Ballet22 to Return to Cowell Theater with Classical and World Premiere Works
The program will feature Keelan Whitmore's THE FIFTH POINT and Durante Verzola's LA FOLLIA alongside COPPÉLIA selections.
Ballet22, a company presenting queer, transgender, and non-binary artists en pointe while expanding representation within ballet, returns to the Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center on July 25 and 26, 2026 with a summer season that places ballet's past and future in conversation. Featuring selections from Coppélia, the San Francisco premiere of Durante Verzola's La Follia, and the world premiere of The Fifth Point by acclaimed choreographer Keelan Whitmore, Ballet22 honors the classical canon while creating space for new voices, perspectives, and artistic possibilities.
The evening opens with a suite of solos and duets from Coppélia, the beloved comedic ballet first premiered in 1870. Ballet22 preserves the choreography and spirit of the classical work while challenging assumptions about who can inhabit its iconic roles. Rather than presenting the ballet through parody or imitation, the company offers new artistic interpretations of characters and choreography traditionally reserved for women, demonstrating how classical works can remain relevant and resonant across generations.
The program continues with the San Francisco premiere of La Follia by choreographer Durante Verzola. Originally created in 2021 through an Artistic Partnership Initiative residency at New York University's Center for Ballet and the Arts and first presented through the Guggenheim's Works & Process series, the work reexamines the traditional structure of the classical pas de deux. Set to Arcangelo Corelli's celebrated score, La Follia explores connection, longing, and partnership through dancers who never touch, creating a powerful sense of intimacy through movement, musicality, and emotional presence. For this new staging, Verzola adapts the work for two male-presenting dancers performing en pointe, further expanding the ballet's original exploration of nontraditional partnering.
"As a huge lover of classical ballet, but also a queer biracial man, it is important to me that new stories are being told on a ballet stage," said Verzola. "I care so much for this art form, but it is imperative that we drive it forward and make it meaningful and relevant for our audiences. The art must reflect our world."
The program culminates with the world premiere of The Fifth Point by internationally recognized choreographer Keelan Whitmore. Inspired by Pas de Quatre, one of ballet's most celebrated historical works, Whitmore's contemporary reimagining expands the original structure from four dancers to five, transforming a landmark ballet into an exploration of visibility, individuality, belonging, and collective identity. Whitmore uses the original ballet as a point of departure, examining how artistic traditions evolve when new voices and experiences are welcomed into the conversation. Through shifting relationships and evolving stage pictures, The Fifth Point considers how individuals navigate being seen as distinct from, and connected to, the communities around them.
"I've always been fascinated by the idea that traditions survive not because they remain unchanged, but because each generation finds new meaning within them," said Whitmore. "The Fifth Point began as a response to Pas de Quatre, but it ultimately became an exploration of how we honor history while making room for new voices, perspectives, and possibilities. For me, the work is both a gesture of reverence and an invitation toward transformation."
Founded in 2020, Ballet22 exists to push the boundaries of what is possible in ballet by presenting men, transgender, and non-binary artists en pointe and commissioning works that bring greater LGBTQIA+ representation to the art form. Under the leadership of Co-Founder Theresa Knudson and Co-Directors Daniel R. Durrett and Lorris Eichinger, Ballet22 continues to expand opportunities for artists historically underrepresented in ballet while fostering collaborations with queer choreographers, performers, and creatives. Through both live performance and film, the company is building a repertoire that honors ballet's traditions while reflecting the breadth and diversity of contemporary experiences.
PERFORMANCE and VENUE INFORMATION
The Summer Season will take place on Saturday July 25 at 8:00pm, and Sunday, July 26 at 4:00pm PST at The Cowell Theater at Pier 2 in the Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, located 2 Marina Bvld in San Francisco.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets to the Summer Season start at $35 and are available at https://www.ballet22.com
