required. No prior dance experience is needed; all bodies and physical abilities welcome. A quiet room and family restrooms will be available and accessible at all times.
About Dance-Alongs
Participants are guided through a fun ballet warm-up and dance-along choreography based on a story ballet. Family members of all ages and abilities are invited to dance. Following the dance-along experience, participants are invited to explore arts and crafts activities, take photos with dancers, try on a tutu, and more!
Planning to bring your child to see their very first performance of Nutcracker or Tiny Dances: Swan Lake? Add a Dance-Along workshop to get your child ready for the big performance. Our interactive workshops introduce the story, characters, choreography, and music in a fun, kid-friendly way so they can sit back, relax, and enjoy the full performance.
For the safety of minors, adults attending without a child under age 8 will not be allowed to participate in the Dance-Along workshops.
Our Sensory Friendly Dance-Alongs, designed in partnership with Autism Fun Bay Area, Autism Society San Francisco Bay Area, and College of Adaptive Arts, provide a dedicated and relaxed environment for children and adults of varying physical and cognitive abilities to experience ballet on their own terms. These interactive workshops offer a guided dance class specifically tailored to the sensory and behavioral needs of the participants, as well as tactile activities, take-home crafts, and a quiet space for sensory breaks.
Click here to learn more about our Tiny Dances: Swan Lake Sensory Friendly Performance in November 2026 at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco.
Click here to learn more about our 5th annual Nutcracker Sensory Friendly Performance on December 27, 2026 at 11 am in the War Memorial Opera House.
Click here to learn more about our Adaptive Dance program. SF Ballet’s Adaptive Dance classes provide weekly dance classes for students ages 6–8 with Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, and other developmental, physical, or cognitive disabilities.
By participating in this event, you authorize SF Ballet to take photographs and videos of you and your family during the workshop. You permit the use of any such photographic reproductions for any purpose, including but not limited to educational and public media, and understand that you may be identifiable from such electronic reproduction.
**Ticket sales end at 5 pm the Friday before each workshop. All sales are final and are non-refundable. No cancellations. Exchanges, if allowed, are subject to pricing increases, restrictions, and fees.
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