Fall Arts Preview |
A Joyous Leap Into
Fall Dance Programming
From State Street Ballet to Tango,
Tiler Peck, and Sutra’s High Flying Monks,
Our Dance Card Looks Quite Bountiful
By Leslie Dinaberg | September 25, 2025
Read more of the 2025 Fall Arts Preview.
We pirouette our way into fall this month with a lovely program of lively dance performances for us all to enjoy. The timeless, tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet marks the season opener for State Street Ballet and Santa Barbara Symphony on October 18-19 at the Granada. Featuring some of the greatest moments from what is considered to be Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev’s greatest ballet (Acts 1 and 2), the program, conducted by Maestro Nir Kabaretti, will also include the Santa Barbara Symphony performing Shostakovich’s spirited Festive Overture and Rachmaninoff’s late, luxuriant Symphonic Dances.
Also in the works for State Street Ballet is the time-honored holiday favorite Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker at the Granada (Dec. 19-21), featuring live music from Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra, conducted by Brian Asher Alhadeff.
The new year brings the fun-filled family program RECESS! to the Lobero (Mar. 21-22). The show features three delightful works: Alexei Kremnev’s Carnival of the Animals takes audiences on a charming zoo adventure; Jerome Robbins’s Interplay bursts with playground energy; and closing the program is a new contemporary work bringing the world of video games to life. The show features live music by Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra, conducted by Kostis Protopapas. In addition, the matinee on March 21 is a sensory-friendly performance designed for families with special needs or small children in which the lights in the theater stay on, the music is played more quietly, fidget items or toys are welcome, and patrons can move, vocalize, and behave in ways that are often unfamiliar in other performance settings.
State Street Ballet rounds out the season with the groundbreaking dance-theatre production of Chaplin, May 8-9 at the Lobero. Choreographed by William Soleau, Kevin Jenkins, and Edgar Zendejas, this captivating production takes audiences on an unforgettable journey into the mind of the 20th-century icon as it follows a young girl through Chaplin’s world, beautifully illustrating his humor, heart, and creative genius. For more information, see statestreetballet.com.
The always stellar dance offerings from UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) kick off the fall season with the West Coast premiere of Sutra, with the monks from the Shaolin Temple, on October 29 at the Granada. A combination of contemporary dance and ancient martial arts, Sutra brings a team of monks performing flying kicks, backflips, and shadowboxing in a humorous fable about a European outsider entering their monastery and exploring the Shaolin kung fu tradition in a contemporary context.
Gravity — a breathtaking, evening-length exploration of gravity through movement from Ballet Preljocaj — has its West Coast premiere on November 5 at the Granada. One of France’s most celebrated contemporary dance companies, Ballet Preljocaj, who we last saw in their stunning 2023 performance of Swan Lake, is renowned for having daring choreography and extraordinary dancers whose athleticism and artistry captivate audiences and showcase contemporary dance at the highest level.
The 19 dancers of Compagnie Hervé KOUBI bring in A&L’s new year dance programming with Sol Invictus on January 25 at the Granada. Renowned for their electrifying fusion of street dance, contemporary movement, and martial arts, these performers have extraordinary moves that are physically exhilarating and deeply poetic.
February 1 brings two performances of Tango After Dark to the Lobero. Led by world tango champions Germán Cornejo and Gisela Galeassi, this intimate dive into the soul of Argentine dance features a sultry ensemble and live band in a breathtaking, high-octane performance following old-out runs in London.
The acclaimed ensemble of more than 40 dancers, singers, and musicians, Les Ballets Africains performs at the Granada on February 6, in a program that celebrates the depth and diversity of West African performance.
Then on March 3-4 at the Granada, New York City Ballet superstar Tiler Peck returns to Santa Barbara to lead an all-star cast in a two-night tribute to the legendary choreographer Jerome Robbins, whose groundbreaking fusion of ballet and jazz created a distinctly American style that reshaped the art form. Performances will include A Suite of Dances danced by Tiler Peck, the first woman to perform this iconic role created by Robbins for Mikhail Baryshnikov. The two nights will feature two distinct and thrilling programs with combinations of top-tier talent from New York City Ballet (including Peck and her newlywed husband, Roman Mejia), American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, and the Royal Ballet. This is an incredibly unique opportunity to experience the greatest ballet dancers in the world performing together over the course of two unforgettable nights.
Rounding out the A&L season, Kyle Abraham, a MacArthur Fellow and one of the most dynamic and in-demand choreographers working today, brings his company AIM to the Granada on May 12 for three powerful dances set to the live music that inspired them. The program includes genre-blurring pianist Robert Glasper’s “The Gettin’, ” inspired by Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite. Then, vocalist Crystal Monee Hall channels the soul of Nina Simone, while saxophonist Shelley Washington scores 2×4, a bold study in contrast. For more information, see artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.
Nebula Dance Lab presents Humanity at the Lobero on October 22. Featuring modern and contemporary dance choreography by Chloe Roberts, under the direction of Devyn Duex, Nebula’s fan-favorite evening-length adaptation follows the dance journey of our main character through New York City, illustrated through a diverse palette of dance, music, and multimedia. See lobero.org for more information.
The World Ballet Company’s Broadway-style production, The Great Gatsby Ballet, brings the Roaring ’20s to the Granada on November 23 for a new and entirely original production. Experience the glitz, glamour, and tragic romance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel, live on stage, with a multinational cast, lustrous hand-crafted costumes, and sweeping art deco–inspired sets. See granadasb.org for more information.
Also on our dance card is a full-scale production of Swan Lake, presented by Classical Arts Entertainment and performed by international ballet stars at the Arlington on December 5. Featuring a brilliant cast of dancers from Italy, France, Georgia, Great Britain, Ukraine, Japan, Moldova, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan, this family-friendly touring show celebrates the diversity and global excellence of classical ballet. See bit.ly/41Xxi8N for more information.
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