Like many performing arts organizations here and elsewhere, The Sarasota Ballet is making some changes to its upcoming fall season in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While full details will emerge later, when digital single tickets go on sale in a few weeks (stay tuned on that), the general plan is to replace in-theater productions with filmed performances that will be streamed to ticket buyers. That will be the case for the first three programs of the 30^th anniversary season.

“Our aim is to continue to bring breathtaking works to the stage and ensure that we’re keeping the safety of our dancers in mind,” says director Iain Webb. The company will focus its digital programming on ballets and works with smaller casts to limit the number of dances rehearsing together.

The ballet’s streamed performances will include extra features to take audience members behind the scenes with guest interviews and rehearsal clips. All three programs will be released to ticket holders around the dates the live in-theater performances were scheduled to open, and will be filmed with multiple cameras to help audiences see every aspect of the performances.

Beyond the fall, Webb says the company still plans to bring all of its dancers back in January when he hopes that theaters will be fully open. In the meantime, subscribers who already have tickets for the first three programs of the 2020-21 season will be contacted soon about their ticketing options. Visit sarasotaballet.org for ongoing updates.