“Three productions. One season. Stories in motion.”
— Stories in Motion is NOLA Contemporary Ballet’s 2026–27 season—a collection of bold, imaginative works that bring Louisiana culture, timeless traditions, and contemporary storytelling to life through dance. From holiday magic and beloved classics to reimagined legends and deeply moving narratives, each production invites audiences to experience a different story, brought to life through movement, music, and theatrical artistry.
Nutcracker Twist
December 19-20, 2026
A Holiday Classic. A New Twist.
A New Twist on a Timeless Holiday Classic —Journey through magical lands filled with captivating characters, dazzling dance & holiday magic!
Step into a world where holiday tradition meets contemporary dance in Nutcracker Twist, NOLA Contemporary Ballet’s fresh and imaginative take on the beloved holiday classic.
Nutcracker Twist brings a familiar story to life through the artistry, energy, and storytelling of contemporary ballet.
Pontchartrain Lake
A Swan Lake Tale
February 13-14, 2027
Not all legends are told…some are danced
Set against the haunting beauty of Louisiana's largest lake, Pontchartrain Lake: A Swan Lake Tale re-imagines the timeless story of Swan Lake through the lens of Southern folklore, Creole traditions, and the mystical landscapes of the Gulf Coast.
Beneath a moonlit sky, where cypress shadows stretch across dark waters and pelicans glide over the horizon, a young woman finds herself bound by an ancient curse. Transformed by forces older than memory and tied to the rhythms of the lake, she inhabits a world where spirits linger in the marsh, love is tested by fate, and the boundary between human and bird dissolves like mist over water.
Requiem: Crossing the Veil
April 30 - May 2, 2027
A contemporary dance journey inspired by Louisiana's cultural traditions of death, remembrance, and renewal—where grief, memory, and spirit cross the veil.
Requiem: Crossing the Veil is a contemporary dance work rooted in the rich cultural traditions of South Louisiana, where faith, ancestry, music, and ritual converge.
Drawing inspiration from the solemnity of the Requiem Mass, the mournful funeral dirge, and the celebratory tradition of the second line, the work explores the passage between life and death as both an ending and a transformation. Through individual and collective narratives, the dancers embody the soul's journey through grief, reckoning, surrender, remembrance, and renewal.