As the holiday season envelops San Francisco in its shimmering embrace, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts becomes the epicenter of dance and theatrical wonder. This year, the center hosts a collection of enchanting performances that promise to captivate audiences of all ages. From the heartwarming tale of 'The Velveteen Rabbit' to the adventurous 'Dance-Along Nutcracker 2024 – Mission: Nutcracker' and the timeless elegance of 'Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet,' each performance offers a unique blend of storytelling, music, and dance that celebrates the spirit of the season.

Unveiling Holiday Magic: Dance Delights Await in San Francisco

LINES Ballet’s Spring Season features choreographer Alonzo King’s first-ever collaboration with American jazz trumpeter/composer Ambrose Akinmusire, who will perform live with the company, as well as King’s timeless work Scheherazade, which returns in full to the stage after over a decade.

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Spring Season 2025

Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA

New premieres and old favorites define Dance Series 2. Artistic Director Amy Seiwert creates a World Premiere, her 13th ballet for the Company. Trey McIntyre returns to Smuin with the Bay Area premiere of his Wild Sweet Love, an ode to the ups and downs of love set to a range of music from Mendelssohn to Queen. McIntyre’s “fertility of invention and modernity of spirit” (The New York Times) is no stranger to Smuin, and we’re delighted to add another of his ballets to our repertory. Completing the program is a pair of favorites: Michael Smuin’s Rodin-inspired The Eternal Idol, originally choreographed for American Ballet Theatre superstars Cynthia Gregory and Ivan Nagy and Smuin Alum Rex Wheeler’s spritely, springy Sinfonietta.

Dance Series 2

It wouldn’t be the holidays without Smuin’s annual run of “The Christmas Ballet.” From the classical first act to the “Cool Yule” of the second, make your spirits bright with this big-hearted production. As always, new additions keep “Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet” looking evergreen.

Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet

The Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA

A mystery is afoot and only you can help solve it! The grand prize for the Stahlbaum Family’s Holiday Talent Show has been stolen, and junior detective Clara and spy-in-training Fritz are on the case! Track clues, investigate suspects, and dodge spy traps alongside Clara and Fritz to help uncover the culprit and recover the stolen trophy.

You’ll waltz! You’ll march! You’ll pirouette! You’ll sing along! Through it all, you’ll enjoy music from The Nutcracker ballet, performed live by the 75-piece San Francisco Pride Band, the Official Band of San Francisco!

Dance-Along Nutcracker 2024 – Mission: Nutcracker

YBCA Forum

Voted San Francisco Magazine‘s Best of the Bay, ODC/Dance returns to the stage with the 38th anniversary of the beloved Bay Area holiday tradition, The Velveteen Rabbit, directed and choreographed by KT Nelson and featuring students from ODC’s Youth & Teen Program. Based on the beloved classic children’s book by Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit brims with wit, festive costumes, madcap characters, and the perfect amount of holiday cheer! Featuring captivating narration, a delightful musical score by Benjamin Britten, and larger-than-life storybook characters portrayed by the world-class dancers of ODC/Dance.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

10 - 18 May, 2025

Spring Season 2025

Apr 25 - May 4, 2025

Dance Series 2

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Yerba Buena Center for the Arts