Feature: NEVADA BALLET THEATRE OPENS 2026-2027 SEASON

Nevada Ballet Theatre will launch its 2026-2027 season with an evening that brings together sweeping classical beauty, powerful choreography, and the thrill of live orchestral music and operatic voices. Carmina Burana returns to The Smith Center for three performances, Oct. 2-4.

The production of Nicolo Fonte’s Carmina Burana will feature the dancers of Nevada Ballet Theatre alongside the Las Vegas Philharmonic, conducted by Eric McAllister, and the Las Vegas Master Singers (lvmastersingers.org). The program will also include George Balanchine’s Serenade, creating a striking contrast between Tchaikovsky's lyrical elegance and Orff's dramatic intensity.

Fonte’s Carmina Burana offers a theatrical interpretation of Orff's celebrated score, bringing together dance, orchestra, and chorus in a grand-scale production. First presented in 2017 as a co-production between Ballet West and Cincinnati Ballet, the work features original sets, costumes and choreography.

“We are looking forward to bringing back Nicolo Fonte’s celebrated version of Carmina Burana,” said Artistic Director Roy Kaiser. “This is an extraordinary production that brings together brilliant stagecraft, beautiful music, and unforgettable choreography.”

Based on a collection of medieval poems, Carl Orff composed Carmina Burana in the early 1930s, and it has become one of the most recognizable works in the classical repertoire. Its famous opening movement, "O Fortuna," has achieved a life of its own through its use in film, television, and commercials.

Onstage, the production's scale expands beyond the dancers. The Las Vegas Philharmonic performs Orff's score while the Las Vegas Master Singers provide the choral forces, positioned within a large scenic structure above the dancers. Soprano Melissa Heath, baritone Christopher Clayton and tenor Christopher Puckett will join the production as soloists.

The result is a work in which the dancers are surrounded by the sound of orchestra and chorus, heightening the dramatic impact of Fonte’s choreography.

Balanchine’s Serenade Adds Lyrical Counterpoint

Opening the program is George Balanchine’s Serenade, set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. The work offers a graceful, musical expression that contrasts beautifully with Fonte's dramatic and theatrical vision, creating an engaging variety for the audience.

Serenade unfolds across four movements: "Sonatina," "Waltz," "Russian Dance," and "Elegy." The work has a particularly unusual origin: an evening ballet class in 1934.

Balanchine was teaching students about the differences between classroom exercises and performing onstage when the work began to take shape. Elements that arose spontaneously during rehearsal—including a dancer falling and a student arriving late—were incorporated into the choreography.

What began as an instructional exercise ultimately became one of Balanchine’s most significant works. Since its premiere, Serenade has remained part of the repertoire of ballet companies worldwide.

Together, Serenade and Carmina Burana offer an opening program built around contrasting approaches to ballet. Tchaikovsky's music provides a foundation for Balanchine's flowing choreography, while Orff's score drives Fonte's large-scale theatrical vision.

For Nevada Ballet Theatre, the production also brings together some of Southern Nevada's leading performing arts organizations. The NBT dancers share the stage with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and Las Vegas Master Singers, creating a collaborative experience that celebrates our vibrant arts community.

For more than five decades, Nevada Ballet Theatre has been part of Las Vegas' performing arts community. The nonprofit organization operates a professional ballet company, an affiliated school, and education programs serving youth throughout the region. Its mission is to educate and inspire audiences through professional productions, dance training and community education programs.

With Serenade and Carmina Burana, Nevada Ballet Theatre begins its new season by placing two very different visions of dance side by side—one shaped by lyrical movement and musical subtlety, the other by the full theatrical force of ballet, orchestra and chorus.