The Cincinnati Ballet has announced the schedule for its upcoming 62nd Season, set to run from September 2026 to April 2027. The six shows offer a range of ballet performance, which organizers say was done intentionally to appeal to the company’s diverse audience.
The first show of the season will be the Kaplan New Works Series, running for eight performances from Sept. 18-27. The Kaplan Series will feature fresh global works created by Polish dancer Robert Bondara, German Olympic rhythm gymnast Anne Jung, South African choreographer Mthuthuzeli November and American choreographer Melody Mennite Walsh. Two of the pieces may end up being deeply familiar to residents of the Queen City.
“November and Walsh’s original works will be influenced by Cincinnati artists, creating a vibrant dialogue between movement, visual art, and our city’s creative spirit,” according to the Ballet’s press release.
The next show, LIVE!, will feature the music of local alt-folk band Over the Rhine in collaboration with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The show, which is set to run for three performances on Nov. 6 and 7, will also star performances choreographed by Young Soon He, David Morse, and Kenneth Tindall.
Following tradition, The Nutcracker will ring in the holiday season, running for 17 performances from Dec. 17-27. Choreographed by Cincinnati’s own Victoria Morgan, who served as artistic director of the Ballet for 25 Seasons, the show promises to offer its classic wintry charm and warm nostalgia for all audience members.
A month later, and just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Ballet will put on Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s classic story of two households and the star-crossed lovers separated by their enmity will be choreographed by the Washington Ballet’s Artistic Director Edwaard Liang, and set to music by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
Two shows will fill the final month of the 2026-2027 Season: the deceased George Balanchine and Mthuthuzeli November’s Director’s Vision: Two Voices, running for four performances from April 2-4; and Hansel and Gretel, running for five performances from April 9-11.
November and Balanchine’s combined work will explore common themes in the work of the South African and Russian choreographers.
“Though these works emerge from different artistic paths, they converge in a shared expression of humanity, inviting audiences to experience two voices that ultimately leave as one,” according to the press release.
Hansel and Gretel, meanwhile, promises a one-hour run time; potentially perfect for families with younger children. The show will feature students of the Otto M. Budig Academy in their regional debut.
Ticket packages are on sale now, and individual show tickets will be available for pre-order starting Aug. 3. To buy tickets, you can visit the Cincinnati Ballet’s website, call the box office between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM at (513) 621-5282, or visit the Ballet in person at 1801 Gilbert Avenue.
