Artistic Directors Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda have announced a Sacramento Ballet 2010-2011 season that promises excitement, beauty and entertainment for every age and interest.  Ever evolving, the company is expanding its boundaries by fusing the classical with the avant-garde.  From the furthest edge of creative virtuosity to the interior landscape of the human soul, this will be a season of dance and theatre you can see, feel, and love.  It offers the opportunity to be inspired by world premieres at the Capital Choreography Competition, immerse yourself in the intense passion of Romeo & Juliet, soar with the sheer exhilaration of the Irish-themed Celts, and journey to new horizons with the astonishing imagination of Modern Masters.

What’s new this year?  The Sacramento Ballet offers great value with seven different subscription packages designed to fit every interest, lifestyle, and budget.  More flexibility, more options, more savings! There is a Main Stage package that lets you see three performances at the Community Center Theater for as little as $45.  Want to see it all? Choose the all-inclusive six-performance package for a great 25% discount and enjoy the incredible artistry all season long.  With a package tailored especially for families, another for those who only enjoy new directions in contemporary choreography, others aimed at those who love the classics, and some for the adventurous who want to try it all, this year’s Season Subscription series allows audiences to “have it their way.”

For the first time ever, the company will offer single Orchestra Level seats at the Community Center Theater for as little as $20! Also new this year, Modern Masters will be presented in three great locations at three great theatres.  The Company is aiming to make it easier to attend by taking the Dance to you!  Sites will include the beautiful theater at the St. Francis Arts Complex in Sacramento, the Vanderhoeff Studio Theatre at UC Davis, and the Folsom Lake Regional Performing Arts Center in Folsom.

In addition to an unprecedented range of breathtaking repertory, the company continues its mission to entertain, inspire, and educate with its sustained commitment to bring the art of dance up-close-and-personal through such programs as Beer & Ballet, Inside the Director’s Studio, Red Hot Valentine Nights, Second Saturday Living Sculpture, and more.

Season Highlights

Capital Choreography Competition
Join us at our season opener for the 2nd annual Capital Choreography Competition.  Three dance makers from the vanguard of American talent create world premieres and battle for cash and recognition.  Immediately after each performance, the audience votes to choose its favorite.  You pick the winner!

Fridays, October 15 & 22, 2010 7:30 PM
Crest Theatre

Family Fun
A perfect introduction to dance for the kids or for the whole family!  Accompany the dancers on a journey of pure imagination into a fantasy world where any and all things can happen.  What do Swan Queens, Cheshire Cats, and Fairy Tale Characters have in common?  Tune in and discover a whole new world of fun and adventure.  After the performance, explore the interactive Ballerina Corner, Dress-Up Station, and more.  Last year’s family performance was completely SOLD OUT, so get your tickets early and don’t forget to bring your camera. This show is an hour long program and appropriate for children 4 and older.

Saturday, October 23, 2010, 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM
Crest Theatre

Ron Cunningham’s
The Nutcracker
Remember the first time you saw The Nutcracker?  Clara’s thrilling journey, the soaring Magic Balloon, the sparkling Snowflake Forest, the delicious Kingdom of the Sweets, and the radiant elegance of the Sugar Plum Fairy create family memories that last a lifetime.  Recapture that moment and share it with those you love, again and again!  All performances of Sacramento’s favorite holiday tradition are accompanied by the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra.

December 10 - 23, 2010 various times
Community Center Theater

Nutcracker Sweet Sunday
Be inspired by the magic of The Nutcracker, then immediately after the show, enjoy juice & cookies while you meet the dancers in the lobby.  Actually go on stage to enter the Land of Sweets and take pictures with the Sugar Plum Fairy or other favorite characters.  It’s a wonderful holiday treat your family won’t soon forget.

Sunday, December 12, 2010 1:00 PM
Community Center Theater

Romeo & Juliet
Powerful and passionate, Ron Cunningham’s telling of ‘the world’s greatest love story’ burns with incandescent brilliance.  Dazzling pageantry, sumptuous scenery, luxurious costumes, magnificent dancing, and glorious music join in compelling drama and searing emotion. 

FREE with purchase of ticket: Enhance your enjoyment of the performance by joining Ron Cunningham 45 minutes prior to curtain for an informal and entertaining inside view of the performance.

February 10 - 13, 2011 7:30 PM & 2:00 PM
Community Center Theater

Icons & Innovators
Celts – The Chieftains/York
This March, celebrate all things Irish in Lila York’s Celtic tour-de-force to the music of the world-renowned Chieftains.  Fleet and fluid, Celts propels the ‘wearing o’ the green’ to new heights of spectacular virtuosity! 

The Four Temperaments - Hindemith/Balanchine
Hip, urban, and edgy! Based on the medieval notion of the four humors, Balanchine’s masterpiece perfectly embodies his creative genius for sophisticated invention and unparalleled musicality.

Bolero - Ravel/Cunningham
Ron Cunningham’s riveting Bolero builds a sustained intensity, releasing an explosion of pent up energy in the final moments of an electrifying musical climax.  Not to be missed!

FREE with ticket purchase: Enhance your enjoyment of the performance by joining Ron Cunningham 45 minutes prior to curtain for an informal and entertaining inside view of the performance.

March 24 - 27, 2011 7:30 PM & 2:00 PM
Community Center Theater

Modern Masters
Experience the intrepid exploration of bold new voices in American dance.  The brightest rising stars of cutting edge creativity stage provocative works of daring imagination.  Now in three great locations…the Company brings the dance to you!

May 13-15, 2011 7:30 & 2:00 PM
St Francis Arts Complex
(click here for more information about the Arts Complex)

May 19, 2011 7:30 PM
Mondavi Center Vanderhoeff Studio Theatre

May 21, 2011 7:30 PM
Folsom Lake College

Here’s a sampling of what else we’ll be up to in 2010-2011:
Inside the Director’s Studio
Join us throughout our season and get behind the scenes with Ron Cunningham and the dancers of the Sacramento Ballet. Discover the ins-and-outs of the artistic process and what it takes to produce a ballet from the beginning of the rehearsal process to the final, spectacular stage presentation.
Where:  Sacramento Ballet Studios – 1631K Street, Sacramento CA
Tickets:  (916) 552-5800 x2 - $15 per session – 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Check our website beginning in September for dates. New sessions added often.

In Studio Previews & Open Rehearsals
Sacramento Ballet offers evening previews in our studios. Watch excerpts from the shows in an intimate setting. 
Where:  Sacramento Ballet Studios – 1631K Street, Sacramento CA.
Tickets:  (916) 552-5800 x2
Check our website in September for dates, times, and prices

Beer & Ballet
Enjoy beer, wine, or soda as you watch edgy new works created by dancers of the Sacramento Ballet.  See the dancers up-close-and-personal in an informal and intimate setting.
Where:  Sacramento Ballet Studios – 1631K Street, Sacramento CA.
Tickets:  (916) 552-5800 x2
Check our website in January for dates, times, and prices

Second Saturday “Living Sculpture”- FREE
View Sacramento Ballet dancers as they improvise “Living Sculpture” in selected art galleries during Second Saturday Art Walks. 
Where: Art Galleries TBA
Check our website at the beginning of each month for times

Pre-Performance Lectures – FREE
Join artistic director, Ron Cunningham in the Grand Tier of the Community Center Theater 45 minutes prior to every performance for anecdotes and stories about the creative process, the artists, and the evening’s selection of works.  Available for Romeo & Juliet and Icons & Innovators only.
Where: Sacramento Community Center Theater

Season Subscriptions On Sale Now! To become a season subscriber, please download a subscription form (below) or contact the Sacramento Ballet’s Ticket Coordinator at: 916-552-5800 x2. Season subscribers receive up to 25% off tickets in addition to other great benefits.

Individual tickets for the entire season, including “Nutcracker Sweet Sunday” become available Tuesday, September 7, 2010.  For performances at the Community Center Theater, purchase tickets at the Community Center Theater Box Office,
916-808-5181, or through Tickets.com, 800-225-2277. 
Individual ticket prices range from $15.00 - $40.00 for children ages 12 and under, and $15 - $68 for adults for performances at the Community Center Theater. Groups of 10 or more get 10% off individual tickets.  Groups of 20 or more receive 20% off individual tickets. (Groups may consist of adults and children; the adult ticket price will reflect the discount, children’s ticket prices are a set price as listed up to 50% off of adult ticket rates and will not receive an additional % off.  Group rates are not available for Orchestra W-CC, Grand Tier & 2nd Tier Boxes, 2nd Tier M-N.) To place a group order, call the Sacramento Ballet Studios at 916-552-5800 x2 or click here to visit the group ticket page.

For Capital Choreography Competition and Family Fun tickets, call the Sacramento Ballet Studios, 916-552-5800 x2 OR walk up to The Crest Theatre Box Office: 1013 K Street, Mon-Thu 4:30-8:00 p.m. Fri-Sun 12:30-8:00 p.m. Ticket prices range from $20 - $35 for Capital Choreography Competition, and $15 for children 12 & under and $25 for adults for Family Fun (group rates available!).  For Modern Masters tickets, call the Sacramento Ballet Studios directly at 916-552-5800 x2.  Tickets for Modern Masters are $40 each (child and group rates are not available.)

For more information go to http://www.sacballet.org. Don’t forget to become a member of our online family on Facebook and MySpace. Log in and search for ‘Sacramento Ballet.’

Ready to order?  Print an order form here