Since its founding in 1933 as the first professional ballet company in the United States, San Francisco Ballet has served as an innovator in the art form and an originator of beloved cultural traditions, from staging the first American production of Swan Lake to annually producing generationally cherished Nutcracker.
A trailblazer in dance locally, nationally, and internationally, SF Ballet balances an innovative focus on new and contemporary choreography with a deeply held dedication to the classics. This season, the company’s programming includes high-drama story ballets, inventive contemporary voices, and works rarely seen by U.S. audiences.
Curated by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, this season will feature ballets envisioned by Rojo and Sir Kenneth MacMillan, a quartet of ballets by Dutch choreographer Hans van Manen, and works by innovative contemporary choreographers Christopher Wheeldon, Akram Khan, Wayne McGregor, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.
The company also announced its first international tour since 2019, to the Teatro Real in Madrid. Its roster includes returning principal dancers, Dores André and Max Cauthorn, as well as newly promoted and appointed soloists and corps de ballet dancers.
The January 25, 2025, Opening Gala is followed by works such as Manon, Cool Britannia, Rojo’s own Raymonda, Frankenstein, a tribute to Hans van Manen, Broken Love, a double bill of two standout hits from the 2024 season, Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Broken Wings. As always, beloved family holiday favorite Nutcracker is staged throughout the month of December; this year celebrates the 20th anniversary of this Bay Area tradition.
“Across an extraordinary 2024 season, I have been deeply inspired by the incredibly talented artists of our world-renowned company and our audiences in San Francisco,” said Rojo.
“In 2025, SF Ballet will explore a range of choreographic and artistic styles and deliver profound human connections through dance—from seduction to heartbreak, and from stories of conflict to gothic science fiction. I am thrilled to expand the classical repertoire for SF Ballet with works that showcase the brilliance of our dancers, while continuing to engage fresh perspectives and uplift the artistry of leading creatives from around the world.”
New this season is SF Ballet’s partnership with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), in which local talent is commissioned to create new stage drapes for season productions. The collaboration aims to infuse new perspectives into the world of ballet while fostering visual artists and enriching the cultural landscape of the Bay Area.
Not new this season are SF Ballet School’s education, and community programs which help to cultivate the next generation of professional dancers for ballet companies around the world. Grounded in strong classical technique, the school brings a sense of energy, freedom, and joy to dance, and emphasizes the importance of a well-rounded, multidisciplinary artistic training.
Nearly 70% of San Francisco Ballet dancers trained at SF Ballet School, and students in the school appear in SF Ballet productions throughout the season.
View San Francisco Ballet’s calendar of programs and events at sfballet.org.