Multiple Ballet Companies Present Diverse Summer Seasons Across Global Cities

The American Ballet Theater opened its summer 2025 season at the Metropolitan Opera House, celebrating the 25th anniversary of its production of "Swan Lake" with notable performances from dancers such as Elisabeth Beyer and Michael de la Nuez. The company also showcased Wayne McGregor’s "Woolf Works" and featured Olga Smirnova, a former Bolshoi ballerina who left Russia in response to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Internationally, the Royal New Zealand Ballet premiered "Home, Land & Sea," a collaborative work reflecting on New Zealand’s history and identity, alongside new pieces by Shaun James Kelly and Stephen Baynes. In South Africa, the Joburg Ballet reimagined "Carmen" incorporating flamenco, ballet, and Pantsula dance styles, while also staging youth productions including "The Nutcracker" and "Matilda." Meanwhile, the Australian Ballet returned to Canberra with a contemporary and psychologically intense version of "Carmen," choreographed by Johan Inger, featuring innovative music arrangements and modern choreography distinct from classical ballet traditions.