Indiana University Ballet Theater

Jacobs School of Music Ballet 2025-2026 Season Fall Ballet OCT 24, 25 | 7:30 PM OCT 25 | 2 PM Chopiniana Mikhail Fokine In 1972, New York City Ballet premiered this version of Mikail Fokine’s Les Sylphides, widely thought to be the first ballet about solely mood and dance. Restaged by Russian-born prima ballerina Alexandra Danilova to the music of Chopin, its sleek and minimalist aesthetic showcases numerous woodland nymphs, or sylphs, dancing in the moonlight. Allegro Brillante George Balanchine Balanchine described this work set to the strains of Tchaikovsky as “Everything I know about ballet in 13 minutes.” The leading bravura role of this joyful piece that challenges the dancers’ technical prowess at every level was created on Maria Tallchief, the first significant American prima ballerina and the first Native American to attain that status. This Bitter Earth Christopher Wheeldon A beautiful and poignant pas de deux from Christopher Wheeldon’s Five Movements, Three Repeats. The music, originally mixed by Robbie Robertson for Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island, layers Dinah Washington’s evocative rendition of Clyde Otis’s “This Bitter Earth” over the strings of Max Richter’s “On the Nature of Daylight,” creating a haunting soundscape for the dancers. World Premiere Gianna Reisen Gianna Reisen is the youngest person in history to have been commissioned to choreograph for the storied New York City Ballet. She will bring her unique artistic vision to Jacobs for several weeks to create her latest work, with the students of the IU Ballet Department to music by Johann Strauss II.

Jacobs School of Music Ballet 2025-2026 Season The Nutcracker DEC 5, 12, 13 | 7:30 PM DEC 6, 7, 13 | 2 PM Jacobs faculty choreographer Sasha Janes shatters stereotypes in his reimagined version of this classic ballet, telling the story from the perspective of curious young Marie. With assistance from her Aunt Drosselmeier, Marie learns to unlock the power of her creativity to take the audience with her on an incredible adventure. This contemporary take on a fantastical story still features the iconic score by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky—and leaves us wondering where reality stops, and imagination begins. Now in only its third season, this cutting-edge adaptation has already made such a splash, it will be aired on PBS this year—so be sure to check your local TV listings!

Jacobs School of Music Ballet 2025-2026 Season Spring Ballet APR 3, 4 | 7:30 PM APR 4 | 2 PM Pas de Dix George Balanchine This dance for 10 includes solos, two pas de deux, a duet for two women, and a quartet for four men, concluding with virtuoso movement for ballerina to excerpts from Alexander Glazunov’s Raymonda ballet score. Balanchine danced in Marius Petipa’s original production of Raymonda at Russia’s Marlinsky Theatre, seeding his eventual creation of this work. Her Door to the Sky Jessica Lang Jessica Lang’s Her Door to the Sky was commissioned by Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Her Door to the Sky premiered at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, August 24, 2016. The following year marked the centennial celebration of legendary American painter Georgia O’Keeffe’s first solo exhibition in New York. Her Door to the Sky is inspired by O’Keeffe’s Patio Door series that she painted between 1946 and 1956. World Premiere Sasha Janes True to his unique vision, this world premiere by Jacobs professor Sasha Janes will push the boundaries of classical ballet technique and partnering in the contemporary style. This new work will be choreographed to a score by Michael Torke, who has been hailed as one of the most inventive composers of our time. Having choreographed to part of this score in the past, Janes is thrilled to have the opportunity to revisit Torke’s compositions and to build two new movements to complete this ballet.

Spring Ballet 2026 recap! 🧡 Thank you for joining us for our last main stage production of the IU Jacobs School of Music Ballet season! Special thanks to the stage crew, professors, orchestra, front of house staff, wardrobe, dancers, athletic training team, and patrons! You can catch us a few more times this school year, for two free performances. April 28th & 29th is our Choreographic showing, featuring student led choreography. Secondly, is our annual Twilight Turnout performance on May 27th. Music Credits: Green by Michael Torke, performed by the Baltimore Symphony. “Pas de Dix” Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust “Her Door to the Sky” © Choreography by Jessica Lang

Final touches in the MAC for the Spring Ballet! 🩰🌸 This program is a stunning mix of old and new, featuring works by George Balanchine, Jessica Lang, and a world premiere by our own Sasha Janes.   Don’t miss the chance to see these incredible artists take the stage: 🗓️ TONIGHT, April 3 | 7:30 p.m. 🗓️ Tomorrow, April 4 | 2 & 7:30 p.m. 📸: @vbastianphotography   Get your tickets at our link in bio.

A peak into our last day of rehearsals before spring break! Come see us perform in our final mainstage production of the year, Spring Ballet! This programs offers a diverse range of repertoire including George Balanchine’s Pas de Dix, Jessica Lang’s Her Door to the Sky, and ONE, a world premiere by Sasha Janes. Performances run Friday April 3rd & Saturday April 4th at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday April 4th at 2:00 p.m. Tickets linked in our bio. Special thanks to Kathy Ziliak Anderson for funding brand new practice tutus for our dancers! Music Credits: Simple Symphony, Benjamin Britten.

The snow has started to melt in Bloomington but we are still thinking about the flurries on the MAC stage this past Nutcracker! 🌨️ Thank you to @vbastianphotography for the beautiful photos! 🌨️ #myjacobs @iujsom @sashajanes @lilacferry

🚨 BIG NEWS for dance at IU! The ballet program at Jacobs School of Music and the contemporary dance program at the College of Arts and Sciences are joining forces to create Jacobs Dance, marking a bold new chapter in dance at IU. Students will continue to receive focused, world-class training while gaining unmatched opportunities to collaborate across music and the performing arts. This merger brings more skills, more inspiration, and more pathways for a successful career in dance. Everything you love about each program remains—just bigger, stronger, and more connected 💃 Learn all the details at our link in bio.

And that’s a wrap on Nutcracker 2025! Thank you to the orchestra, stage crew, faculty, wardrobe, volunteers, our amazing AT Alyssa, and all of YOU for making this production possible!

3 more Nutcracker shows to go this weekend! Come see the show tonight at 7:30 pm and tomorrow at 2 and 7:30 pm! Link for tickets and the livestream in our bio 🍭 Beautiful moments from last week captured by @vbastianphotography

Jumping into our second weekend of Nutcracker shows! If you missed it last weekend, come catch the performances this Friday and Saturday 🎄🎁 Photos by @vbastianphotography in Sasha Janes’ The Nutcracker

Opening night was pure magic ✨❄️ The Nutcracker returns today and tomorrow at 2 pm—hope to see you there! 🎟️ link in bio! 📸 @vbastianphotography