PRINCETON NJ Announcement

American Repertory Ballet Announces 2025/26 Season

NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY – A beloved performing arts institution for over 70 years, led by Interim Artistic Director Samantha Dunster with Artistic Associate Gillian Murphy and Artist in Residence Ethan Stiefel, American Repertory Ballet (ARB) announces a 2025/26 season that elevates its classic repertoire alongside exciting new works, continuing to strengthen the company’s unique voice within the community. A founding resident company of the state-of-the-art New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC), American Repertory Ballet kicks the season off at its home venue with the return of Stiefel and Johan Kobborg’s lauded GISELLE in October 2025, followed by a fairytale premiere of CINDERELLA in March 2026, and AMERICANA, a mixed bill of World Premieres and celebrated works in May 2026. Additionally, ARB will present an evening of moonlit ballets at the Union County Performing Arts Center’s Festival of the Moon in October 2025, and ARB’s celebrated touring production of THE NUTCRACKER will return for the holiday season in November and December 2025 at venues throughout New Jersey.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

"It will be a ‘season of seasons’ as ARB leans into a haunting October, magical family fun during the holidays, fairytale romance just after Valentine's Day, and Americana fanfare to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary,” says Executive Director Julie Diana Hench. “We invite audiences of all ages to join us at the theater and make memories together, and to experience the transformative power of the performing arts."

GISELLE

American Repertory Ballet’s 2025/26 season opens with the highly anticipated return of Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg’s acclaimed adaptation of GISELLE. A haunting tale of love, betrayal, and the supernatural, GISELLE tells the story of a young woman who dies of a broken heart—only to forgive her beloved from beyond the grave. Featuring emotionally powerful and technically stunning performances, this moving production had its world premiere at the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2012 and has since captivated audiences around the world, including at its ARB Company Premiere at NBPAC in 2023. Step into the Halloween spirit with this hauntingly beautiful ballet!

New Brunswick Performing Art Center | New Brunswick, NJ

Friday, October 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM*
Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Sunday, October 12, 2025 at 2:00 PM

Tickets for GISELLE range from $42 to $72, not including additional 4% NBPAC Ticket Fee.

*Post-Show Reception ($50 add-on to ticket purchase) with ARB Dancers, artistic leadership, and VIPs immediately following the performance. Light bites and beverages will be served.

SWAN LAKE ACT II & MORE at UCPAC’s FESTIVAL OF THE MOON

Experience dance like never before at the Festival of The Moon, presented by Union County Performing Art Center (UCPAC). On Friday, October 17, 2025 at 7:00PM, ARB will perform the iconic second act of Swan Lake and other works beneath "Museum of the Moon,"  a luminous, 23-ft. diameter sculpture created by UK artist Luke Jerram, which will be suspended in mid-air over the Orchestra section at UCPAC’s Main Stage.

Set against Tchaikovsky’s gorgeous score, Swan Lake transports audiences into the mesmerizing world of Odette, the swan princess, as she reveals her true form to Prince Siegfried. From the famous “Dance of the Cygnets” pas de quatre to the renowned romantic pas de deux, this fairytale scene promises to leave audiences of all ages spellbound.

Also featured will be Ethan Stiefel’s if, a poignant solo that traces the contours of love and loss set to “If I Could Only Fly” by American singer-songwriter and poet Blaze Foley; and Lar Lubovitch’s Something About Night, a mesmerizing dreamlike quintet set to the ethereal voices of Franz Schubert’s male choral songs. ARB is excited to share these impassioned and evocative works with audiences at UCPAC.
 

Union County Performing Arts Center | Rahway, NJ

Friday, October 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM

Tickets for SWAN LAKE ACT II & MORE range from $36 to $56, including all fees.
 

THE NUTCRACKER

A tradition for sixty years, American Repertory Ballet’s THE NUTCRACKER  is one of the longest continuously running productions in the nation and a perfect holiday treat for all ages! With thrilling choreography set to Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score, ARB’s professional company will be joined by students from Princeton Ballet School to tell the story of Clara, a young girl who receives a magical Christmas gift and embarks on an enchanted journey. The Nutcracker holds a special place in the hearts of both new and longtime patrons, becoming synonymous with the holiday season. Performances will take place from Friday, November 28 through Sunday, December 21, 2025 in Princeton, Red Bank, and New Brunswick.

McCarter Theatre Center | Princeton, NJ

Friday, November 28, 2025 at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Saturday, November 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM & 6:00 PM
Sunday, November 30, 2025 at 1:00 PM

Tickets for THE NUTCRACKER at McCarter Theatre range from $49 to $79, including all fees.
 

Two River Theater | Red Bank, NJ

Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM & 6:00 PM
Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 1:00 PM

Tickets for THE NUTCRACKER at Two River Theater range from $47 to $79, including service fees.

State Theatre New Jersey | New Brunswick, NJ *

Thursday, December 18 at 7:30 PM (Additional performance added due to popular demand!)
Friday, December 19, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, December 20, 2025 at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Sunday, December 21, 2025 at 1:00 PM & 5:00 PM

* The only performances featuring musicians of the Nutcracker Orchestra conducted by Kenneth T. Bean, and singers from the Princeton GirlChoir.

Tickets for THE NUTCRACKER at State Theatre New Jersey range from $45 to $90, including service fees.

CINDERELLA

CINDERELLA is the timeless tale of a young woman who, despite life’s hardships, discovers hope, love, and a magical future. Join us for an enchanting journey as her Fairy Godmother transforms her fate, a Prince wins her heart, and courage triumphs over cruelty. With choreography by Samantha Dunster, American Repertory Ballet’s Interim Artistic Director, magical sets and costumes, an international roster of professional artists, and special guests from Princeton Ballet School, don’t miss this spellbinding production - a perfect fit for the whole family!

New Brunswick Performing Art Center | New Brunswick, NJ

Friday, March 6, 2026 at 7:00 PM*
Saturday, March 7, 2026 at, 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM

Tickets for CINDERELLA range from $42 to $72, not including additional 4% NBPAC fee.

*Post-Show Reception ($50 add-on to ticket purchase) with ARB Dancers, artistic leadership, and VIPs immediately following the performance. Light bites and beverages will be served.

AMERICANA

Cue the fireworks! American Repertory Ballet’s 2025/26 season finale at NBPAC will shine bright with AMERICANA — a vibrant mixed-repertoire performance that celebrates the spirit of our country in honor of its 250th anniversary. This dynamic program features two iconic works by George Balanchine -  Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux and an excerpt from Stars and Stripes, with music by John Philip Sousa. Plus two World Premieres by ARB Company Dancer Michelle Quiner and ARB’s acclaimed Artist in Residence, Ethan Stiefel, which will have audiences jumping to their feet.

New Brunswick Performing Art Center | New Brunswick, NJ

Friday, May 1, 2026 at 7:00 PM*
Saturday, May 2, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Sunday, May 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM

Tickets for AMERICANA range from $42 to $72, not including additional 4% NBPAC Ticket Fee.

*Post-Show Reception ($50 add-on to ticket purchase) with ARB Dancers, artistic leadership, and VIPs immediately following the performance. Light bites and beverages will be served.

For more information, contact Grant Jacoby, Director of Marketing, at gjacoby@arballet.org, or by calling 609-921-7758 x34

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ABOUT AMERICAN REPERTORY BALLET

Guided by Interim Artistic Director Samantha Dunster, with Artist in Residence Ethan Stiefel and Artistic Associate Gillian Murphy, American Repertory Ballet (ARB) is recognized as one of the state’s premier performing arts organizations, with a distinctive reputation for innovation and individuality. Presenting classical repertory alongside new and existing contemporary work, ARB is a founding resident company of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center while also performing in major venues across New Jersey and beyond for an annual audience of more than 30,000. Founded in 1954 as the Princeton Ballet Society, ARB has been consistently designated a “Major Arts Institution'' by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for the past two decades and has repeatedly been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council. The company has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and other major foundations and leaders in the field as a prominent force in the field of dance. Princeton Ballet School, ARB’s official school, attracts talent from around the world while providing opportunities for local students of all ages, such as through its award winning DANCE POWER program. Find American Repertory Ballet online at arballet.org.

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