Onstage at the War Memorial Opera House, the Festival features works by Tamara Rojo, Helgi Tomasson, Michael Smuin, and Lew Christensen, accompanied for the first time by the full Grammy-Award winning San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) March 4, 2025—San Francisco Ballet School (SF Ballet School) today announced details for its 2025 Spring Festival, celebrating the history of visionary artistic leadership at San Francisco Ballet (SF Ballet) through an evening-length collection of works choreographed by past artistic directors Helgi Tomasson, Michael Smuin, and Lew Christensen and current Artistic Director Tamara Rojo. For the first time, the School Spring Festival will be performed in the War Memorial Opera House with live accompaniment by the Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Ballet Orchestra under Music Director & Principal Conductor Martin West, providing students with the opportunity to perform world-class repertoire in a historic venue and allowing audiences to experience the next generation of dance artists. The festival will also include premiere works by Company members Davide Occhipinti, who is an SF Ballet School alum, and Esteban Hernández as part of SF Ballet’s Creation House initiative.
From May 9–10, SF Ballet School will present a gala-style program curated by School Director Grace Holmes featuring excerpts from Rojo’s Raymonda, Tomasson’s Handel – A Celebration, Smuin’s Quattro a Verdi, Christensen’s Vivaldi Concerto Grosso (his final work and 55th creation for SF Ballet), and August Bournonville’s La Sylphide.
“This program is a testament to the legacy, evolution, and enduring artistry that defines San Francisco Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School,” says Holmes. “It is an honor to celebrate the innovation and creativity that continue to inspire generations of dancers and audiences on a global scale. We are proud to be able to give these students the opportunity to perform in a venue with such a rich legacy alongside the unparalleled SF Ballet Orchestra as our students continue to develop artistically and strive toward professional careers in ballet.”
Additional programming includes new works by SF Ballet Company members Davide Occhipinti and Esteban Hernández, commissioned through Creation House. Occhipinti’s piece, created on the School’s Level 8 students, will be making its world premiere, while Hernández’s 1941, first performed by SF Ballet trainees at Ballet Sun Valley in October 2024, will be making its West Coast debut. Launched in 2023, Creation House is a first-of-its-kind creative incubator, providing artists with opportunities for creative exploration and mentorship. The initiative is emblematic of SF Ballet’s commitment to supporting new work development and emerging choreographers and facilitating artistic collaboration.
Meet the Artist interviews will take place preceding both Spring Festival performances with speakers to be announced. SF Ballet School’s annual fundraising dinner, chaired by Katie Colendich, will take place in the grand Main Lobby of the Opera House following the late matinee performance on Saturday, May 10. Proceeds from the dinner and performances will support the $1.5 million in scholarships and financial aid the School distributes annually to deserving students, as well as SF Ballet’s education and outreach programs that serve over 40,000 children, families, and community members throughout San Francisco each year.
Tickets & Performance Dates
The SF Ballet School Spring Festival is onstage at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco from May 9–10. Tickets start at $29 for adults and children’s tickets are offered at a 25% discount (+ $14 per order handling fee) and are available for purchase at sfballet.org. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling Ticket Services at 415-865-2000, open Monday through Friday, 10am to 4pm. Casting and prices are subject to change.
Friday, May 9 at 7:00pm
Saturday, May 10 at 4:00pm
Contact
Public Relations, San Francisco Ballet
press@sfballet.org
To access press images, please register via the link here: https://photos.sfballet.org/
About Creation House
San Francisco Ballet launched Creation House in 2023, a portfolio of career-enhancing creative opportunities focused on choreography and new work development for company members, SF Ballet School students, and guest artists. Through programs ranging from residencies for visiting choreographers to structured choreographic workshops, the initiative provides space and time for creative exploration and mentorship within the company. Creation House is accompanied by Raising Leaders, a leadership training program that provides professional and personal development for company dancers who seek to make a broader impact within the arts sector in the future.
About San Francisco Ballet School
San Francisco Ballet School, founded in 1933, is the oldest professional ballet school in the country and is one of the most highly sought-after dance training institutions in the industry, cultivating the next generation of professional dancers for San Francisco Ballet and ballet companies around the world. Approximately 70% of San Francisco Ballet dancers trained at SF Ballet School, and students in the School appear in SF Ballet productions throughout the season. More than $1.5 million in annual scholarships and financial aid is awarded to students to attend SF Ballet School.
Under the combined leadership of SF Ballet School Director Grace Holmes and Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, San Francisco Ballet School has a dual mission: to train classical ballet dancers capable of joining the ranks of SF Ballet and other world-renowned companies and to offer young children and adults in the Bay Area an introduction to ballet and the joy of moving to music.