Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet
“Tamara Rojo: ‘I danced with a robot. There was no tenderness’”
Tamara Rojo’s interview with Nancy Durrant for The Times published July 2, 2026.
It covers Rojo’s perspective on tech’s “goldrush” mentality, the perils of unchecked AI/curiosity, and ballet’s role in reflecting contemporary issues. Nancy Durrant (who also wrote a Substack piece praising Mere Mortals) frames it around the ballet’s futuristic costumes, video design (with some AI elements), and powerful score.
The dialogue ties into themes of AI, humanity, and technology’s impact on art.
“It looks very aggressive… I actually got to interact with two robots… And the main thing I asked was like, ‘OK, show me tenderness.’ There is no tenderness.”
SAN FRANCISCO BALLET 2026-2027 SEASON PROGRAM
Curated by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, the season explores ballet’s rich and wide-ranging legacy while pointing to its continued evolution, spearheaded by the art form’s most adventurous visionaries.
«Ballet is alive, full of adventure, and more relevant than ever»
SF Ballet’s new season includes a mixed-bill reimagining the spirit of the Ballets Russes for today that includes a world premiere commission from Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, presented alongside Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Faun and Yuri Possokhov’s Violin Concerto; a world premiere commission from William Forsythe for the 2027 Opening Night Gala; an evening-length programme of all three works in George Balanchine’s Jewels, performed by the company in its entirety for the first time in 17 years; a showcase of Europe’s leading contemporary choreographers, including Hans van Manen, Christopher Wheeldon, and Akram Khan; sumptuous story ballets, including The Sleeping Beauty, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Manon.
Furthermore, the SFB will embark on landmark international tour in Summer 2026, to include Jacob’s Pillow and the European premiere of Mere Mortals at Edinburgh International Festival and London Sadler’s Wells.
Packages are on sale now (as of July 2026), with single tickets available in fall 2026.
Nutcracker
2027 Opening Night Gala
The Sleeping Beauty
Titans of Choreography
Jewels
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Divine Creatures
Manon
Nutcracker
Helgi Tomasson) — Dec 4–27, 2026 at War Memorial Opera House.
The company’s San Francisco-set holiday classic returns. Includes a Sensory Friendly performance on Dec 27.
Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, played by the Grammy Award-winning Orchestra, guides us along Clara’s magical journey from her Victorian-era San Francisco home, through the most dazzling onstage blizzard, and onto the stunning Crystal Palace, where we meet the Sugar Plum Fairy and an international cast of characters.
Discover more about this splendid ballet
2027 Opening Night Gala
January 14, 2027 at War Memorial Opera House.
The newly commissioned work from William Forsythe will debut as a centerpiece for the 2027 Opening Night Gala.
Mark your calendar for San Francisco’s biggest night
The Sleeping Beauty
Helgi Tomasson after Petipa
Jan 29–Feb 7, 2027 at War Memorial Opera House.
This production, set to Tchaikovsky’s radiant score honors the grandeur of the 19th-century classic while bringing a fresh vitality, showcasing regal pageantry, virtuosic technique, and enduring romance. It is a fairy tale that is both enchanting and captivating for audiences of all ages—elegant, timeless, and a celebration of classical ballet at its finest.
Enjoy the romantic story told through excellent music and wonderful dance
Titans of Choreography (mixed bill)
Feb 16–21, 2027 at War Memorial Opera House.
Hans van Manen: Grosse Fuge.
Christopher Wheeldon: Within the Golden Hour (costumes by Zac Posen)
Find more about this inspiring program
Jewels
(George Balanchine) — Feb 27–Mar 7, 2027 at War Memorial Opera House.
Full evening-length triptych (Emeralds, Rubies, Diamonds) performed in its entirety for the first time in 17 years.
George Balanchine’s Jewels is a singular masterpiece: an abstract triptych that evokes the brilliance of precious gems inspired by the jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels. Emeralds shimmers with the elegance and refinement of 19th-century French Romantic ballet, a reflection of Balanchine’s vision of France’s grace and charm. Rubies sparkles with wit, energy, and a touch of New York City jazz, epitomizing the creative partnership between Stravinsky and Balanchine with a distinctly American flair. Diamonds exudes the grandeur and order of Imperial Russia, preserving the essence of the classical heritage Balanchine absorbed as a young man at the Mariinsky Theater. Together, these three luminous ballets form a dazzling tribute to ballet’s past, present, and enduring splendor.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
(George Balanchine) — Mar 19–27, 2027 at War Memorial Opera House.
Enter Shakespeare’s enchanted forest—a lush world brimming with magic, woodland creatures, and delightful disorder. Set to Felix Mendelssohn’s luminous score, George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream conjures a world where mischievous fairies, bewitched lovers, and bumbling mortals collide in a swirl of magic and mayhem. Balanchine’s sparkling choreography brings every moment vividly and luminously to life. Exquisitely crafted costumes and dreamlike sets by iconic French designer Christian Lacroix—created for the Paris Opera Ballet—wrap every scene in shimmering splendor. Joyful, radiant, and utterly transporting, this production is pure enchantment for dreamers of all ages.
Explore this astounding ballet
Divine Creatures
A mixed bill, evoking Ballets Russes spirit.
Apr 8–14, 2027 at War Memorial Opera House.
World premiere by Bobbi Jene Smith & Or Schraiber (music by Andy Akiho)
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui: Faun (SF Ballet debut).
Yuri Possokhov: Violin Concerto.
Find out more about this divine program
Manon
Kenneth MacMillan — Apr 23–May 2, 2027 at War Memorial Opera House.
A three-act narrative ballet, Manon was premiered at London’s Royal Opera House on March 7, 1974. Set to a score by Jules Massenet and featuring designs by Nicholas Georgiadis, the choreography is famous for its visceral, impassioned duets and deep psychological drama. This dramatic ballet is an adaptation of Abbé Prévost’s novel L’Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut. Manon is considered one of MacMillan’s most notable works, showcasing his expertise of narrative choreography and acute insight into human psychology. MacMillan is at his best here: finding full expression in the impassioned duets of the central couple, visceral and desperate in their desire.
Discover the beauty of this dramatic ballet
RAYMONDA
Tamara Rojo has created a new version of the iconic ballet, Raymonda that will be performed by the San Francisco Ballet from March 1 to 8, 2025.
Raymonda is a grand ballet in three acts, four scenes with an apotheosis, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Alexander Glazunov (his opus 57) and libretto by Lydia Pashkova.
Set against the backdrop of the 19th-century Crimean War, Rojo expertly draws on the figure of Florence Nightingale to create a Raymonda who redefines the role of women in wartime and society…
Comments on the most unique aspects of this new version of Raymonda
She Wants to Make San Francisco Ballet an ‘Arrow to the Future’
Tamara Rojo, the company’s new artistic director, has a vision of ballet as for the people — all the people — with dances that reflect our world.
«As an artistic director, Rojo, 50, is spectacularly unguarded — a rare open book with a progressive way of looking at ballet’s place in the world. She has experimented with this already in San Francisco, producing a hit, “Mere Mortals,” a ballet exploring the story of Pandora through the lens of artificial intelligence».
By Gia Kourlas
MERE MORTALS
Mere Mortals of San Francisco Ballet is a ballet like you’ve never seen before. An immersive sensory experience where music and dance converge in a singular environment of mesmerizing light and visuals. It contextualizes the ancient parable of Pandora for our current technological world.
Choreographer: Aszure Barton.
Music composed by: Sam Shepherd / Floating Points.
Production design and visuals: Hamill Industries.
In January 2016 Tamara Rojo Diez becomes D.A. Magna Cum Laude.
“IMPRESCINDIBLES” Tamara Rojo: Todos los sueños en mí – TVE
‘Imprescindibles’ viaja a Londres para conocer a Tamara Rojo, una de nuestras bailarinas más internacionales. Su mirada creativa durante los diez años como directora artística del English National Ballet ha revolucionado el concepto del ballet clásico. ‘Tamara Rojo, Todos los sueños en mí’, recorre los caminos que ha seguido la bailarina hasta convertirse en una estrella mundial de la danza.
Tamara Rojo se despide este año de los escenarios como bailarina en su última gira que la lleva por Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester y París con la obra ‘Giselle’, para finalmente establecer su residencia en la ciudad de San Francisco y hacerse cargo de la Dirección Artística del San Francisco Ballet. Otro reto creativo que le hace continuar con su búsqueda ¿Cuál es el futuro de la danza?
TAMARA ROJO STAGE FAREWELL
Her career summarized in fifteen videos
Idea collected from the great article written by Amélie Bertrand «Adieux à la scène de Tamara Rojo: sa carrière en quinze vidéos» published in “Danses avec la plume”
Tamara Rojo, a huge Star of the 2000s and 2010s, bids farewell to the stage at 48 years old as a ballet dancer on October 14th at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, in the title role of Giselle by Akram Khan with English National Ballet. Director of this company since 2012, it was she who created this new version, one of the highlights of her years at the head of the company. In December, she will leave for San Francisco Ballet as the new Artistic Director and will no longer dance on stage. With remarkable sagacity, Amélie Bertrand has summed up Rojo’s brilliant career through 15 videos.
Tamara Rojo in Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan
Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan is a ballet solo choreographed by Frederick Ashton to music by Johannes Brahms, inspired by Isadora Duncan and created for Lynn Seymour. Tamara Rojo in the role filmed in 2004.