Inside the Cincinnati Ballet's 2025-26 Season

Since 1963, Cincinnati Ballet has been the cornerstone professional ballet company of the region, presenting a bold and adventurous array of classical, full-length ballets and contemporary works, regularly supported by live orchestral accompaniment. The company has announced its 2025-2026 season, with an array of works that showcase the company’s versatility.

The Kaplan New Works Series (Sept. 12-20) is an annual set of offerings featuring works by noteworthy choreographers. The September program will include four world premiere commissions by choreographers Yoshihisa Arai (Cincinnati Ballet), Caroline Dahm (Los Angeles), Andonis Foniadakis (Greek-born with international credentials) and Andrea Giselle Schermoly (from South Africa, the resident choreographer for Louisville Ballet).

The regional premiere of Septime Webre’s opulent ballet rendition of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby (Nov. 7-15) will feature jazz music performed live. Dancers portraying the iconic characters Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan will perform on the Music Hall stage.

Glorious scores by Tchaikovsky will be performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to accompany the company’s annual beloved holiday production of The Nutcracker (Dec. 18-28 at Music Hall) as well as Swan Lake (Feb. 13-21, 2026, also at Music Hall), featuring virtuosic choreography after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov.

Works by renowned and varied choreographers George Balanchine (Serenade), Justin Peck (The Times Are Racing) and Claudia Schreier (First Impulse) will be featured in a patriotic triple bill, Director’s Vision: Liberty in Motion (April 10-12 at the Aronoff Center).

The Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company will perform a one-hour, family-friendly, narrated work, Pinocchio (April 16-19, 2026) at the Aronoff Center. It’s the familiar story of a puppet who wants to be a real boy. The programs will be preceded by free lobby games, crafts, photos and more.

Subscriptions are on sale now at cballet.org.