Category Archives: Dance

MECURIAL LANDSCAPES
Cincinnati Ballet
April 5-7
Aronoff Center for the Arts [Downtown]

Cincinnati Ballet presents Rep 4—Mercurial Landscapes, featuring four dynamic contemporary works.

Mercurial Landscapes features the title work created by choreographer Jodie Gates, set to Max Richter’s ethereal re-composition of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons; a world premiere by Rena Butler, choreographic associate for the progressive Gibney Dance Company in New York, with costume design by Asha Ama Bias-Daniels, a Cincinnati-based fashion designer and artist; and Petit Mort and Sechs Tänze, set to the music of Mozart by Jiří Kylián, world-renowned artistic director of Nederlands Dans Theater.

• Fri, April 5 at 7:30pm
• Sat, April 6 at 2pm & 7:30pm
• Sun, April 7 at 2pm

Official page |

DON QUIXOTE
Cincinnati Ballet
Feb. 16-25
Music Hall [Over-the-Rhine]

Choreographed by Anna-Marie Holmes after Marius Petipa
Conducted by Tara Simoncic

This full-length story ballet is a high-energy, sunny romp through the Spanish countryside based on Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel, choreographed by ballet megastar Anna-Marie Holmes after Marius Petipa. With castanets, fiery flamenco and (of course!) a sword battle with a windmill, it’s pure fun for the whole family.

• Fri, Feb. 16 at 7:30pm
• Sat, Feb. 17 at 2pm & 7:30pm
• Sun, Feb. 18 at 1pm
• Fri, Feb. 23 at 7:30pm
• Sat, Feb. 24 at 2pm & 7:30pm
• Sun, Feb. 25 at 1pm

Official page |

Photo by Hiromi Platt.

THE NUTCRACKER
Cincinnati Ballet
Dec. 14-24
Music Hall [Over-the-Rhine]

Choreographed by Victoria Morgan

With spectacular choreography by Victoria Morgan, grand sets and costumes, and a beloved story, The Nutcracker also presents a remarkable cast of characters such as the Snow Queen and King, Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier, mischievous mice, brave toy soldiers, chicks and Minnie the Poodle.

The narrative follows a girl named Clara who receives a nutcracker on Christmas Eve. Her dreams take her on a great adventure to the amazing Land of Sweets. Accompanying this winter fantasy is the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s melodic score.

Dozens of local young performers join Cincinnati Ballet onstage for these performances. It’s a spectacular holiday treat for the entire family!

• Thu-Fri, Dec. 14-15 at 7:30pm
• Sat, Dec. 16 at 2pm & 7:30pm
• Sun, Dec. 17 at 1pm & 6:30pm
• Tue, Dec. 19 at 7:30pm
• Wed-Sat, Dec. 20-23 at 2pm & 7:30pm
• Sun, Dec. 24 at 1pm

Official page | Facebook event |

Photo by Hiromi Platt

CINCINNATI, OH (November 30, 2023) – Cincinnati Ballet will take families on two extra trips to the Land of Sweets this holiday season! Due to overwhelming demand, audiences will have two additional chances to enjoy The Nutcracker presented by Sheakley Family at Music Hall, December 14 – 24. The two additional performances are on Tuesday, December 19 at 7:30 pm and Wednesday, December 20 at 2pm. There are still seats available for the remaining performances as well, but patrons are encouraged to buy now as some shows are projected to sell out. The Company expects to shatter attendance records, projecting close to 30,000 patrons over the course of the production run. The student matinee is sold-out, welcoming thousands of local school children, including nearly six hundred children who attend Title 1 schools in northern Kentucky. These schools receive federal funding due to the high level of low-income families they serve.

The magical production features elaborate sets and costumes and live musical accompaniment of Tchaikovsky’s beloved score by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, with choreography from Victoria Morgan. Members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will perform the two additional performances. More than one hundred children’s roles are featured in the production, with children from across the region dancing alongside Cincinnati Ballet’s professional company dancers. The Nutcracker is a classic holiday tale that follows the imaginative story of Clara, a little girl who embarks on a dreamy journey after she receives a nutcracker as a gift on Christmas Eve. With her Nutcracker Prince, Clara travels through the Land of Sweets, meeting colorful and exciting characters along the way. Morgan’s whimsical choreographic take on the classic story is like nothing you have ever seen before. Fiona the Hippo and her baby brother, Fritz continue to appear in the production.

Victoria Morgan’s The Nutcracker premiered in 2011 with new sets by scenic designer John Ezell, bright and beautiful costumes by Carrie Robbins, lighting by Trad A Burns and athletic, engaging choreography by Victoria Morgan. Morgan’s rendition of the classical ballet is filled with unique, contemporary twists on longstanding traditions: from the bright, whimsical sets, stage effects and acrobatics to the appearance of new, playful characters such as Clara’s companion, a pet poodle named Minnie, dancing Cupcakes, tumbling Snowballs, an ensemble of poodles performing the Dance of the Mirlitons (or “Lollipups”) and more.

Masking is optional for performances.

PERFORMANCE DATES AND INFORMATION

WHO:          Cincinnati Ballet
Choreography: Victoria Morgan
Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

WHAT:        The Nutcracker

WHEN:       

• Thursday, December 14 – 7:30 pm
• Friday, December 15 – 7:30 pm
• Saturday, December 16 – 2:00 pm
• Saturday, December 16 – 7:30 pm
• Sunday, December 17 – 1:00 pm
• Sunday, December 17 – 6:30 pm
• Tuesday, December 19 – 7:30 pm
• Wednesday, December 20 – 2 pm
• Wednesday, December 20 – 7:30 pm
• Thursday, December 21 – 2:00 pm
• Thursday, December 21 – 7:30 pm
• Friday, December 22 – 2:00 pm
• Friday, December 22– 7:30 pm
• Saturday, December 23 – 2:00 pm
• Saturday, December 23 – 7:30 pm
• Sunday, December 24 – 1 pm

WHERE:      Music Hall – 1241 Elm St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Cincinnati Ballet 2023-2024 Season Sponsors:
PNC, Margaret and Michael Valentine, ArtsWave, H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Foundation, Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Ohio Arts Council, The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation

About Cincinnati Ballet
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 with live orchestral accompaniment. Cincinnati Ballet is a creative force within the larger dance community, commissioning world-premiere works and exploring unique collaborations. With a mission to enrich, expand, and excel in the art of dance through performance, a high-caliber academy, and impactful education and community engagement in local to global communities, Cincinnati Ballet reaches beyond the stage in programs that allow every person in the region to be part of the continued evolution of dance. To that end, Cincinnati Ballet presents exhilarating performances, provides extensive education and community engagement programs, and offers top-level professional ballet training at Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy.