Ballet San Antonio is kicking off its 2026-27 season with a brand-new production of Dracula, opening at 7:30 p.m. this Friday, October 23, and running throughout the weekend. The gothic ballet, inspired by Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 film, follows Count Dracula's centuries-long quest to reunite with his lost love, Elisabeta — and this time around, an 18-year-old trainee is stepping into the spotlight for her first professional role.
According to KENS 5, Dracula marks Ballet San Antonio's first production of its new season, and it's being staged at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, where the company is a resident troupe. The choreography comes from Roberto Forleo, whose version brings Bram Stoker's legendary tale to the stage through what the company describes, per balletsanantonio.org, as powerful choreography, haunting romance and dramatic storytelling. The full-length show runs roughly one hour and 55 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission, and features the company's professional dancers.
The production description posted by the Tobin Center frames Forleo's ballet as haunting and visually captivating, inspired by Coppola's iconic 1992 film, with Count Dracula chasing his lost love Elisabeta across centuries. That framing is notably different from the company's last trip to Transylvania: a 2012 staging of Dracula, covered at the time by the San Antonio Current, was described as an original adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel rather than a film-inspired piece, set to a score by Philip Feeney and choreographed by then-artistic director Gabriel Zertuche, with Ian Morris in the title role.
A Trainee's Big Break
The story this season isn't only about Dracula himself — it's also about who's dancing around him. Per KENS 5, Ballet San Antonio recently launched its first-ever training program for aspiring ballet dancers, and Penelope Levan is the program's first trainee. The 18-year-old instructor at the School of Ballet San Antonio joined the company through its summer intensive program and will make her professional debut in this production.
Levan's path to opening night has been demanding. The station reports she spends about 10 hours a day training at the Ballet San Antonio studio, part of a broader regimen in which School of Ballet San Antonio students train 32 hours per week directly under artistic director Rafael Ferreras. Those students also work alongside the company's professional dancers while attending classes, giving trainees like Levan real stage experience ahead of their own debuts.
A Company Built for Scale
Ballet San Antonio enters the season with 26 professional dancers on its roster, according to balletsanantonio.org. The company notes it produces three premiere productions each year, including its annual holiday staple, The Nutcracker, and bills itself as San Antonio's exclusive professional ballet company.
Families with younger kids have an entry point, too. A separate student matinee, built as a 50-minute school-day performance featuring the company's professional dancers, is recommended for students in grades 2 through 6, per the Tobin Center's listing for the youth show. For the main run at the Tobin Center, ticket orders are capped at eight per purchase, and the venue uses all-in pricing, meaning the price shown at checkout already includes fees and taxes.
