Black Sabbath: The Ballet Announces First U.S. Performances

Metal ballet may seem like an odd idea, but as long as you’re sticking to the classic metal artists, I can kind of see it. Black Sabbath: The Ballet is certainly an unconventional idea, but one that seems to work in a weird way. Something like Cannibal Corpse: The Ballet might be a little harder to pull off. But hey, I would still watch it, if for no other reason than because I want to see how you interpret “I Cum Blood” as a dance.

Following the successful premiere of Black Sabbath: The Ballet in Birmingham, UK last fall—which was presented by the Birmingham Royal Ballet and featured a cameo appearance from Tony Iommi himself—the ballet launched an international tour for 2024-2025, and now they’ve announced their first U.S. dates. The first U.S. performance will take place at the Virginia Arts Festival in Norfolk, Virginia on May 30-31 and will then be followed by five dates (June 4-8) at The Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington D.C.

In a statement reported on by Blabbermouth, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s director Carlos Acosta said:

“I am thrilled to be bringing ‘Black Sabbath – the Ballet’ to Norfolk for its U.S. premiere. As a global phenomenon, BLACK SABBATH is probably Birmingham’s greatest cultural export and we look forward to welcoming music and ballet fans alike to see the show. The audience, and critical, response in the U.K. was overwhelmingly positive so we have high hopes that the U.S. will embrace this cultural collision in the same way. I can’t wait to see the reaction.”

Tickets for the Virginia Arts Fest performances are available at the festival’s website.