By Debbie Hall
Nevada Ballet Theatre is kicking off its 2026-2027 season with a production that puts the full power of live performance onstage.
Carmina Burana, choreographed by Nicolo Fonte, returns to The Smith Center October 2-4, bringing together Nevada Ballet Theatre dancers, the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Las Vegas Master Singers for a production that combines ballet, orchestra and operatic voices.
The program also features George Balanchine’s Serenade, giving audiences two dramatically different visions of dance in one performance.
Performances are scheduled for Friday, October 2, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 3, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, October 4, at 2 p.m.
From O Fortuna to the Ballet Stage
Even if someone isn’t familiar with the name Carmina Burana, they have definitely heard its music.
“O Fortuna,” created by Carl Orff, is one of the best-known examples of classical music because of its spectacular sound and its frequent appearances in movies, TV shows, and commercials.
Fonteis’s staging of this amazing music and creation of a world includes movement, design, and plot.
It premiered in 2017 and was a production of Ballet West and Cincinnati Ballet, with new choreography, scenery, and costumes. The show returns as an improved production for the opening show of the Nevada Ballet Theatre season.
“We are looking forward to bringing back Nicolo Fonte’s celebrated version of Carmina Burana,” said Artistic Director Roy Kaiser. “This is an extraordinary production that brings together brilliant stagecraft, beautiful music, and unforgettable choreography.”
The scale of the production extends well beyond the dancers.
The Las Vegas Philharmonic, conducted by Eric McAllister, performs Orff’s score, while the Las Vegas Master Singers provide the choral sound. Soprano Melissa Heath, baritone Christopher Clayton and tenor Christopher Puckett will also join the production as soloists.
The chorus will be positioned in a large scenic structure above the dancers, creating a striking visual image while surrounding the performers with live voices and orchestra.
Balanchine Brings a Different Kind of Magic
Before the performance of Carmina Burana, Balanchine’s Serenade, set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, will offer a striking contrast to Fonte. Rather than relying on the sheer force of orchestra and chorus, Serenade finds its power in movement, musicality and atmosphere.
The ballet is divided into four movements: “Sonatina,” “Waltz,” “Russian Dance” and “Elegy.”
Almost as interesting is the history behind the piece’s creation. The creation of Serenade began in 1934, when Balanchine taught a ballet class and explained the differences between classroom dancing and stage dancing.
Serendipitous events during the class became part of the dance. One of his dancers tripped. One of his students was late for class. Rather than being seen as errors, they became a part of the piece.
This has become one of his most lasting works of art.
The result became one of his most enduring creations and has continued to be performed by ballet companies around the world.
Three Art Forms, One Stage
For Las Vegas audiences, the season opener offers more than two ballets. It brings together three major performing arts organizations.
Nevada Ballet Theatre’s dancers will perform alongside the Las Vegas Philharmonic and Las Vegas Master Singers, creating an experience where movement, music, and voice constantly interact.
That combination is particularly fitting for Carmina Burana, where the sheer scale of Orff’s music demands an equally expansive theatrical response.
At the same time, Serenade demonstrates how much can be communicated through movement alone.
Together, the works provide an evening that moves between intimacy and spectacle, tradition and experimentation, and the elegance of classical ballet and the theatrical energy of a full-scale production.
For Nevada Ballet Theatre, it is also a fitting way to begin another season after more than five decades as a major part of Las Vegas’ cultural landscape.
Nevada Ballet Theatre is the Resident Ballet Company of The Smith Center and operates a professional company, affiliated school and community education programs.
Tickets for the performances are available by calling The Smith Center box office at 702-749-2000 or online. For more info, visit www.nevadaballet.org and follow on Facebook @NevadaBalletTheatre, Instagram @NVBallet, X (formerly Twitter) @NVBallet and YouTube @NVBallet.
