Sleeping Beauty, The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine
(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) has announced its 2025-26 Season of Dance. The season includes World Premieres by New Jersey Ballet, New Jersey Debut of Tango After Dark, Nimbus Dance's Jersey Nutcracker, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and more.
Tickets go on sale Friday, May 16, 2025 at 10:00am. For more information or to purchase tickets, Click here
Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 3:00pm - Sleeping Beauty | The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine. Sleeping Beauty is beloved around the world — a ballet that audiences enjoy over and over again. Tchaikovsky himself declared this his best work. With choreography adapted from the legendary Marius Petipa, The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine performs the tale of a princess cursed to sleep for 100 years. All ages will enjoy the masterful dance technique, colorful costumes, lavish scenery, festive music and charming fairytale love story. The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine is a prestigious classical ballet company based in Ukraine, known for its diverse repertoire and preservation of Ukrainian dance heritage. The company is currently on a tour of North America, performing classic ballets. Tickets: $39+. Location: NJPAC’s Prudential Hall.
Friday, December 12, 2025 at 7:00pm and Saturday, December 13 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm - Nimbus Dance: Jersey Nutcracker. Get in the holiday spirit with Nimbus Dance’s Jersey Nutcracker. It’s a thrilling, jazzy new vision of Tchaikovsky’s ballet — with a New Jersey twist! Audiences of all ages will love the quirky story of two Jersey kids and their city adventure, filled with magic, battles with bullies and rats, stories of friendship and exquisite dancing.
Nimbus Dance performs Artistic Director Samuel Pott’s choreography against a dazzling backdrop of full-scale sets and animated projections of illustrated scenes, designed by Jersey City artists Laia Carbrera and Isabelle Duverger. With a delightful libretto co-written by Alysia Souder (The Institute for Music for Children) and Samuel Pott (Nimbus Artistic Director), Jersey Nutcracker transports you through classic New Jersey landscapes — parks, bustling streets, back alleys, sewers and City Hall — with surprises, cheer and a message of hope and resilience along the way. Tickets: $69. Location: NJPAC’s Victoria Theater.
Saturday, February 14 and Sunday, February 15, 2026 at 2:00pm - Nai-Ni Chen Dance Celebrates Year of The Horse. A Newark tradition for over two decades, Fort Lee-based company Nai-Ni Chen Dance returns to NJPAC to welcome the coming of the Spring of 2026, the Year of the Horse. It is a spectacular experience for all ages, combining traditional Chinese celebrations with modern flair. The Company dancers, acrobats and musicians evoke the spirit of the Snake with festive costumes in red, gold, blue, and purple colors symbolizing their prayer for a peaceful and harmonious New Year with plenty of prosperity and good fortune. Tickets: $35. Location: NJPAC’s Victoria Theater.
Thursday, February 21, 2026 at 7:30pm - Tango After Dark (New Jersey Debut). International tango superstars and World Champions Germán Cornejo and Gisela Galeassi, along with a cast of eight dancers, bring the highly anticipated New Jersey debut of Tango After Dark. Featuring live music and set to the revolutionary compositions of Astor Piazzolla, this electrifying production captures the bold, seductive rhythms of Buenos Aires. Cornejo’s innovative choreography fuses the rich traditions of tango with a contemporary flair, embodying the raw passion and precision that mesmerize audiences worldwide. Tickets: $78+. Location: NJPAC’s Victoria Theater.
Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 7:30pm - Pilobolus. For 50+ years, the rebellious arts organism Pilobolus has pushed the limits of dance. Embark on a journey through the human condition with Other Worlds Collection, a program of fearlessly creative pieces that fuse sensuality, humor and extraordinary acrobatic power. Featuring new collaborations with playwright and director Aaron Posner, podcaster and composer Jad Abumrad (Radiolab, Dolly Parton’s America) and multi-instrumentalist and composer Stuart Bogie. Plus, company classics and revivals of past favorites. Tickets: $64+. Location: NJPAC’s Victoria Theater.
Friday, April 24 at 7:30pm and Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 3:00pm - New Jersey Ballet. New Jersey Ballet returns to NJPAC with New Voices. Bold Visions., a celebration of the voices shaping the future of ballet. This powerful program features a world premiere by Roderick George, acclaimed choreographer and 2024 recipient of the prestigious Princess Grace Award for Dance Performance and Choreography. Also on the program is a striking work by Penny Saunders, Resident Choreographer at Grand Rapids Ballet and a 2016 Princess Grace Choreographic Fellowship recipient, known for her evocative and cinematic style. An additional work will be announced soon. Don’t miss this evening of bold storytelling, fresh perspectives and exceptional artistry envisioned by Artistic Director Maria Kowroski. Tickets: $49+. Location: NJPAC’s Victoria Theater.
Friday, May 8 at 8:00pm; Saturday, May 9 at 8:00pm; and Sunday, May 10, 2026 at 3:00pm - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is woven into the fabric of Newark—dancing at NJPAC’s opening night 28 years ago and returning every year since. Each performance reveals new layers, new depth and new meaning, which is why so many return again and again for this Mother’s Day Weekend tradition.
The mixed-repertory program will include the beloved bring-the-house-down classic, Revelations—a thrilling exaltation of African-American cultural heritage set to spirituals, song-sermons, gospel and holy blues. The Ailey company has earned a reputation as one of the finest international ambassadors of American culture, promoting the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of American modern dance. Complete programming for these performances to be announced at a later date. Tickets: $28+. Location: NJPAC’s Prudential Hall.
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States. It is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey — where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. As New Jersey’s anchor cultural institution, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the State’s and the world’s best artists, while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 11 million visitors (including more than two million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.
