Cincy’s Season Starts with a Twist

Cincinnati Ballet begins its 2025–2026 season with a production that has become synonymous with innovation and artistic daring: The Kaplan New Works Series. Running September 12 through September 20 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, the series transforms the intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater into a laboratory for dance where choreographers and designers break convention, and audiences witness the art form evolve before their eyes. Over the years, New Works has emerged as a cultural fixture in Cincinnati, a place where tradition and experimentation collide in ways that redefine ballet’s role in the 21st century.

This year’s program offers four world premieres, each created by choreographers of international acclaim. Yoshihisa Arai, Caroline Dahm, Andonis Foniadakis, and Andrea Giselle Schermoly will each present new work, reflecting the range and diversity of voices shaping the contemporary dance landscape. Their contributions will be matched by the costume designs of Cincinnati native Eliana Batsakis and Paris-based Anastasios Sofroniou, whose blend of local ingenuity and international flair brings an added dimension to the production. Together, the choreographers, dancers, and designers promise to deliver one of the most ambitious editions of New Works yet.

Yoshihisa Arai is known in Cincinnati not only as the Director of Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company CB2 but also as a rising choreographic voice in the broader dance world. Arai has created acclaimed pieces for The Joffrey Ballet, including Boléro and Élégie, and reimagined Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring for a new generation of dancers. His direction of the chamber opera Cåraboo in 2023 revealed his ability to navigate complex storytelling through movement. Collaborations with figures such as Christopher Wheeldon and Colorado Ballet have further refined his artistry, making his contribution to New Works a highly anticipated moment for Cincinnati audiences eager to see how his vision evolves on home ground.

Caroline Dahm brings a distinctly theatrical energy to the series. A Los Angeles–based dancer and choreographer, Dahm has already built a reputation for creating original works across ballet, opera, and contemporary stages. Her choreography has been featured by Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Kansas City Ballet, and Newport Contemporary Ballet, among others. Her work often integrates narrative and emotion with movement, resulting in pieces that feel expansive while still deeply personal. For Cincinnati Ballet, her presence signals an investment in the next generation of American choreographic talent, giving audiences a chance to experience her voice at a defining moment in her career.

Andonis Foniadakis adds international prestige to the lineup. Born in Greece and trained in some of Europe’s most respected institutions, Foniadakis has earned a reputation for choreography that is futuristic, daring, and relentlessly physical. His work has been commissioned by the Martha Graham Dance Company, Sydney Dance Company, Ballet Jazz de Montréal, and Béjart Ballet Lausanne, among many others. His style pushes dancers to their limits, demanding speed, fluidity, and almost surreal intensity. Described by Die Deutsche Bühne as one of the most important choreographers of the moment, his involvement with New Works underscores Cincinnati Ballet’s growing role as a platform for global artistry.

Andrea Giselle Schermoly, originally from South Africa, offers a multidisciplinary perspective that bridges ballet and commercial art. She has created and staged works for Royal New Zealand Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, BalletMet, and Richmond Ballet, among many others. Her choreography also extends into television, film, and music videos, where she has worked with artists such as Justin Bieber and Deorro. For Cincinnati audiences, her work represents a fusion of stage craft and cultural relevance, proof that ballet can exist at the intersection of high art and mainstream storytelling.

Costume design this year is equally groundbreaking, thanks to a collaboration between two designers from opposite sides of the globe. Eliana Batsakis, a Cincinnati native returning for her second year with New Works, has quickly become one of the most talked-about young designers in fashion. Her eponymous brand has been recognized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, she has appeared on Netflix’s Next in Fashion, and she earned a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30. Her presence on the project represents both homegrown pride and a commitment to nurturing local talent. She is joined by Anastasios Sofroniou, a Greek designer based in Paris who has collaborated with Foniadakis for over a decade. Sofroniou has worked with brands like Nike and publications such as Vogue US and GQ UK, bringing global credibility to the production. Together, Batsakis and Sofroniou promise costumes that are as daring and distinctive as the choreography they will clothe.

The schedule for New Works offers audiences multiple opportunities to experience the program, with evening and matinee performances spread across eight dates between September 12 and September 20. Tickets start at $59, ensuring accessibility without sacrificing the quality and intimacy that define the series. For members of the media, special review tickets are available for select performances, encouraging critical engagement and coverage of the production in real time.

None of this would be possible without the support of Cincinnati Ballet’s season sponsors, including Margaret and Michael Valentine, ArtsWave, the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, the Ohio Arts Council, and The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation. Their commitment ensures that New Works continues not only as an annual program but also as a symbol of Cincinnati’s role in advancing the arts.

At its heart, The Kaplan New Works Series is about more than performance. It is about possibility. Each year, the series asks choreographers to risk failure in pursuit of discovery, dancers to expand their boundaries, and audiences to embrace the unfamiliar. The result is a program that reflects both the courage and the curiosity of Cincinnati’s artistic community. With four world premieres, a fusion of local and international design, and a reputation for pushing ballet forward, the 2025 edition of New Works promises to be a landmark in the ongoing story of dance in Cincinnati.