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Sarasota, FL (October 7, 2026) – The Sarasota Ballet opens its 2026 – 2027 season, the Company’s 20th season under Director Iain Webb, with Program One, presented October 23–25, 2026, at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. The program brings together a Company premiere by Gemma Bond, five divertissements by Sir Frederick Ashton, and Dominic Walsh’s Wolfgang for Webb, the first work Webb commissioned for The Sarasota Ballet.
Bringing together Gemma Bond’s exploration of behavior and identity, Ashton’s distinctive wit and musicality, and the exuberance of Dominic Walsh’s Wolfgang for Webb, Program One reflects the breadth of The Sarasota Ballet’s repertory. Together, the works highlight the range of the Company’s programming and the choreographic voices that have contributed to its development under Webb.
“Program One brings together so many of the ideas that have shaped The Sarasota Ballet during my time here: inviting compelling choreographic voices into the studio, honoring Ashton’s extraordinary legacy, and returning to a work that was part of the very beginning of this journey,” said Iain Webb, Director of The Sarasota Ballet. “With Manner, the Ashton divertissements, and Wolfgang for Webb, the evening looks both forward and back. It feels like a wonderfully fitting way to begin this anniversary season.”
Manner
Award-winning choreographer Gemma Bond returns to work with The Sarasota Ballet for the fifth time with Manner, set to music by Franz Liszt. The ballet begins in a world of composure and carefully observed behavior. Through close, intimate choreography, refined gestures accumulate into a shared vocabulary—then begin to fracture. As instinct breaks through the surface, the distinction between what is inherited, learned, and consciously performed becomes increasingly difficult to separate.
In tracing that transformation, Manner asks audiences to consider how social rituals become habits, how habits shape identity, and what can be revealed when the structures of composure no longer hold. Bond’s choreography has been performed by companies including American Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, and The Washington Ballet, and presented at major venues and festivals including the Royal Opera House, The Joyce Theater, Jacob’s Pillow, New York City Center, and the Metropolitan Opera House.
Ashton Divertissements
A curated selection of divertissements by Sir Frederick Ashton follows, illuminating the breadth of a choreographer central to The Sarasota Ballet’s artistic story. The suite moves from the inward lyricism of Méditation from Thaïs to the jazzy character of Friday’s Child from Jazz Calendar; the classical radiance of The Sleeping Beauty (Awakening Pas de Deux); the Margot Fonteyn pas de deux from Birthday Offering; and the intricate ensemble patterns of the Pas de Cinq from Illuminations.
Together, the excerpts showcase Ashton’s exceptional responsiveness to music and his ability to move effortlessly among tenderness, humor, theatricality, and formal invention. The Sarasota Ballet’s sustained commitment to Ashton’s repertory has become a defining part of the Company’s national and international identity, including the acclaimed 2014 Ashton Festival in Sarasota and the Company’s 2024 appearances at the Royal Opera House in London as part of the Ashton Worldwide Festival.
Wolfgang for Webb
The program concludes with Dominic Walsh’s Wolfgang for Webb, set to music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Commissioned by Webb to commemorate his first season as Director, the ballet combines classical line with contemporary movement, pairing elegance with wit and a certain sense of play. Its return in Webb’s 20th season creates an intentional artistic bookend: a work tied to the beginning of his directorship now closes a program celebrating how far the Company and its repertoire have grown.
Performance and Ticket Information
Program One | October 23–25, 2026
FSU Center for the Performing Arts
5555 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243
Friday, October 23 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, October 24 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 25 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Tickets: $35–$145
Tickets may be purchased at SarasotaBallet.org or by calling 941.359.0099.
Program One Repertoire
Manner - Company Premiere
Choreography by Gemma Bond
Music by Franz Liszt
Divertissements
Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton
Méditation from Thaïs | Music by Jules Massenet
Awakening Pas de Deux (The Sleeping Beauty) | Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Friday’s Child (Jazz Calendar) | Music by Richard Rodney Bennett
Pas de Cinq (Illuminations) | Music by Benjamin Britten
Margot Fonteyn Pas de Deux (Birthday Offering) | Music by Alexander Glazunov
Wolfgang for Webb
Choreography by Dominic Walsh
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
About The Sarasota Ballet
The Sarasota Ballet has earned national and international acclaim under the leadership of Director Iain Webb, Executive Director Joseph Volpe, and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri. The 2026–2027 Season marks Webb’s 20th anniversary as Director, celebrating two decades of artistic leadership that have shaped the Company’s international reputation for excellence. Together, Webb, Volpe, and Barbieri bring decades of experience and a shared vision that continues to elevate the Company’s 30+ year mission to enrich lives and strengthen the community through the art of dance.
In 2024, the Company embarked on its first international residency at London’s Royal Opera House, following acclaimed U.S. appearances at the Kennedy Center, New York City Center, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Its expansive repertoire spans the works of iconic choreographers including Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Sir Matthew Bourne, and Christopher Wheeldon.
Beyond the stage, The Sarasota Ballet fosters education and community engagement through The Conservatory, The Sarasota Ballet School, and numerous outreach programs that share the art and joy of dance with all.
When referencing the Company, please credit as The Sarasota Ballet.
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