Performances That Do It All: The Maximalist’s Guide to the 2026–27 Season

While it may sound paradoxical, our “Maximalist” guide is designed for those who love the big picture precisely because of all the small details. When you see a grand performance, you don’t just see the end product; you see the convergence of many individual talents—in a single production, or even in a single performer—that all leave their mark on the stage.

In this article, you’ll find a hearty sampling of performances that each offer a multisensory feast, showcasing inspiring artistry across disciplines. You’ll never run out of things to look at, listen to, or make your jaw drop!

NOV 28–29, 2026, ZELLERBACH HALL

From the very first moment, WOW (World of Words) makes clear that it intends to deliver on its title. Led by Yamoussa Bangoura—a multidisciplinary artist of Guinean origin who founded both a school of circus arts and a company specializing in African arts—Cirque Kalabanté brings together traditional African movement and music with the Montreal circus arts tradition in a production that communicates its story almost entirely through dance, acrobatics, contortion, music, and clever staging in place of dialogue. Bangoura himself supplies a live soundtrack of singing and kora playing that matches the energy of everything unfolding around him, rooting the performance in a vivid African soundscape even as the acrobatics seem to defy every earthly limit.

What makes the company so extraordinary is that its maximalism is not merely aesthetic—it is personal.

Bangoura was trained in dance, kora, juggling, strap, acrobatics, and singing throughout his career, all of which impacts the company’s productions and the way he, in turn, trains with his troupe. The result is a troupe whose talents seem endless, and a performance that explores the transmission of knowledge and the meeting of cultures with as much warmth as it does spectacle.

NOV 12-15, 2026, HENRY J. KAISER CENTER FOR THE ARTS, OAKLAND

“The piece unfolds like a fever dream. At any one moment, multiple events are occurring onstage. Watching it, you want to be everywhere at once.” So wrote the New Yorker of The Head & the Load, William Kentridge’s largest and most celebrated work. Conceived for a massive 180-foot-long stage (presented this season at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts Arena) and performed by 37 dancers, actors, vocalists, and musicians, this sprawling, layered production incorporates music, dance, speech, shadow play, projection, and sculpture to tell the history of Africans who served and sacrificed during the First World War.

The sonic world created in this production is particularly symbolic.

According to the production notes, “One of the striking aspects of colonialism is Europe’s incomprehension of Africa—not being able to hear the very clear language that was being spoken by Africa to Europe. There is the sense of language breaking down into nonsense, which is what Dadaism was very much about.” Pulling from this Dada tradition, the libretto draws from an equally wide net of sources, from Frantz Fanon to Tristan Tzara to Setswana proverbs, cut up and reassembled. The score, composed by Philip Miller and Thuthuka Sibisi, uses collage as a tool to reflect the many varied, unpredictable sounds that commingle during wartime, here including traditional African songs, European compositions, war chants, and percussive interjections.

Choreography is by Soweto-born Gregory Vuyani Maqoma, who first pursued dance in the 1980s as a “a refuge from the political tensions in the township.” Maqoma’s visionary creations have been performed on international stages; and his leadership has earned him associate artistic director roles at Moving Into Dance Mophatong, the Dance Umbrella festival, and the Afro-Vibes festival in the Netherlands and the UK, as well as inclusion on the dance committee of the National Arts Festival. Set design is by Sabine Theunissen, costume design by Greta Goiris, projection design by Catherine Meyburgh, and lighting design by Urs Schönebaum, all long-time Kentridge collaborators whose work ensures the visual world of the production is every bit as commanding as its sound.

DEC 11-13, 2026, ZELLERBACH HALL

Mark Morris has always known how to bring together the best creative minds and let them loose on a single stage—and Holidayland may be one of his most delightfully overstuffed endeavors yet. The brand-new production, performed here in its world premiere by the impeccable dancers of the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG), tells the story of a magic village that bursts into light, music, and dancing for one day each year.

The production follows a story by none other than Goosebumps creator R. L. Stine, whose impact as an author (of no less than 350 novels) cannot be overstated. At the height of Goosebumps’ popularity, Stine sold approximately four million books per month and, according to a recent interview, he is not letting his foot off the gas, writing each day from 10am to 1pm, or until he hits 2,000 words, whichever comes first. Known especially for his riveting plot twists, Stine’s contributions to the production are sure to be exhilarating.

Anyone who has heard Morris speak of his creative process knows that music is always the point of departure. For this production, he teams up once again with composer Nico Muhly, whose resume spans contemporary classical compositions, film scores, operas, and collaborations with artists as wide-ranging as Björk, Philip Glass, and Paul Simon. Muhly is beloved throughout the Bay Area, and his 2020 mini-concerto Throughline performed by the San Francisco Symphony received a Grammy nomination for Best Orchestral Performance. Here, his original score will be performed live by the MMDG Music Ensemble, ensuring the music is as alive and present as the dancers themselves.

Completing the picture is a visual world designed by several decorated talents in American theater.

Set designer Allen Moyer, the recipient of an Obie Award for sustained excellence, brings an extensive history from Broadway and opera stages (including the Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Canadian Opera Company), as well as with Bay Area arts organizations including San Francisco Opera, Berkeley Rep (Paradise Square), and the San Francisco Ballet (Sylvia). Costumes are by Elizabeth Kurtzman, a longtime Morris collaborator whose work has, for years, helped define the visual identity of beloved MMDG productions such as Pepperland and Dancing Honeymoon. With choreography, story, music, set, and costume firing on all cylinders, Holidayland is a celebration in every sense of the word—perfect for anyone young at heart.

FEB 5–6, 2027, ZELLERBACH HALL

Named for the ancient Roman “Unconquered Sun” deity, Sol Invictus arrives with a clear message from its creator, French Algerian choreographer Hervé Koubi: that despite the fractures of the world, community is humanity’s saving grace. To deliver that message, Koubi enlists 17 extraordinary dancers from around the world whose unique visual language showcases mastery across contemporary dance, hip-hop, and martial arts. The choreography is deliberately arranged so that each performer can stand out,

and there is something different and intriguing to take in, no matter which direction you look.

Throughout the performance, references to the sun theme include a very long piece of golden, glowing fabric that transforms in the hands of the performers, becoming a veil, a pyramid, and a prop for head spins that seem to belong to another physical dimension entirely. A driving, cinematic score weaves together compositions by Mikael Karlsson and Maxime Bodson with the iconic minimalism of Steve Reich, giving the performance a pulse that never lets up. As Koubi himself says of the work, “Here, sun and dance will emerge victorious.”

NOV 21, 2026, ZELLERBACH HALL

Jazz pianist and composer Jason Moran returns to Cal Performances after his and wife Alicia Hall Moran’s outstanding 2022 Two Wings project about Black migration in the US for yet another deeply insightful exploration of history through the lens of music—this time, with a film component as well. This season’s performance spotlights the life and legacy of James Reese Europe, the underrecognized Black American composer and bandleader who landed in France with the all-Black Harlem Hellfighters unit during WWI and contributed to breaking the stalemate on the Western front, while at the same time leading a military music ensemble that helped popularize the new spirit of jazz in France.

The Absence of Ruin features Moran alongside his longstanding Bandwagon bandmates––bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits––with a seven-piece horn section.

An eclectic artist with paintings in the permanent collections of SFMOMA, MoMA, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, Moran understands the emotional power that can come from visual art just as much as sound. For this performance, he augments the rich sonic world with images filmed by Bradford Young, the first African American cinematographer nominated for an Oscar (for his work on the science-fiction movie Arrival). Young has contributed to dozens of film projects throughout his career, including Selma, A Most Violent Year, Pariah, Middle of Nowhere, and Mother of George, and here lends his creativity to flesh out what promises to be a “beautiful, poignant, reverent” (The Washington Post) tribute to Europe.

FEB 13–14, 2027, ZELLERBACH HALL

Seventy-five years ago, choreographer Amalia Hernández founded Ballet Folklórico de México with a vision: to take regional folk dances and their surrounding Mexican subcultures—from pre-Columbian civilizations to the modern era—and elevate them onto a global stage. In the decades since, the company has reached more than 45 million spectators worldwide and established itself as one of the world’s premier folkloric dance ensembles. This anniversary tour is a celebration of everything the company’s legacy encompasses:

a well-rounded feast of dance, music, storytelling, and vibrant, intricate costuming that amplifies and honors the full richness of Mexican cultural heritage.

To experience Ballet Folklórico de México is to understand, in the most visceral and joyful way possible, just how much a single performance can deliver. Each regional style brings its own rhythms and history—and the company’s dancers convey all of it with the kind of precision and passion that only comes from deep immersion in the material.

MAY 7–9, 2027, ZELLERBACH HALL

If you have ever wondered what it would look like for a dancer to transform into a flower, a wasp, or a force of nature itself, Botanica is your answer. The visual wizards of MOMIX—created more than four decades ago by Pilobolus co-founder Moses Pendleton—have built their reputation on performances that dissolve the line between the human body and the world around it, and this program is no exception. A tour through the four seasons,

Botanica unfolds with gravity-defying choreography and acrobatics, maximalist puppetry and props, and extraordinary costuming that turns performers into creatures and flora before your eyes.

Anchoring it all is a score that ranges from the sounds of birdsong to the soaring strings of Vivaldi, with lighting that shifts and breathes alongside the changing seasons. There is always something to watch, hear, and wonder at! After an enthusiastically received run of performances inspired by Alice in Wonderland during Cal Performances’ 2025–26 season, MOMIX’s return demonstrates the full range of what its acrobatic dancers can do—which, it turns out, is just about everything.

FEB 27–28, 2027, ZELLERBACH HALL

Founded in New York City in 1974, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo set out to do something that had never quite been done before: stage technically rigorous productions of classical ballet through the lens of parody—but executed by an all-male cast performing every role.

Best known for their satirical takes on the tropes of traditional ballet (though not limiting themselves purely to the one genre),

the dancers of the Trocks showcase artistry at so many levels: as expertly trained dancers, as storytellers and physical comedians, and as drag artists,

each with their own unique character and perspective. For more than 50 years, these exceptional performers have been offering something that no other artists can, a level of entertainment and critical nuance that must be seen to be fully appreciated. Expect a sampling of classic company repertoire that is sure to delight die-hard ballet fans and first-timers alike through what the troupe itself refers to as “the universal language of laughter.”

This list is just a sample of the multidimensional artistry you’ll see across genres during the 2026–27 season. Explore the full 2026–27 Season Calendar for yourself, and review our other season guides as well on Beyond the Stage.

Want to secure your seats early and save up to 25% on tickets? When you subscribe by bundling as few as four performances, you unlock the very best experience we have to offer! Explore our Subscriber benefits, and mark your calendars for when subscriptions go on sale at noon (PT) on May 5, 2026!

UC Berkeley students have access to exclusive student discounts, including a special bundle of 4 tickets called a Flex Pass. UCB Student tickets go on sale in August.

Explore the six guides to the season below to find the performances that were made for you.