San Francisco Ballet has announced their 2023–24 season which will be full of firsts. First season with Tamara Rojo as Artistic Director. First season to offer two encore programs. First experiential and immersive program. And the first time SF Ballet will perform Marguerite and Armand and Song of the Earth.
Nutcracker
Experience the magical winter wonderland of toy soldiers, King of the Mice, Sugar Plum Fairy, and so much more. This dazzling production is a kaleidoscope of over 150 dancers accompanied by the SF Ballet Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s beloved score. Create everlasting memories with loved ones.
Mere Mortals
Artistic Director Tamara Rojo launches the 2024 season with an immersive sensory experience where sound is influenced by dance, and dance is shaped by orchestral and electronic music. The new work with music by Floating Points and choreography from Aszure Barton contextualizes the ancient parable of Pandora’s Box for our current technological world.
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Songs of the Earth
“A man and a woman; death takes the man; they both return to her and at the end of the ballet, we find that in death there is the promise of renewal.” Sir Kenneth MacMillan weaves a story of love, loss, and bittersweet death through poetic choreography set to Mahler.
Marguerite and Armand
Created in 1963 for two of ballet’s superstars, Nureyev and Fonteyn, this passionate tale draws inspiration from history’s most famous tragic love stories. Of all the ballets that Frederick Ashton created, Marguerite and Armand stands out as his most passionate as it whisks us through their tragic love affair. The lush designs tell a tale of their own, imbuing the ballet in an unforgettable period drama.
Swan Lake
Ballet’s greatest love story returns. Deeply moving and visually stunning, Swan Lake is the quintessential classical ballet, steeped in themes of temptation, jealousy, deception, and drama. Set against Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, Tomasson’s strikingly modern production updates this story of love and betrayal and features sleek and elevated designs by Tony Award–winning Jonathan Fensom.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Enter Shakespeare’s enchanted forest of whimsy, mistaken identity, and jest—where fairies rule and love (eventually) reigns supreme. A delight for all ages, the Shakespearean favorite choreographed by George Balanchine returns to our stage set to music by Mendelssohn, with updated costume and set designs by celebrated French designer Christian Lacroix.
Next @90 Curtain Call
Violin Concerto
Originally commissioned and created for our 90th Anniversary, Possokhov’s Violin Concerto reimagines Stravinsky’s celebrated score with a fresh and bold interpretation. Steeped in classical vocabulary that shows off the steely technique of our dancers, it was met with standing ovations and rave reviews as a standout piece of the next@90 festival.
Madcap
A crowd-pleaser from our next@90 festival, Rowe’s MADCAP was decidedly dubbed a “triumph” by the San Francisco Chronicle. It features Rowe’s love of storytelling and theatrics as she masterfully dissects the anatomy of a clown. Hagström’s eerie, carnival-inspired score transports us into Rowe’s sinister world of the clown after the circus lights go dark.
Gateway to the Sun
Former SF Ballet Principal Dancer Nicolas Blanc returned to our studios to create this poetic and moving ballet in five movements, set to celebrated contemporary composer Anna Clyne’s exquisite score for cello and orchestra. Blanc models Gateway to the Sun after a poem by 13th-century Sufi mystic Rumi.
Dos Mujeres
Carmen
Cuban-born choreographer Arielle Smith guides us into the story of Carmen, a strong and feisty woman who craves love and independence without the traps of obsession or jealously. Smith, an Olivier Award winner, is carving out her space as a forward-thinking creator known for pushing the boundaries of dance, theater, and film. Together with a score from Grammy Award–winning Arturo O’Farrill bringing the story to life.
Broken Wings
Enter the colorful and creative world of Frida Kahlo with Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s critically acclaimed Broken Wings. This mini masterpiece explores the life and art of the celebrated Mexican painter. An experience unto itself, it’s a unique opportunity to enter into the realms of the paintings themselves through the lens of Kahlo’s wildly creative spirit.
Swan Lake Encore
Ballet’s greatest love story returns. Deeply moving and visually stunning, Swan Lake is the quintessential classical ballet, steeped in themes of temptation, jealousy, deception, and drama. Set against Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, Tomasson’s strikingly modern production updates this story of love and betrayal and features sleek and elevated designs by Tony Award–winning Jonathan Fensom.