JANUARY 26—FEBRUARY 1
MERE MORTALS
Artistic Director Tamara Rojo launches the 2024 season with an immersive sensory experience where music and dance converge in a singular environment of mesmerizing light and visuals. The new work with music by Floating Points and choreography from Aszure Barton contextualizes the ancient parable of Pandora for our current technological world.
Witness the delicate interplay between the mortal and divine. Don’t miss your chance. Get your tickets today.
". . . a stunning integration of movement, sound, and visuals" – SF Chronicle
MUSIC COMPOSED AND PERFORMED LIVE BY FLOATING POINTS AND SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ORCHESTRA
MERE MORTALS AFTER PARTY
Mere Mortals’ evening performances will include an after party in the price of the ticket and a cash bar. Each night will feature one of these popular Bay Area DJs: Nooka Jones (@nookajones) and Mozhgan (@mozhyjooon).
Mere Mortals returns for encore performances April 18-24.
No rush tickets are available for Thursday, February 1.
Limited $10 standing-room-only tickets will be sold by phone at 10 am and at the Opera House Box Office 4 hours prior to showtime.
Each ticket includes a $1–2 facility fee. Order handling fee will be added at checkout.
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Note: Mere Mortals has flashing lights which may trigger those who are photosensitive. The live orchestra and electronic music are amplified.
Total runtime: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Aszure Barton has been described as “brilliant” by the San Francisco Chronicle and “audacious” by The New York Times. She received her formal dance training from Canada’s National Ballet School, and as a choreographer has collaborated with celebrated performers and companies around the world including Ambrose Akinmusire, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Misty Copeland, Cyndi Lauper, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, American Ballet Theatre, Nederlands Dans Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, among many others. Barton is a Bessie Award Honoree, a recipient of the prestigious Arts & Letters Award, and is the official Ambassador of Contemporary Dance in Canada. The first Artist in Residence at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Barton is the founder of Aszure Barton & Artists, a multidisciplinary, process-centered platform that celebrates collaboration.
Sam Shepherd–aka Floating Points–is one of the most respected names in music today. Known for his versatility and insatiable pursuit of exceptional sound, Shepherd is a boundary-pushing composer, curator, producer, and DJ who creates sonic environments that transport the listener into another world. His most recent projects include Promises (2021), a studio album in collaboration with Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra, which was named album of the year by Time Magazine and shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.
With this SF Ballet premiere, Shepherd composes his first work for the ballet stage, combining live orchestral music with electronic instruments.
Hamill Industries is a creative studio partnership composed of artists Pablo Barquín and Anna Diaz. The duo specializes in developing innovation projects based on experimentation and mixing emerging and traditional techniques to create new formats of visual communication. Since 2015, Hamill Industries has toured around the world with Floating Points, creating his visual universe and live immersive experiences. They have presented their work at festivals and institutions such as SÓNAR Festival, ARS Electronica, 180 Strand (London), Semipermanent, Mira Festival, Cosmocaixa Museum, Filmoteca de Catalunya, Coachella, and the Barbican Museum in London.
“. . . a stunning integration of movement, sound, and visuals” – SF Chronicle
“. . . a stunning integration of movement, sound, and visuals” – SF Chronicle
A ballet inspired by the myths of Pandora and Prometheus
A ballet inspired by the myths of Pandora and Prometheus
Meet the key players who will emerge
Meet the key players who will emerge
A glimpse into the creative process
A glimpse into the creative process
San Francisco Ballet discusses artificial intelligence with Daphne Koller
San Francisco Ballet discusses artificial intelligence with Daphne Koller
Exploring the parallels between Pandora’s fated curiosity and contemporary society.
Exploring the parallels between Pandora’s fated curiosity and contemporary society.
Meet the creative duo behind the Mere Mortals visuals.
Meet the creative duo behind the Mere Mortals visuals.
Pandora's myth for today's technological world
Pandora's myth for today's technological world
Crafting a world premiere
Crafting a world premiere
Meet the choreographer behind Mere Mortals
Meet the choreographer behind Mere Mortals
Journey through the Mere Mortals soundscape
Journey through the Mere Mortals soundscape
Mere Mortals (World Premiere)
Choreographer: Aszure Barton
Music Composed by: Floating Points
Production Design and Visuals: Hamill Industries
Costume Design: Michelle Jank
Lighting Design: Jim French
Dramaturg: Carmen Kovacs
Collaborative Assistant: James Gregg
Sound Engineer: Lotta Westermarck
Copyist & Orchestral Assistant to the Composer: Lara Serafin
Creative Coordinator & Dramaturg: LeeAnn Rossi
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. Scenic construction and painting by San Francisco Ballet Carpentry and Scenic Departments.
*Offer Terms and Conditions
All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges on Rush tickets. Limit of 2 per patron. Rush tickets are limited, subject to availability, and exclude Boxes, Orchestra Row A, and Orchestra Premium Front. Offer does not apply to previously purchased tickets and cannot be combined with other offers.