For immediate release
October 2, 2026
Deja-boo in Ventana Ballet’s UNDEAD
Austin, TX—Ventana Ballet brings back the deja-boo with its eighth annual Halloween production, UNDEAD, putting a spell on East Side Performing Arts (ESPA), and transforming it into the ultimate Haunted House of Dances. The spooks and the tricks enter the scene on October 22nd through 31st, closing its run of spooky performances on All Hallows’ Eve.
Sarah Somerville of Nerd News Social calls it “an evening of unearthly elegance where mischief unhinges the mortal realm.” UNDEAD features 14 local professional theater and dance artists across multiple disciplines, engrossing the audience in an evening of classic Halloween creatures, suspense, comedy, and of course, ballet. The immersive performance takes place inside the east side gem known as ESPA—on stage, off stage, in unexpected places, all guaranteed to chill a few spines.
Guests are invited through a dark, haunted passage, immersing themselves in pre-show haunts, some Zombie games, and festive, spooky cocktails. The Witch steals the show again this year, claiming she’s no “basic witch,” as she haunts and daunts the audience through the story of the Huntress and her ill-fated pursuit of that vampire we know so well, Dracula. Our favorite Hallow-Queen is joined in the UNDEAD Woods by a wicked werewolf, horrifying zombie hipsters, exiled ex-wives, a slapstick spider sidekick, and a few other ghoulish characters. Kendra Scott again sponsors the ruby-red necklace, a cursed gift from Dracula to the Huntress; guests receive an opportunity to win a necklace for themselves in the Zombie Raffle.
New this year in the lead-up to the performances, Ventana Ballet drops some nuggets of character development in a mini-series of “prequels” published via social media. Each short story derives inspiration from Romanian folklore, sharing the backstory of some of the classic UNDEAD characters. Connecting the dots between these classic Halloween characters and their presence in the UNDEAD Woods, these prequels offer an ode to Bram Stoker’s gothic horror masterpiece Dracula, influenced in part by the lore and legends of the Transylvanian countryside.
“Halloween is one of our favorite holiday seasons, and we love bringing the spooks to our local community by highlighting some really fantastic local performers,” said Ventana Ballet Founder & Director, AJ Garcia-Rameau.
The evening-length event is choreographed and directed by Garcia-Rameau. Eight performances will take place between Thursday, October 22nd and Saturday, October 31st, with varied show times. Doors open at the times listed, and performances begin at approximately 30 minutes thereafter, taking place at East Side Performing Arts (ESPA), Austin’s newest east side black box theater. Tickets are available on Eventbrite offering an array of VIP and General Seating options, all guaranteed to offer an immersive, haunted experience. More info about the show can be found at VentanaBallet.com/undead.
This year, the Zombies spin off the weekend before the shows, as they take to the streets of Austin on Saturday, October 17th for a Zombie Pub Crawl. Join the undead army as they storm local breweries for pop-up dance performances and spooks. Check the full lineup of stops at VentanaBallet.com/zombies.
About Ventana Ballet
Ventana Ballet is a professional contemporary ballet company in its 8th season in Austin, TX. Founded by AJ Garcia-Rameau, the company has produced sold-out original productions including KOMOREBI, UNDEAD, and ALLUVIUS. The word ventana, meaning window, embodies the company’s organizational mission and vision, seeking to provide artistically relevant, technically proficient, and publicly accessible dance performance and education opportunities to the community. Ventana Ballet’s mission is to inspire, entertain and educate audiences through disciplined and innovative approaches to presenting next-generation choreographic works as well as create fair-pay opportunities for performing artists and keep ticket prices accessible to the community. More information about Ventana Ballet can be found on the company website at VentanaBallet.com.
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Contact: AJ Garcia-Rameau
Phone Number: 512-522-1655
Email: info@ventanaballet.com
Website: www.VentanaBallet.com