Press Releases

The Sarasota Ballet is pleased to welcome Bloch as its Official Education Partner beginning with the 2026-2027 Season. The two-year agreement will support students across The Sarasota Ballet School, Margaret Barbieri Conservatory, and Dance – The Next Generation (DNG).

Misa Kuranaga, Andrii Ishchuk, and Kaitlyn Casey join as Principal dancers among eight new appointments and two promotions.

New additions to the Board of Directors strengthen leadership as the Company prepares for Director Iain Webb’s 20th Anniversary Season

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded The Sarasota Ballet a $25,000 Grants for Arts Projects grant in support of The Sarasota Ballet Dance Education Experience, a program that brings live educational dance performances to elementary school students across Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties.

Featuring The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and Margaret Barbieri Conservatory in ‘Images of Dance’, and The Sarasota Ballet School in ‘A Meadow’s Tale’.

The Sarasota Ballet announces today its 2026 – 2027 Season, a milestone year celebrating 20 years under the visionary leadership of Director Iain Webb. This anniversary season features 16 ballets from 13 choreographers, including 8 Company premieres.

The Sarasota Ballet concludes its Season honoring a rich array of legacies and anniversaries with its most celebratory program yet: Program Seven: Foundations of Royalty. Featuring Sir Frederick Ashton’s ‘Birthday Offering’, Dame Ninette de Valois’ ‘Checkmate’, and Sir Peter Wright’s ‘Summertide’.

The Sarasota Ballet brings a compelling double bill to the stage of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall for its Program Six: Life & Liberty. Running from March 27 – 28, two celebrated works — ‘Stars and Stripes’ by George Balanchine and “Still Life’ at the Penguin Café’ by Sir David Bintley

The Sarasota Ballet announces the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors, further strengthening the organization’s leadership with extensive experience in finance, governance, philanthropy, and arts advocacy.

The Sarasota Ballet is proud to be one of the recipients of The Exchange’s annual support awarded to local arts organizations. The Exchange’s $20,000 grant for the 2025 – 2026 Season.

Hailed by The Washington Post as “one of the seven wonders of the artistic universe,” The Sarasota Ballet presents Martha Graham Dance Company at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts from February 27 – March 2.

The Sarasota Ballet opens the new year and second half of the 2025 – 2026 Season with Program Four: Notes Unspoken, running from January 30 – February 2 at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. The triple bill showcases narrative depth and playful musicality, including a world premiere by acclaimed choreographer Gemma Bond, framed by the return of Antony Tudor’s ‘Lilac Garden’ and Ricardo Graziano’s ‘Valsinhas’.

Continuing its valued support of The Sarasota Ballet, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) has awarded a $65,000 Empowering Arts Grant. Made possible through the Katherine Naismith Witten Fund, these funds will support the 2026 annual Gala, honoring Katherine and Frank Martucci. Proceeds from the Gala support all pillars of The Sarasota Ballet, including the professional Company, community engagement initiatives, and education programs.

With two of the choreographers whose mastery shapes both English and American ballet, the Company presents Masters of Movement as its third program in the 2025 – 2026 Season. Blending classical ballet with playful characterization, the program features George Balanchine’s ‘Divertimento No. 15’ and the highly-anticipated Company premiere of ‘Mozartiana’, alongside Sir Frederick Ashton’s ‘Jazz Calendar’.

The Sarasota Ballet School proudly announces its fourth annual production of ‘The Nutcracker’, featuring 138 students ranging from ages 6 to 76. This beloved Sarasota favorite has grown in both scale and popularity each year since its debut and remains unique amongst other renditions as a student-led production, offering an authentic, vibrant energy that brings this magical story to life on stage.

The Sarasota Ballet continues its 2025 – 2026 Season with Program Two: Written Motion. Running from November 21- 22 at the Sarasota Opera House, Program Two aims to explore dance as a visual language, combining a classical masterwork by Sir Frederick Ashton, a contemporary work by Mark Morris, and the World Premiere by celebrated choreographer Ashley Page.

The Sarasota Ballet is honored to announce the award of a season-long $75,000 grant from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation in support of the Company’s 2025 – 2026 Season. This significant funding will enable The Sarasota Ballet to present an outstanding lineup of performances, deepen community engagement initiatives, and continue providing high-quality arts education throughout the Sarasota community.

This past week, The Sarasota Ballet proudly hosted its largest student audience since before the pandemic for its annual Student Matinée Performances. A total of 2,222 students across 19 schools, with ten from Sarasota County and nine from Manatee County, visited the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.

The Sarasota Ballet launches its 2025–2026 Season with Program One: Intrinsic, a triple bill running from October 24–26 at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. This celebratory opening features the world premiere of a new ballet by Jessica Lang and the return of Michel Fokine’s timeless ‘Les Sylphides’, as well as Will Tuckett’s luminous ‘Changing Light’. In tribute to the 100th anniversary of Dame Alicia Markova’s debut with the Ballet Russes, her production of Fokine’s ‘Les Sylphides’ will honor her lasting mark on ballet history.

The Sarasota Ballet today announced that it has expanded its leadership structure naming Michelle Butler as Deputy Executive Director, to further strengthen the organization.

he Sarasota Ballet is honored to share the continued support of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, which has awarded a grant totaling $180,000 to be funded over 3 years. Funding for Dance – The Next Generation and The Sarasota Ballet annual Gala, provided in part by the Leslie and Margaret Weller Fund, the Allen Wirtz Nobbe and Jo Bowen Nobbe Fund, and Zella I. and Junius F. Allen Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

The Sarasota Ballet School is delighted to announce the appointment of Alberto Blanco as its new Principal. A former professional dancer and dedicated educator, Alberto brings both artistic passion and pedagogical expertise to his new role. His leadership signals an exciting new chapter for the School as it continues to nurture excellence, creativity, and artistry among its students.

The Sarasota Ballet’s Summer Intensive program will conclude with ‘InMotion’ 2025, a series of performances highlighting the hard work and talent of more than 140 student dancers. Taking place July 24–26 at FSU’s Center for the Performing Arts—The Sarasota Ballet’s own mainstage venue during the regular season—’InMotion’ 2025 offers these young dancers a unique chance to perform in a professional setting. Audiences can look forward to a dynamic repertoire of classical and contemporary works, along with a special musical theater excerpt that will showcase the students’ versatile artistry.

The Sarasota Ballet will open its 2025–2026 Season with a highly anticipated return to the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival—its first appearance there since 2015. From July 16–20, the Company will present six performances featuring a compelling triple bill: a World Premiere by renowned choreographer Jessica Lang and two celebrated works by Sir Frederick Ashton.

The Sarasota Ballet is thrilled to welcome Jess Abbott as she steps into the role of Marketing Director, effective June 2025. With a strong foundation in arts leadership and a personal passion for dance, Abbott brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Company. As the previous Chief Executive Officer of Greenville Center for Creative Arts in South Carolina and Executive Director of Dogtown Dance Theatre in Richmond, VA, her dynamic vision and proven track record in creative marketing have solidified her reputation in enhancing arts communities and fostering meaningful engagement between artists and audiences — making her a valuable addition to the Company as it continues to grow its presence both locally and nationally.

The Sarasota Ballet School is delighted to announce that beloved dance teacher Diane Partington will be joining the Education faculty in June 2025. Diane was previously a Principal dancer with The Sarasota Ballet for 6 Seasons, but in 2000 went on to establish her own school – the Diane Partington Studio of Classical Ballet. With the recent closure of Diane’s school, The Sarasota Ballet School is excited to welcome her former students to join her in this next venture for the upcoming school year.

Misa Kuranaga will join The Sarasota Ballet as a Guest Artist for three of the Company’s Programs during the upcoming 2025 – 2026 Season and for the 2025 July performances at Jacob’s Pillow

7 Programs, 17 Ballets, including 3 World Premieres and 1 Company Premiere. The Sarasota Ballet announces its 2025 – 2026 Season, an enthralling celebration of the rich history, remarkable versatility, and timeless artistry of dance. Marking a series of anniversaries and milestones, the upcoming Season promises to be a breathtaking experience for audiences.