October 20, 2026
CINCINNATI, OH (September 4, 2026) – The Kaplan New Works Series kicks off the 2026-2027 season for Cincinnati Ballet. Inspired by visual art, this dynamic program features works by four internationally recognized choreographers: Robert Bondara, Anne Jung, Melody Mennite, and Mthuthuzeli November*. Mennite and November’s original works will be influenced by local Cincinnati artists Gee Horton and Michael Stillion, creating a vibrant dialogue between movement, visual art, and the creative spirit of Cincinnati. The costumes for three of the pieces will also be designed locally by Brooke Arthur, Costume Manager at Cincinnati Ballet.
“The Kaplan New Works Series is an important part of who we are as an organization,” says Artistic Director Cervilio Miguel Amador. “It gives artists the freedom to explore, take risks, and create something entirely new alongside our dancers. This year, I am especially excited by the connection between dance and visual art and the different perspectives each choreographer brings to that conversation.”
The costumes for three of the pieces will be designed locally by Brooke Arthur, Costume Manager at Cincinnati Ballet.
THE CHOREOGRAPHERS
Melody Mennite is a Principal Dancer who performed with Houston Ballet for 23 years and now performs internationally as a freelance guest artist. Alongside her performing career, he has established herself as an accomplished choreographer, creating more than 22 commissioned works since 2011. She will be collaborating with Cincinnati artist Michael Stillion to make a world-premiere work that is based on Stillion’s exhibit And then it was flowers which uses the theme of poppy flowers to serve as metaphors for erosion, impermanence, and fragility.
Mthuthuzeli November is a South African choreographer and dancer whose award-nominated work has been presented by leading ballet companies around the world. In 2025, he was appointed Resident Choreographer at Charlotte Ballet after creating the world premieres From Africa with Love (2023), Vibes and Variations (2024), and As I Am (2025). November will collaborate with Gee Horton to create a world-premiere work inspired by Horton’s The Sweetest Thing, which explores themes of innocence, cultural expectations, and finding beauty within.
Anne Jung, originally from Groß-Umstadt, Germany, began her artistic journey as a rhythmic gymnast before transitioning to dance. Since 2022, she has worked as a freelance dancer and choreographer, creating works for international stages. For this series, Jung will create a world premiere inspired by the work of German artist Gerhard Richter, whose practice spans both abstraction and photorealism. Drawing from the contrast and interplay between these styles, Jung will explore Richter’s visual language through movement.
Robert Bondara is a Polish choreographer and, since 2018, Artistic Director of Poznan Opera Ballet in Poland. He began his choreographic career creating works for the Polish National Ballet and has since developed an international career as a guest choreographer. His work has been presented by companies and institutions around the world, including Czech National Ballet, Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, Company E in Washington, D.C., Royal Ballet School Antwerp, and Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Bondara will bring his distinct choreographic perspective to this series, creating a world premiere that explores the connection between visual art and movement.
*Charlotte Ballet’s Resident Choreographer
Tickets for The Kaplan New Works Series are available at cballet.org or at the Box Office at the Aronoff Center for the Arts prior to the performances. Performance dates and times are as follows:
Cincinnati Ballet’s 2026-2027 season is proudly sponsored by Margaret and Michael Valentine, ArtsWave, the Ohio Arts Council, the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation and the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund.
