Kansas City Ballet Unveils 2026–2027 Season Featuring THE WIZARD OF OZ, ROMEO & JULIET, And PULSE

Kansas City Ballet Artistic Director Devon Carney has announced the company’s 2026–2027 season, which will feature a mix of classic ballet works, contemporary choreography, and family programming.

The season will open with THE WIZARD OF OZ, followed by ROMEO & JULIET and the mixed repertory program PULSE. The company will also present its annual holiday production of THE NUTCRACKER, the contemporary choreography showcase NEW MOVES, and the Family Series production PINOCCHIO.

Carney said, “I'm thrilled to present an extraordinary season that brings world-renowned masterpieces and exciting new works to our Kansas City audience. From Septime Webre's The Wizard of Oz and our beloved holiday tradition The Nutcracker to the return of Kansas City Ballet's Romeo & Juliet, this season is a true celebration of dance and storytelling. PULSE will trace ballet's past, present, and future through a bold three-part program featuring Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, Jerome Robbins' Glass Pieces, and a world premiere by acclaimed choreographer Melissa Hough.”

THE WIZARD OF OZ

October 16–25, 2026
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Choreographed by Septime Webre with music by Matthew Pierce, THE WIZARD OF OZ follows Dorothy and her companions on a journey through Oz as they travel the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City. The production will feature live music performed by the Kansas City Symphony.

THE NUTCRACKER

November 28–December 24, 2026
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Choreographed by Devon Carney with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the holiday production returns to the Kansas City Ballet stage. The ballet follows Clara and the Nutcracker Prince on a journey through a magical world of fantasy and adventure.

NEW MOVES

January 28–31, 2027
Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity

The annual NEW MOVES program will feature new choreography created for Kansas City Ballet dancers. Presented in the Frost Studio Theater, the performance highlights emerging choreographic voices and contemporary ballet works.

PINOCCHIO (Family Series)

February 19–21, 2027
Folly Theater

Choreographed by Bruce Wells with music by Nicola Piovani and Amilcare Ponchielli, PINOCCHIO will be performed by Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company as part of the Family Series.

ROMEO & JULIET

March 12–21, 2027
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Devon Carney’s staging of ROMEO & JULIET, set to music by Sergei Prokofiev, brings William Shakespeare’s tragic love story to life through ballet.

PULSE

May 14–23, 2027
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

The mixed repertory program PULSE will include three works spanning classical and contemporary ballet. The evening will feature George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces, and a world premiere by Melissa Hough.

Subscriptions for the three-show season package—including THE WIZARD OF OZ, ROMEO & JULIET, and PULSE—are available now through the Kansas City Ballet ticket office and at kcballet.org, with packages ranging from $87 to $345. Subscribers can also add THE NUTCRACKER, NEW MOVES, and PINOCCHIO before single tickets go on sale.

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