One month after Timothée Chalamet sparked controversy with his bold statements about the state of ballet and opera, namely that “no one cares,” San Francisco Ballet has unveiled its upcoming 2026–2027 season. The programming is rooted in the medium’s rich legacy, but with eyes firmly affixed on an optimistic horizon.
The season, which runs from December 2026 through early May 2027, is anchored by classics: the season opens with Helgi Tomasson’s San Francisco-inspired Nutcracker and continues into February with The Sleeping Beauty by the same choreographer.
In contrast to other local companies like The Alonzo King LINES Ballet or Smuin Ballet, who center the contemporary, SF Ballet is mostly devoted to the classical. But the season announcement emphatically declared that its homages to the canon will not detract from the company’s commitment to “pushing the boundaries” of ballet.
A world premiere from dance duo Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber is scheduled for April 8-14 as part of Divine Creatures, a three-part program also featuring the SF Ballet premiere of Faun by two-time Olivier Award-winning choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.
In February, audiences will experience three Titans of Choreography — works by Hans van Manen, Christopher Wheeldon, and Akram Khan are programmed together, promising to celebrate the stylistic diversity of contemporary ballet. Inspired by precious gems, George Balanchine’s Jewels will follow, functioning as a tribute to “ballet’s past, present, and enduring splendor,” according to SF Ballet.
SF Ballet’s interpretation of “legacy” seems, from the programming, akin to timelessness. Return performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in March promise to be faithful to Shakespeare’s vision, unlike an upcoming production of the same name by Joffrey Ballet at Cal Performances with an unexpected source of inspiration. At the end of April, Manon will keep the season moving along.
Before the regular 2026–2027 programming begins, SF Ballet is taking its talent on an international tour starting in the Berkshires on the East Coast at the Jacob’s Pillow Festival before crossing the pond for a European premiere of its contemporary work Mere Mortals in the United Kingdom.
