Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida's 29th anniversary season at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center will include a South Florida premiere of a full-length Dracula ballet, 10 Nutcracker performances and a Sensory Inclusive show for families with children who have sensory needs.

Artistic director Vladimir Issaev's company announced the full 2026-27 lineup on Tuesday, Aug. 11, building on the Oct. 4 season opener we reported last week.

Here's what Aventura-area audiences can expect:

October: Season opener and Dracula

Program I opens Sunday, Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. The mixed bill features the U.S. premiere of Issaev's Four Seasons (originally choreographed for the Mariinsky Theatre), Vicente Nebrada's Pentimento, Asaf Messerer's Spring Waters, the company premiere of Raymonda Grand Pas and the return of choreographer Lusian Hernandez's Corpus, first staged during the pandemic.

Then on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m., choreographer Roberto Forleo's Dracula gets its South Florida premiere as a one-night-only event at the same venue. The full-length ballet draws on Bram Stoker's novel, blending gothic romance with an atmospheric score timed for the Halloween season.

A free 30-minute pre-show discussion is included with all Program I tickets, which went on sale July 31.

December: 10 Nutcracker performances

Issaev's Nutcracker returns for 10 performances split between the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center and the Lillian S. Wells at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale.

Aventura dates:

  • Thursday, Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. (Nutcracker Gala)
  • Friday, Dec. 11, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 12, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 13, 11 a.m. (Sensory Inclusive performance)
  • Sunday, Dec. 13, 5 p.m.

The Sensory Inclusive show is an abridged version adapted for audience members with autism, sensory input disorders or other developmental disabilities, along with their families and caretakers. The 10-performance total includes two outreach shows for school groups at The Parker on Dec. 16 and 17.

March 2027: Fairy Doll

The rarely performed Fairy Doll, with music by Bayer and Drigo, plays Saturday, March 6, 2027 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 7, 2027 at 3 p.m. at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center. Issaev restages the work, which the company calls a century-old favorite.

May 2027: Spring Gala

The season closes Saturday, May 1, 2027 at 7:30 p.m. with a Spring Gala featuring Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (underwritten by Funding Arts Broward), Bournonville's Flower Festival in Genzano, Taiko Mix and El Encuentro, a nationally and internationally awarded piece the company calls a cornerstone of Issaev's legacy. The gala also kicks off the company's 30th anniversary celebration.

It's a big year for outreach, too. Arts Ballet Theatre's educational programs, funded by The Shepard Broad Foundation and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, continue to bring free and low-cost performances and workshops into public schools.

Tickets and full schedule details are available at artsballettheatre.org and aventuracenter.org.

Upcoming at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center:

  • Oct. 4: Arts Ballet Theatre Program I, 5 p.m.
  • Oct. 22: Dracula (South Florida premiere), 7:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 10-13: The Nutcracker (five performances including Sensory Inclusive show)