About Us

DISCOVER SAN FRANCISCO BALLET

San Francisco Ballet, long recognized for pushing boundaries in dance, has a history of making history. Founded in 1933, the company staged the first full-length American productions of Coppélia (1938) and Swan Lake (1940) and in 1944 we launched an annual holiday tradition when we produced the first full-length production of Nutcracker in the US.

Led by Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson, SF Ballet is accompanied by its own orchestra and operates one of the country’s most prestigious schools of ballet. Today we build on our heritage by commissioning groundbreaking dance from today’s top choreographers, uncovering new choreographic talent, and staging modern classics and the works that make up the canon of classical ballet. Our approach defines ballet in the 21st century, and it makes San Francisco Ballet the essential place to see the most adventurous dance in America.

OUR MISSION

SF Ballet’s mission is to share our joy of dance with the widest possible audience, both locally and around the world, and to provide the highest caliber of dance training in our School.

We seek to enhance our position as one of the world’s finest dance companies through our vitality, innovation, and diversity, and through our uncompromising commitment to artistic excellence based in the classical ballet tradition.