For lovers of live performance, there is a deeply satisfying combination of delights that the Trocks deliver better than almost anyone else: exquisite technique and elegant styling, deftly delivered with a hilarious punchline. Celebrating its landmark 50th anniversary season, the all-male drag ballet company is adored for affectionately skewering the old warhorses of classical dance and inviting audiences to rediscover both obscure and beloved scenes from classic repertoire. The Trocks were groundbreaking at their founding in 1974, and their irreverent, deeply informed romps through the glories and excesses of the dance world continue to offer laughs for aficionados and novices alike. “This is a company that brings its audiences pure joy” (The Seattle Times).

EPSG:4326

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

University of California, Berkeley

In this double-bill production, Pina Bausch’s iconic The Rite of Spring, a “ferocious roar of a piece” (The Guardian), is performed by an ensemble of more than 30 dancers from 14 African countries and assembled through a collaboration with the Pina Bausch Foundation, École des Sables, and Sadler’s Wells. Stravinsky’s searing, ominous score takes on new meaning through visceral choreography as a “chosen one” is sacrificed.

The Rite of Spring

Returning to its West Coast home away from home, the Mark Morris Dance Group visits with the world premiere of a new Mark Morris creation. In the more than 35 years since the company first appeared on the UC Berkeley campus, Cal Performances audiences have been treated to the first performances of more than a dozen new Morris works, many of which went on to become beloved company classics. Whether playful and exuberant or tender and refined, Morris’ productions are always stylish and smart, his profound sensitivity to music on display whether he is choreographing to nostalgic pop songs, cool jazz, Baroque opera, or classical repertoire. More details will be announced in the coming months, but buy your tickets today to guarantee you’ll be part of another magical visit by this renowned company!

Mark Morris Dance Group

Ohad Naharin, a titan of contemporary dance, brings his powerhouse Tel Aviv–based company to Berkeley for the Bay Area premiere of a daring new work. In the company’s words, “MOMO has two souls. One sends long roots to the depths of the earth—a soul that embodies archetypes and myths of hardened, raw masculinity, and the other is in a constant search for an individual and distinct DNA; one moves within its own autonomous and independent force field and the other is a constellation of elements that spin around the same nucleus—alternately drifting away and towards it, making room for necessary tenderness and catharsis.” Recordings of Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet’s Landfall and Philip Glass’ Metamorphosis provide the slow simmering musical backdrop, alongside song/prayer by Venezuelan musician Arca.

Batsheva Dance Company

Podcast link: https://youtu.be/4hagYvrYbuM

The Artelize Podcast and Kasper Holten - Pedefining Opera for the modern world

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d36M5Hi6O80

The Artelize Podcast - A legacy of innovation in Opera: Celebrating Marc A. Scorca

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59E40S_EQSY

The Artelize Podcast: A love letter that was never sent

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THv6htilWtI

The Artelize Podcast and Adolfo Corrado: Mediterranean flavors, opera and social media

Love is all-consuming for Anna, who is married but finds herself caught in the maelstrom of a life-changing love affair with the dashing Count Vronsky. The stunning dancers of the Joffrey Ballet return with Anna Karenina, a ravishing full-length story ballet by Yuri Possokhov based on Tolstoy’s timeless novel and featuring an original score by award-winning composer Ilya Demutsky, performed live by the Berkeley Symphony. When it premiered in 2019, the ballet won the “Oscars of Dance,” the Benois de la Danse International Prize for Best Choreography. Set in the late 19th century, the production styles Anna’s tragic tale as a psychological thriller, weaving together themes of love and loss, violence and betrayal. “A sweeping, cinematic and sometimes heart-pounding take with unfailingly superb dancing throughout” (Chicago Sun-Times).

The Joffrey Ballet Anna Karenina

Continuing a 55-year relationship with Cal Performances, the magnificent dancers of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater return to campus for the company’s annual residency with an exuberant selection of recent works and Ailey masterpieces. Steeped in the sounds of jazz, blues, and hip-hop, the Ailey repertory celebrates the Black American experience, offering music and movement as expressions of pure joy and as opportunities for reflection and resistance. Past favorites and new works come alive through the commitment and artistry of the company’s athletic, expressive dancers, who inhabit choreography by creators like Rennie Harris, Aszure Barton, Twyla Tharp, Jamar Roberts, and Artistic Director Robert Battle with the same conviction as they reinvent classic Ailey gems like Revelations.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Cal Performances Presents 'Anna Karenina'

Returning to its West Coast home away from home, the Mark Morris Dance Group visits with a profoundly moving repertory work and the world premiere of a new Mark Morris creation. Praised as a “true and luminous masterpiece” by the New York Times, Socrates—danced to the music of Erik Satie performed live by members of the Mark Morris Dance Group Music Ensemble—is a group dance from 2010 that dramatizes the great philosopher’s death through a series of tableaux that range from sensual to restrained, abstract to elegiac. Then, in a true season highlight, the company presents the world premiere of Via Dolorosa, set to Nico Muhly’s meditative composition The Street, inspired by the evocative, mysterious, and poetic texts of Alice Goodman and featuring harpist Parker Ramsay performing the score live. In the more than 35 years since the company first appeared on the UC Berkeley campus, the Mark Morris dancers have treated Cal Performances audiences to the first performances of more than a dozen new Morris works, many of which have gone on to become company classics—don’t miss this chance to be part of dance history!

Via Dolorosa, Socrates

Celebrating Berkeley's diverse and vibrant community of movers and makers, our annual dance concert features new choreography by faculty, students, and a local guest artist. Join us for an exciting array of ideas in motion!

Berkeley Dance Project 2024

Step Afrika, the celebrated step dance company from Washington D.C., is marking its 30th anniversary with a captivating performance titled "The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence." This event is scheduled for November 2, 2024, at 8:00 pm, and November 3, 2024, at 3:00 pm, taking place at the prestigious Zellerbach Hall. Tickets for this transformative experience start at $42, with season subscriptions available now and single tickets going on sale at noon on August 6, 2024.

"The Migration" is a powerful production that narrates the story of the Great Migration through the lens of Black dance forms, incorporating stepping, tap, body percussion, and modern dance. Inspired by Jacob Lawrence’s iconic series of paintings from the early 1940s, the performance explores the Black American migration experience with a modernist flair and a distinctive earth-tone color palette. The choreography weaves a historical journey from Africa to the post-Civil War South, culminating in a new life in the North, all set to an uplifting soundtrack featuring music by Nina Simone, John Coltrane, gospel tunes, and West African drumming.

This life-affirming evening of theater is part of Cal Performances’ Illuminations: Fractured History programming for the 2024-25 season, promising an unforgettable experience that has been celebrated by audiences and critics alike, including high praise from DC Theatre Scene. Given the sold-out history of Step Afrika’s past season performances, securing tickets early is highly recommended.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Cal Performances website. Join us for a night of vibrant storytelling and exquisite dance that celebrates the resilience and spirit of the Great Migration.

Step Afrika!

Cal Performances

**Dorrance Dance: The Nutcracker Suite - A Holiday Classic Reimagined**

**Dates:** December 14-15, 2024  
**Location:** Zellerbach Hall  
**Showtimes:** December 14 at 8:00 PM, December 15 at 3:00 PM  
**Tickets:** Starting at $35  
**Ticket Sales:** Season Subscriptions available now. Single Tickets on sale from August 6, noon.

This holiday season, immerse yourself in a captivating performance as Dorrance Dance presents the Bay Area Premiere of "The Nutcracker Suite" at Zellerbach Hall. Experience a unique blend of explosive tap dance and hot jazz rhythms in this intoxicating production of the beloved holiday classic. 

Artistic Director Michelle Dorrance, along with collaborators Hannah Heller and Josette Wiggan, brings a fresh and imaginative twist to Tchaikovsky's masterpiece. Danced to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's marvelously inventive 1960 reinterpretation of the classic score, this version of "The Nutcracker Suite" transforms the traditional ballet into a vibrant 21st-century spectacle. 

Watch as the Sugar Plum Fairy becomes the slinky Sugar Rum Cherry, the March of the Toy Soldiers turns into a swinging brass Peanut Brittle Brigade romp, and the original ballet’s pageant of national dances receives a modern-day makeover. The New York Times praises the orchestrations as "playful, surprising, imaginative," with Dorrance and her collaborators responding in kind to create a truly unforgettable performance.

Don't miss this opportunity to kick off your holiday season with a show that amazes, entertains, and uplifts. Secure your tickets early and prepare to be dazzled by the artistry and innovation of Dorrance Dance's "The Nutcracker Suite."

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit [Cal Performances](https://calperformances.org/events/2024-25/dance/dorrance-dance-the-nutcracker-suite/).

Dorrance Dance

Our annual choreography showcase features student-created solos and duets that draw on an exciting range of dance styles, influences, and ideas.

Ballet & Dance events in Berkeley, CA

Les Ballets Trockadero de...

Cal Performances

The Rite of Spring

Cal Performances

Mark Morris Dance Group

Cal Performances

Batsheva Dance Company

Cal Performances

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast - A ...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast: A l...

Artelize

The Artelize Podcast and ...

Artelize

The Joffrey Ballet Anna K...

Cal Performances

Alvin Ailey American Danc...

Cal Performances

Cal Performances Presents...

Joffrey Ballet

Via Dolorosa, Socrates

Mark Morris Dance Group

Berkeley Dance Project 20...

UC Berkeley Department of Theater, Dance...

Step Afrika!

Cal Performances

Dorrance Dance

Cal Performances

Fall Choreography Showcas...

UC Berkeley Department of Theater, Dance...