Ballet is back in person, and Raleigh’s ready for it. Carolina Ballet returns for its 24th season on Thurs., Oct. 14. To help you plan out your evenings, here are 7 must-see ballet performances happening throughout the fall and into next spring.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

🗓 October 14-31
📍Fletcher Opera Theater, 2 E South St.
🎟️ $25

Artistic Director Zalman Raffael brings Washington Irving’s bone-chilling tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, to the stage for fans both young and old — starting a new Halloween tradition. Fans of the supernatural will enjoy this program of frights and delights that include Robert Weiss’ “Lady in the White Veil” and Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven.”

Unique Departures/Innovative Variations

🗓November 18-21
📍Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, 2 E South St.
🎟️ $25

Guest Choreographer Mariana Oliveira will stage the Carolina Ballet company’s premiere of her critically acclaimed Pagliacci. Originally created for Milwaukee Ballet, Pagliacci follows a clown’s tragic descent, exposing the human frailty beneath the artist’s mask.

The Nutcracker

🗓 December 17-24
📍Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, 2 E South St.
🎟️ $25

The Nutcracker is the perfect ballet for the young — and young at heart. With illusions created by magician Rick Thomas, made possible by WRAL-TV, the Carolina Ballet’s Nutcracker is one of the only productions with magic performed live on stage.

Romeo & Juliet

🗓 February 3-20, 2022
📍Fletcher Opera Theater, 2 E South St.
🎟️ $25

Set to Prokofiev’s magnificent score, Weiss’ ballet is a faithful retelling of Romeo and Juliet that expresses all the drama and pathos, action and tenderness, humor + heartbreak found in this classic story.

Snow White

🗓 March 10-27, 2022
📍Fletcher Opera Theater, 2 E South St.
🎟️ $25

Snow White comes to life in Zalman Raffael’s latest creation, complete with new sets + costumes. Raffael has collaborated again with the award-winning Shinji Eshima — composer of Carolina Ballet’s Bariolage from September 2019 — to create a uniquely different musical score for this long-awaited balletic interpretation of the legendary fairytale.

Spring Tidings of Bach, Chaminade and Glass

🗓 April 21-24, 2022
📍Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, 2 E South St.
🎟️ $25

Carolina Ballet presents a new world where Johann Sebastian Bach, Cécile Chaminade + Philip Glass coexist through ballet. This performance features Zalman Raffael’s 2016 In the Gray to Glass’ “Violin Concerto No.1” and new work to Chaminade by Adriana Pierce.

Giselle

🗓 May 19-22, 2022
📍Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, 2 E South St.
🎟️ $25

Carolina Ballet will close the 2021-2022 season with one of the most celebrated stories ever told through the traditions of classical ballet, Giselle. It features the iconic Wilis, ethereal spirits who rise from their graves to dance at night. These supernatural beings are portrayed by a chorus of 16+ ballerinas — all on pointe, all moving together as one.

This program is filled with romance, heartbreak, tragedy + love. First performed in 1841, the choreography used in this production derives from legendary choreographers Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa.

Ticket info

Tickets are now available and can be purchased individually or as a part of a subscription where season ticket holders can save up to 25%. Read: The more ballets you buy, the more you save.

Bonus: To say thank you to essential workers, Carolina Ballet is dedicating all Saturday matinee performances to essential workers. Complementary + discounted tickets for essential workers are available here. 🎟️ Ⓟ