PRESS RELEASE
Ballet Vancouver Unveils 2026/27 Debut Season
Homecoming performances from The National Ballet of Canada’s Heather Ogden and San Francisco Ballet’s Frances Chung headline an inaugural season of classical mastery, bold new works, and the return of the acclaimed @giselle
Vancouver, BC — Ballet Vancouver announces its expansive 2026/27 season, featuring two mixed programs that will include a Vancouver premiere, two Canadian premieres, and a world premiere, alongside the anticipated return of @giselle — Artistic Director Joshua Beamish’s technology-driven reimagining of one of ballet’s most beloved works, last seen in Vancouver at its world premiere in 2019. The three-show season will be on stage at the Vancouver Playhouse from September 2026 through May 2027. Showcasing renowned classical repertoire, striking premieres, and featuring some of the world’s finest dancers, the inaugural season positions Ballet Vancouver as a company of exceptional artistic range, technical rigour, and bold creative vision. Subscriptions are available now through September 1, 2026 — with full-season and two-show packages offering preferred pricing and first access to the best seats in the house.
“Our inaugural season captures what Ballet Vancouver set out to achieve — a permanent home for classical ballet in a city whose cultural life is all the richer for the diversity of its artistic voices,” says Beamish. “I am proud to present a season that honours the enduring legacy of classical and neoclassical ballet, while embracing the choreographers and works that are shaping its future. Equally meaningful to me is the opportunity to welcome back dancers who received their training right here in Vancouver — artists who have gone on to perform on the most prestigious stages in the world, and who now return to share their artistry with the city that first shaped them. We look forward to celebrating this season together.”
Ballet Vancouver’s 2026/27 Season includes:
Program 1: Balanchine’s Apollo & Other Works
September 11, 2026 at 7:30pm & September 12, 2026 at 2pm and 7:30pm
Vancouver Playhouse
Three acclaimed works open Ballet Vancouver’s debut season in a dazzling triple bill of breathtaking range and ambition, featuring guest Principal dancers Heather Ogden of The National Ballet of Canada and Frances Chung of San Francisco Ballet — two Vancouver-trained artists whose remarkable journeys began in this city before ascending to the world’s most celebrated stages — alongside guest Principal dancer Francesco Gabriele Frola of San Francisco Ballet. The program includes Balanchine’s Apollo — a cornerstone of the neoclassical repertoire and one of the most performed and revered works in ballet history — is a staple of major ballet companies around the world. The spellbinding Black Swan Pas de Deux is one of the most iconic scenes from the beloved classic Swan Lake. And Jorma Elo’s Slice to Sharp, originally created for New York City Ballet’s Diamond Project in 2006, makes its Canadian premiere, setting pulsing modern movement to an unexpected pairing of Baroque melodies. Together, the program is a compelling testament to the athleticism and artistry that define Ballet Vancouver.
Program 2: Classical Masters
February 11-13, 2027 at 7:30pm
Vancouver Playhouse
Passion and precision converge in Ballet Vancouver’s February mixed program, Classical Masters, celebrating the sweeping romanticism of classical ballet alongside the bold neoclassical sensibility of contemporary choreography set to masterworks of classical music. Featuring the Vancouver premiere of Joshua Beamish’s Romeo and Juliet Balcony Pas de Deux — set to Prokofiev’s soaring score — and the Canadian premiere of Self Portrait by Taiwanese choreographer Tsai Hsi Hung, set to Schubert, the program also marks the world premiere of the company’s first original commission by former Royal Winnipeg Ballet Soloist Yosuke Mino, whose singular creative voice brings his Japanese heritage into dialogue with the classical ballet form through the music of Bach. The program concludes with Beamish’s deeply personal male duet burrow — originally created for the Royal Ballet in London — an intimate and profoundly moving portrait of love set to Shostakovich, tracing the arc of a relationship between two men with tenderness, complexity, and quiet humanity.
Program 3: @giselle
May 13-15, 2027 at 7:30pm
Vancouver Playhouse
Ballet Vancouver’s season concludes with Beamish’s @giselle, returning to Vancouver for the first time since its world premiere in 2019. A technology-driven reinvention of one of ballet’s most beloved Romantic classics, this full-length narrative production is brought to life by Principal dancers from American Ballet Theatre and San Francisco Ballet. Hailed as a “smart and piercing rethinking of ballet’s greatest ghost story” (Fjord Review), @giselle explores love and relationships in the modern digital age. Featuring powerful, seductive movement, breathtaking visuals, and Adolphe Adam’s timeless score, the multisensory production offers a mesmerizing and urgent reflection on what it means to love — and lose — in the age of social media.
Subscription packages are now on sale through September 1, 2026. Single tickets are on sale for Program 1 only on June 9, 2026. Single tickets for Programs 2 & 3 will be on sale at later dates.
For tickets and further information, visit: balletvancouver.com
About Ballet Vancouver (balletvancouver.com)
Ballet Vancouver is a non-profit charitable dance company founded in 2025 and based in Vancouver. The primary mandate of the company is to revitalize Vancouver’s access to professional classical, neoclassical, and narrative ballet. Ballet Vancouver presents multiple home performances annually, in addition to national and international touring. The company’s programming will encompass both homecoming performances by locally trained ballet stars, coupled with appearances by renowned international ballet artists and ballet companies. Emerging, diverse local talent will be fostered through outreach programs and choreographic development initiatives.
Ballet Vancouver Artistic Director Joshua Beamish is a leading Canadian and international voice in ballet. His works have been commissioned by The Royal Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada, among others. He collaborated with New York City Ballet Associate Artistic Director, Wendy Whelan, for Restless Creature and created the debut commissions of ABT Principal Herman Cornejo’s Dance Live and New York City Ballet Principal Ashley Bouder’s The Ashley Bouder Project. His recent presentations include Lincoln Center, BAM Next Wave, The Joyce Theater, The Guggenheim Museum, and the Royal Opera House/London.
As the Artistic Director of Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY for the past 20 years, key highlights include: the collaboration with Cirque du Soleil for presentation at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, performing the Closing Gala of the Canadian Cultural Pavilion, and touring an ensemble of 24 Vancouver-based artists for a commissioned presentation at Bangkok International Festival for Dance & Music/Bangkok Opera House.
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