American Ballet Theatre to Tour China With SWAN LAKE

American Ballet Theatre will tour in China this November, performing Swan Lake in two cities. The Company will make its debut in Guangzhou, November 5–7, followed by Shanghai, November 12–15, where ABT will return to perform at the newly opened Shanghai Grand Opera House.

Guangzhou: November 5–7

This engagement marks ABT’s first performances in Guangzhou, introducing the Company’s full production of Swan Lake to local audiences for the first time at the Guangzhou Opera House.

Tickets for ABT’s performances in Guangzhou are currently on sale. More information and ticket purchase instructions can be found on the Guangzhou Opera House’s website.

Shanghai: November 12–15

ABT will follow its Guangzhou debut with performances of Swan Lake at the newly opened Shanghai Grand Opera House, closing out the 25th China Shanghai International Arts Festival. Designed by Snøhetta, the opera house will open on October 17, 2026, along the eastern bank of the Huangpu River in the city’s Expo Houtan neighborhood. The building’s design, inspired by an unfolding Chinese fan, is anchored by a spiraling double-helix staircase and houses three performance spaces: the 2,000-seat Harmony Hall, the 1,200-seat Soar Theatre, and the 1,000-seat Open Stage, for a total of 4,200 seats across the complex. ABT’s run caps the venue’s inaugural festival season, which has drawn interest from leading arts institutions around the world.

Tickets for ABT’s performances in Shanghai are currently on sale and can be purchased online on the Shanghai Grand Opera House WeChat Mini Program, with prices ranging from RMB 180 to RMB 1,280. More information and ticket access can be found on the China Shanghai International Arts Festival’s website.

ABT’s China tour will feature the Company’s full production of Kevin Mckenzie’s Swan Lake, and the touring company includes three dancers with deep ties to China. Soloist Zhong-Jing Fang, a native of Shanghai, will dance with ABT in her hometown. She trained for seven years at the Shanghai Ballet School before winning the Prix de Lausanne in 2000, and joined ABT in 2003. Soloist Fangqi Li, originally from Zhengzhou, studied at the Secondary School of the Beijing Dance Academy and with The National Ballet of China before joining ABT in 2018. Principal Dancer Chloe Misseldine, who is Chinese American, performed a traditional Chinese fan dance, Mo Li Hua, on the 2016 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, broadcast to more than 700 million viewers. She joined ABT in 2019 and was promoted to Principal in 2024. Her mother, Yan Chen, is a former ABT dancer and now serves as a rehearsal director for ABT Studio Company and a Principal Teacher at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Misseldine will perform the lead role of Odette/Odile at the matinee on Saturday, November 7 in Guangzhou and at the evening performance on Thursday, November 12 in Shanghai.  

“Bringing Swan Lake to China this November is a milestone for this Company on two fronts: our very first performances in Guangzhou, and a return to Shanghai on the stage of its extraordinary new opera house,” said Susan Jaffe, ABT Artistic Director. “Swan Lake is the ballet so many of our dancers grew up dreaming of performing, and to share it with audiences in both cities is a privilege. I am especially proud that Zhong-Jing Fang, Fangqi Li, and Chloe Misseldine will be part of bringing this production to life in front of family, friends, and audiences that mean so much to them.”

Tchaikovsky’s score for Swan Lake will be led by two conductors on the tour. Charles Barker has served as American Ballet Theatre’s Principal Conductor since 1987. He will be joined by Guest Conductor Martin West, who has been Music Director and Principal Conductor of San Francisco Ballet since 2005.

For more information, please visit www.abt.org.

GUANGZHOU, CHINA: NOVEMBER 5 - 7, 2026

Thursday, November 5 - 7:30 P.M. - Swan Lake
Christine Shevchenko, Calvin Royal III

Friday, November 6 - 7:30 P.M. - Swan Lake
Catherine Hurlin, Isaac Hernández

Saturday, November 7 - 2:00 P.M. (Matinee) - Swan Lake
Chloe Misseldine, Aran Bell

Saturday, November 7 - 7:30 P.M. (Evening) - Swan Lake
Devon Teuscher, Jarod Curley

SHANGHAI, CHINA: NOVEMBER 12 - 15, 2026

Thursday, November 12 - 7:30 P.M. - Swan Lake
Chloe Misseldine, Aran Bell

Friday, November 13 - 7:30 P.M. - Swan Lake
Catherine Hurlin, James Whiteside

Saturday, November 14 - 2:00 P.M. (Matinee) - Swan Lake
Skylar Brandt, Herman Cornejo

Saturday, November 14 - 7:30 P.M. (Evening) - Swan Lake
Christine Shevchenko, Calvin Royal III

Sunday, November 15 - 2:00 P.M. (Matinee) - Swan Lake
Devon Teuscher, Jarod Curley