Mikko Nissinen: 25 Seasons of Repertoire
For 25 years, Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen has shaped Boston Ballet’s artistic identity through a repertoire that honors the foundations of classical ballet while continually pushing the art form forward. From timeless masterpieces to bold contemporary works and groundbreaking new voices, explore the extraordinary range of ballets he has brought to Boston Ballet’s stages—and the artists and ideas that have defined an era.
* Boston Ballet Premieres
2001–2002
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Celts | Lila York |
| Corybantic Ecstasies | Christopher Wheeldon |
| Ginastera* | Rudi van Dantzig |
| Giselle | Maina Gielgud, after Petipa |
| The Nutcracker | Various Choreographers |
| Jardi Tancat* | Nacho Duato |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Bruce Wells |
| Madame Butterfly* | Stanton Welch |
| Suite Saint-Saens | Gerald Arpino |
| Slaughter on 10th Avenue* | George Balanchine |
| Rodeo | Agnes de Mille |
2002–2003
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Maelstrom | Mark Morris |
| Sharp Side of Dark (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated* | William Forsythe |
| Onegin | John Cranko |
| The Nutcracker | Various Choreographers |
| La Fille mal Gardée* | Frederick Ashton |
| Ballo della Regina* | George Balanchine |
| Monumentum pro Gesualdo* | George Balanchine |
| Movements for Piano and Orchestra* | George Balanchine |
| Prodigal Son | George Balanchine |
| Romeo and Juliet* | Rudi van Dantzig |
2003–2004
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Don Quixote | Rudolf Nureyev |
| Mozartiana | George Balanchine |
| The Grey Area* | David Dawson |
| Stars & Stripes | George Balanchine |
| The Nutcracker | Various Choreographers |
| Lady of the Camellias* | Val Caniparoli |
| Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes* | Mark Morris |
| Duo Concertant* | George Balanchine |
| Plan to B (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion (World Premiere) | Val Caniparoli |
| Swan Lake | Mikko Nissinen, after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov |
2004–2005
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Divertimento No. 15 | George Balanchine |
| Distant Light (World Premiere) | Peter Martins |
| Rubies | George Balanchine |
| Taming of the Shrew | John Cranko |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| La Sylphide* | Sorella Englund, after August Bournonville |
| Ten Part Suite (World Premiere) | Lucinda Childs |
| Sarabande* | Jiří Kylián |
| Falling Angels* | Jiří Kylián |
| In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated | William Forsythe |
| The Sleeping Beauty | Marius Petipa, with Frederick Ashton |
2005–2006
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Cinderella* | James Kudelka |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| La Fille mal Gardee | Frederick Ashton |
| Etesian (World Premiere) | Helen Pickett |
| Plan to B | Jorma Elo |
| Up & Down (World Premiere) | Mark Morris |
| Lambarena* | Val Caniparoli |
| Raymonda, Act III | Mikko Nissinen, after Marius Petipa |
| Les Noces | Bronislava Nijinska |
| Serenade | George Balanchine |
| Carmen (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
2006–2007
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Don Quixote | Rudolf Nureyev |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream* | George Balanchine |
| Brake the Eyes (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| Polyphonia* | Christopher Wheeldon |
| Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion | Val Caniparoli |
| Ballo della Regina | George Balanchine |
| La Valse* | George Balanchine |
| The Four Temperaments | George Balanchine |
| Giselle* | Maina Gielgud, after Coralli, Perrot |
| Carmen (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
2007–2008
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Serenade | George Balanchine |
| La Sylphide | Sorella Englund, after August Bournonville |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Romeo and Juliet | John Cranko |
| Tessera (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| Eventide (World Premiere) | Helen Pickett |
| Gone Again (World Premiere) | Heather Myers |
| Ein von Viel (World Premiere)* | Sabrina Matthews |
| In on Blue (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| Swan Lake | Mikko Nissinen |
| Concerto Barocco | George Balanchine |
| Dark Elegies* | Antony Tudor |
| In the Upper Room | Twyla Tharp |
2008–2009
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Cinderella | James Kudelka |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| No More Play* | Jiří Kylián |
| Petite Mort* | Jiří Kylián |
| Sarabande | Jiří Kylián |
| Falling Angels | Jiří Kylián |
| Sechs Tänze* | Jiří Kylián |
| Jewels* | George Balanchine |
| The Sleeping Beauty | Marius Petipa, Frederick Ashton |
| Prodigal Son | George Balanchine |
| Afternoon of a Faun* | Vaslav Nijinsky |
| Spectre de la Rose* | Michel Fokine |
| Le Sacre du Printemps (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
2009–2010
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Giselle | Maina Gielgud, after Coralli, Perrot |
| Paquita (World Premiere) | Pino Alosa, after Marius Petipa |
| 月夜Tsukiyo | Helen Pickett |
| Rhyme (World Premiere) | Viktor Plotnikov |
| Carmen/Illusions (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Coppélia* | George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova, after Marius Petipa |
| The Four Temperaments | George Balanchine |
| Apollo | George Balanchine |
| Theme and Variations | George Balanchine |
| No More Play | Jiří Kylián |
| Sarabande | Jiří Kylián |
| Falling Angels | Jiří Kylián |
| Sechs Tänze | Jiří Kylián |
| Petite Mort | Jiří Kylián |
2010–2011
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| La Bayadère* | Florence Clerc, after Marius Petipa |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Elo Experience (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream | George Balanchine |
| The Second Detail* | William Forsythe |
| Bella Figura* | Jiří Kylián |
| 月夜Tsukiyo | Helen Pickett |
| Layli O Majnun (World Premiere) | Helen Pickett |
| Tabula Rasa (World Premiere) | Helen Pickett |
| Divertimento No. 15 | George Balanchine |
| Afternoon of a Faun* | Jerome Robbins |
| Antique Epigraphs* | Jerome Robbins |
| Symphony in Three Movements* | George Balanchine |
2011–2012
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Romeo and Juliet | John Cranko |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Les Sylphides* | Florence Clerc, after Michel Fokine |
| Polyphonia | Christopher Wheeldon |
| Symphony in Three Movements | George Balanchine |
| Sharper Side of Dark (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| Rooster* | Christopher Bruce |
| Bella Figura | Jiří Kylián |
| Don Quixote | Rudolf Nureyev |
| Barber Violin Concerto* | Peter Martins |
| Fancy Free* | Jerome Robbins |
| Études | Harald Lander |
2012–2013
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Rooster | Christopher Bruce |
| Awake Only (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| The Second Detail | William Forsythe |
| The Nutcracker (World Premiere) | Mikko Nissinen |
| Wings of Wax* | Jiří Kylián |
| Tar and Feathers* | Jiří Kylián |
| Symphony of Psalms* | Jiří Kylián |
| The Sleeping Beauty | Marius Petipa, Frederick Ashton |
| Serenade | George Balanchine |
| Chroma* | Wayne McGregor |
| Symphony in C | George Balanchine |
| Coppélia | George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova, after Marius Petipa |
2013–2014
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| La Bayadère | Florence Clerc, after Maris Petipa |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Bella Figura | Jiří Kylián |
| C. to C. (Close to Chuck) Reborn (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| Resonance (World Premiere) | José Martinez |
| Cinderella* | Frederick Ashton |
| D.M.J. 1953–1977* | Petr Zuska |
| Cacti* | Alexander Ekman |
| Études | Harald Lander |
| Jewels | George Balanchine |
2014–2015
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Swan Lake (World Premiere) | Mikko Nissinen |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Lady of the Camellias | Val Caniparoli |
| Chroma | Wayne McGregor |
| Episodes* | George Balanchine |
| Black Cake* | Hans van Manen |
| Bach Cello Suites (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| Eventide | Helen Pickett |
| Celts | Lila York |
| Theme and Variations | George Balanchine |
| fremd (World Premiere) | Jeffrey Cirio |
| The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude* | William Forsythe |
| The Concert (or, The Perils of Everybody)* | Jerome Robbins |
2015–2016
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler: A Ballet by John Neumeier* | John Neumeier |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Onegin | John Cranko |
| Kammermusik No. 2* | George Balanchine |
| The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude | William Forsythe |
| Pas de Quartre* | Leonid Yakobson |
| Gaîté Parisienne | Léonide Massine |
| Swan Lake | Mikko Nissinen |
| Resonance | José Martinez |
| Smoke and Mirrors (World Premiere) | Yury Yanowsky |
| Belong* | Norbert Vesak |
| Bitches Brew (World Premiere) | Karole Armitage |
2016–2017
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Le Corsaire* | Ivan Liška |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Artifact 2017 (World Premiere) | William Forsythe |
| Donizetti Variations | George Balanchine |
| Wings of Wax | Jiří Kylián |
| Cacti | Alexander Ekman |
| The Sleeping Beauty | Marius Petipa, Frederick Ashton |
| Stravinsky Violin Concerto* | George Balanchine |
| Creatures of Egmont (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| The Concert (or, The Perils of Everybody) | Jerome Robbins |
2017–2018
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Obsidian Tear* | Wayne McGregor |
| Fifth Symphony of Jean Sibelius (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| In Creases* | Justin Peck |
| Bach Cello Suites | Jorma Elo |
| Pas/Parts 2018 (World Premiere) | William Forsythe |
| Romeo and Juliet | John Cranko |
| The Sleeping Beauty | Marius Petipa |
| Prodigal Son | George Balanchine |
| Stravinsky Violin Concerto | George Balanchine |
| Chaconne* | George Balanchine |
| Bournonville Divertissements* | August Bournonville |
| La Sylphide | Sorella Englund, after August Bournonville |
2018–2019
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Fancy Free | Jerome Robbins |
| Interplay | Jerome Robbins |
| Glass Pieces* | Jerome Robbins |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Pas/Parts 2018 | William Forsythe |
| Blake Works I* | William Forsythe |
| Playlist (EP) (World Premiere) | William Forsythe |
| Coppélia | George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova, after Marius Petipa |
| Cinderella | Frederick Ashton |
| ELA, Rhapsody in Blue (World Premiere) | Paulo Arrais |
| Pas de Quatre | Leonid Yakobson |
| Rodin* | Leonid Yakobson |
| Vestris* | Leonid Yakobson |
| Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 | George Balanchine |
2019–2020
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Giselle | Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa, adapted by Larissa Ponomarenko |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Agon | George Balanchine |
| In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated | William Forsythe |
| Glass Pieces | Jerome Robbins |
2020–2021 – Virtual Season
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Forsythe Elements | William Forsythe |
| The Gift | Boston Ballet and Boston Ballet II Dancers |
| Look Back, Focus Forward | Leonid Yakobson, George Balanchine, Jiři Kylián, Ken Ossola |
| Celebrating Jorma Elo | Jorma Elo |
| Process and Progress | Ken Ossola, Nanine Linning, Lex Ishimoto, John Lam |
| Art of Classical Ballet | August Bournonville, Marius Petipa, and various |
2021–2022
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Point of Departure (World Premiere) | Tiler Peck |
| Butterflies Don’t Write Books (World Premiere) | Melissa Toogood |
| Chaptered in Fragments (World Premiere) | Lia Cirio |
| Kites (World Premiere) | Shantell Martin |
| Slipstream (World Premiere) | Claudia Schreier |
| Chaconne | George Balanchine |
| DEVIL’s/eye (World Premiere) | Stephen Galloway |
| Bella Figura | Jiří Kylián |
| Blake Works I | William Forsythe |
| Ruth’s Dance (World Premiere) | Jorma Elo |
| Blake Works III (The Barre Project) (World Premiere) | William Forsythe |
| Swan Lake | Mikko Nissinen |
2022–2023
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Allegro Brillante | George Balanchine |
| 月夜Tsukiyo | Helen Pickett |
| Apollo | George Balanchine |
| DEVIL’s/eye (World Premiere) | Stephen Galloway |
| Approximate Sonata* | William Forsythe |
| Defilé (World Premiere) | William Forsythe |
| Artifact Suite* | William Forsythe |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Don Quixote | Rudolf Nureyev |
| Everywhere We Go* | Justin Peck |
| La Mer (World Premiere) | Nanine Linning |
| The Sleeping Beauty | Marius Petipa, Frederick Ashton |
2023–2024
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Bach Cello Suites | Jorma Elo |
| Trois Gnossiennes* | Hans van Manen |
| Form and Gesture (World Premiere) | My’Kal Stromile |
| Vertical Road (Reimagined) 2023 (World Premiere) | Akram Khan |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| TO BE ONE (World Premiere) | Helen Pickett |
| Petal* | Helen Pickett |
| Raymonda (World Premiere) | Mikko Nissinen |
| Cinderella | Frederick Ashton |
| Kingdom of the Shades | Florence Clerc, after Marius Petipa |
| Carmen | Jorma Elo |
| The Space Between (World Premiere) | Ken Ossola |
| Blake Works III (The Barre Project) | William Forsythe |
| Bella Figura | Jiří Kylián |
2024–2025
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| After (World Premiere) | Lia Cirio |
| Ein von Viel | Sabrina Matthews |
| Plan to B | Jorma Elo |
| The Seasons’ Canon* | Crystal Pite |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Swan Lake | Mikko Nissinen |
| Mozartiana | George Balanchine |
| Slipstream | Claudia Schreier |
| Vestris | Leonid Yakobson |
| Symphony in Three Movements | George Balanchine |
| 27’52″* | Jiří Kylián |
| Petite Mort | Jiří Kylián |
| Raymonda | Mikko Nissinen |
| Roméo et Juliette* | Jean-Christophe Maillot |
2025–2026
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Jewels | George Balanchine |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Le Sacre du Printemps | Jorma Elo |
| The Seasons’ Canon | Crystal Pite |
| The Leisurely Installation of a New Window (World Premiere) | My’Kal Stromile |
| The Dream* | Frederick Ashton |
| After | Lia Cirio |
| Herman Schmerman* | William Forsythe |
| Dances at a Gathering* | Jerome Robbins |
| The Sleeping Beauty | Marius Petipa, Frederick Ashton |
2026–2027
| Ballet | Choreographer |
| Cacti | Alexander Ekman |
| Vertical Road (Reimagined) 2023 | Akram Khan |
| The Nutcracker | Mikko Nissinen |
| Brake the Eyes | Jorma Elo |
| Herman Schmerman | William Forsythe |
| Emergence* | Crystal Pite |
| Coppélia | George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova, after Marius Petipa |
| Cinderella | Frederick Ashton |
| The Four Temperaments | George Balanchine |
| Mozartiana | George Balanchine |
| Gounod Symphony* | George Balanchine |
