Ailey II, Ballet Hispánico, and NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE anf More Set for Des Moines Performing Arts
The Prairie Meadows Temple Comedy Series and the Prairie Meadows Live at the Temple Concert Series are also set to return.
Des Moines Performing Arts (DMPA) just announced the return of four popular series: the Dance Series, National Geographic Live Speaker Series, the Prairie Meadows Temple Comedy Series and the Prairie Meadows Live at the Temple Concert Series.
This season’s lineup delivers world-class artistry, captivating storytelling and unforgettable entertainment – from internationally acclaimed dance companies to laugh-out-loud comedy, incredible live music and extraordinary real-world exploration.
The Dance Series welcomes the return of two powerhouse companies – considered two of the top dance organizations in New York.
▪ Ailey II
▪ Ballet Hispánico New York
The National Geographic Live Speaker Series brings audiences face-to-face with groundbreaking discoveries and breathtaking visuals.
▪ “Wild Wolves of Yellowstone” with wildlife biologist Doug Smith
▪ “Ghosts of Pompeii” with archaeologist Caitie Barrett
▪ “Chasing Monarchs” with photographer Jaime Rojo
The Prairie Meadows Temple Comedy Series will be filled with high-energy, laugh-filled nights. From a shot-for-shot parody of a beloved dinosaur blockbuster to an inebriated cast performing a serious Shakespeare play and a nostalgic joyride through the John Hughes wing of 1980s synthpop music. ▪ Hold On to Your Butts
▪ Sh!t-faced Shakespeare®: Macbeth
▪ 80s kids
The Prairie Meadows Live at the Temple Concert Series promises a wide range of genres, including soft rock, bluegrass, country, Latin pop and jazz. The R&B soul band Oh He Dead will headline the season.
▪ Alysha Brilla
o Folk & pop
▪ Oh He Dead
o R&B & soul
▪ Mama Said String Band
o Bluegrass & folk
▪ Alex Cuba
o Latin pop, funk & jazz
▪ The Boneshakers
o Blues & funk
Add-ons:
▪ Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters
o Soft rock & 1970s
▪ On The Lash
o Irish folk & Celtic
Season tickets for all three series are on sale now. You can purchase season tickets at DMPA.org, at the Civic Center Ticket Office (221 Walnut Street), or by phone at (515) 246-2300. Groups of 10+ can also reserve seats now. On-sale dates for tickets to individual shows will be announced at a later date.
DANCE SERIES
AILEY II | Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Ailey II is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best early career dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding and emerging choreographers. Founded in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, the company embodies his pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people. Ailey II flourished into one of the most popular dance companies in the country under the leadership of Sylvia Waters, who was selected by Mr. Ailey to be its founding Artistic Director, serving in that role for the company’s first 38 seasons. With Artistic Director Francesca Harper at the helm, Ailey II continues to thrive as she brings a fresh dimension to this beloved company. Dance Magazine calls Ailey II "second to none," and The New York Times declares, "There's nothing like an evening spent with Ailey II, the younger version of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater."
BALLET HISPÁNICO NEW YORK | Tuesday, April 27, 2027
Ballet Hispánico New York (BHNY) is one of the nation’s leading dance institutions, recognized for its artistic excellence and its lasting contribution to American culture. Founded in 1970 by Tina Ramirez, the organization was established to create greater opportunity for talented artists and to build a company grounded in discipline, training, and high-performance standards. Over more than five decades, BHNY has developed a repertory of over 100 works, collaborating with respected choreographers and presenting performances on major stages across the United States and internationally.
The organization operates through three core pillars—its professional Company, School, and Community Arts Partnerships—reaching millions annually through performance, education, and public programs. The Company tours nationally and abroad, while the school provides rigorous training to over 1,000 students each year and awards significant scholarship support. Through its community programs, BHNY partners with schools and local organizations to bring arts education to tens of thousands of participants.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro, who assumed the role in 2009, BHNY has expanded its national presence and strengthened its commitment to artistic quality and innovation. The organization continues to commission and present new works while maintaining a standard of excellence that has defined it for over 50 years. Recognized as one of America’s Cultural Treasures by the Ford Foundation, Ballet Hispánico New York remains a respected and enduring institution.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE SPEAKER SERIES
WILD WOLVES OF YELLOWSTONE: EXPLORER Doug Smith | Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Yellowstone National Park contains many stories, including one of the best-case studies in wildlife conservation. Wildlife biologist and National Geographic Explorer Doug Smith led the project that reintroduced gray wolves in the 1990s. We join him on assignment in the park to see how the landscape has changed since the wolves arrived, including never-before-seen photos and videos of the quest to bring back this apex predator.
Doug Smith served as a wildlife biologist at Yellowstone National Park for nearly three decades and studied everything from beavers to birds. Most importantly, he led the Yellowstone Wolf Project, which reintroduced gray wolves to the park. He’s written numerous scientific publications and has been featured in four National Geographic television specials. He has also written and edited several books about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, including the 2023 book: Yellowstone’s Birds: Diversity and Abundance in the World’s First National Park.
THE GHOST OF POMPEII: EXPLORER CAITIE BARRETT | Wednesday, January 27, 2027
Even thousands of years after its demise, the Roman Empire captivates us, and the ancient city of Pompeii is the place to understand it all. Volcanic ash created an unparalleled glimpse into the lives of ancient people who lived, worked, and played in this coastal city. We go on assignment with archaeologist Caitie Barrett to the latest dig sites to uncover new stories that still lie buried in this special place.
Caitie Barrett is an archaeologist who studies everyday life and cross-cultural interactions in the ancient Mediterranean. She teaches at Cornell University as Associate Professor of Classics. She also co-directs an archaeological excavation at Pompeii, the Casa della Regina Carolina (CRC) Project, which explores how Roman houses shaped their inhabitants’ lived experiences. Her areas of specialization include Mediterranean and Egyptian archaeology, household archaeology, the archaeology of religion and ritual, and interactions between Egypt and the Greco-Roman world in antiquity. In addition to her current fieldwork at Pompeii, she has also excavated and surveyed a range of Bronze Age through early modern sites in Egypt, Greece, and the United States.
CHASING MONARCHS: EXPLORER Jaime Rojo | Thursday, April 29, 2027
Fifty years after the discovery that monarch butterflies spend winters in the forests of Mexico, photographer and National Geographic Explorer Jaime Rojo reveals this insect through new visuals. Tag along with conservationists and citizen scientists who are helping this species avoid catastrophic threats, all through Jaime’s photos and videos.
Jaime Rojo is a photographer and advocate of wilderness conservation and large landscape connectivity. He is an International League of Conservation Photographers Senior Fellow, a trustee of the WILD Foundation, and the recipient of honors in competitions such as World Press Photo and Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
PRAIRIE MEADOWS COMEDY SERIES
HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS | October 6-11, 2026
65 million years ago, dinosaurs ruled the earth.
30 years ago, a movie about dinosaurs ruled the box office.
This year, you are invited to Hold On To Your Butts.
Following its West End and Off-Broadway debuts, the show from Recent Cutbacks goes on tour. Two actors and a Foley artist perform a live, shot-for-shot parody of a dinosaur film through comedy, physical theatre, and live Foley.
SH!T-FACED SHAKESPEARE®: MACBETH | March 30 - April 4, 2027
An entirely serious Shakespeare play, with an entirely intoxicated cast member.
Founded in 2010 in the UK and first arriving in the U.S. in 2015, Sh!t-faced Shakespeare® blends Elizabethan theater with improvisational elements. Featuring a rotating cast of Boston actors, the show combines classic text with unscripted moments.
ADD-ON
80S KIDS | April 29 – May 1, 2027
Get ready to revisit synthpop through a concert-style theater show by Shannon Curtis and Jamie Hill. The performance blends music with stories about growing up in the 1980s, featuring songs from that era.
PRAIRIE MEADOWS LIVE AT THE TEMPLE CONCERT SERIES
ALYSHA BRILLA | Friday, October 2, 2026
Alysha Brilla is a three-time Juno Award-nominated songwriter and performer. Rooted in her Indo-Tanzanian heritage and shaped by her Canadian upbringing, her sound blends global percussion, guitar, and vocals.
OH HE DEAD | Friday, October 23, 2026
Washington, DC’s Oh He Dead blends pop and rock, led by vocalist CJ Bowlin Johnson alongside a five-piece band.
MAMA SAID STRING BAND | Saturday, November 21, 2026
Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Mama Said String Band blends bluegrass, folk, and Americana with vocal harmonies and contemporary instrumentation.
ALEX CUBA | Friday, April 16, 2027
Alex Cuba is a Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning artist known for blending Latin pop with global influences.
THE BONESHAKERS | Saturday, May 15, 2027
Led by guitarist Randy Jacobs, The Boneshakers blend Detroit soul and R&B, with members who have collaborated with artists including Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin.
ADD-ON
CLOSE TO YOU: THE MUSIC OF THE CARPENTERS | Saturday, January 23, 2027
A tribute to Karen Carpenter, featuring vocalist Lisa Rock and a six-piece band performing songs including “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Rainy Days and Mondays.”
ON THE LASH | Saturday, March 20, 2027
On The Lash is a group focused on Irish traditional music, blending classic songs with original arrangements.
Videos