THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN + VIVA LA VIDA by OCEÁNICA BALLET
*The event has already taken place on this date: Sun, 10/26/2025
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SAN MATEO, CA–Join Oceánica Ballet for festive autumn vibes in an evening of story ballets inspired by Halloween and Día de los Muertos! Oceánica Ballet’s two-act family-friendly production of The Headless Horseman + Viva La Vida returns for 2025. Act One adapts Washington Irving’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” exploring Ichabod as an outsider haunted by cruel townsfolk and the legendary Headless Horseman alike as he seeks a sense of belonging. Act Two features the original story of Lucio and Lupita in a multicultural tale about transcending loss and the resilience of love, celebrated through a joyful folklórico-infused ode to life inspired by Día de los Muertos. Throughout both stories, the wisdom of women across time and cultures is amplified.
Called “delightful from start to finish” by Jen Norris Dance Reviews, this production is bewitching entertainment for the fall season. “Through clever theatricality... Oceánica Ballet’s cast of dancers brings this story to life with a joie de vivre that has me looking forward to future showings of this work... creating a tradition for family audiences.”
This production contains creepy sounds and spooky puppetry which may affect very young children.
The community college district responsible for the College of San Mateo Theatre is committed to ensuring an inclusive and equitable environment for all, where programs and services are accessible to everyone, regardless of ability.
CALENDAR LISTING
Dance, Theater, Performance, Halloween, Día de los Muertos
WHO/WHAT: Oceánica Ballet presents The Headless Horseman + Viva La Vida
WHEN: Saturday, October 25th at 4pm; Sunday, October 26th at 2pm
WHERE: College of San Mateo Theatre, Music, Theater, Art Buildings, 1700 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402
TICKETS: https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/oceanicaballet/7592
DISCOUNT: $10 off the price of each ticket for Saturday, October 25th at 4pm automatically applied at checkout. Valid for online ticket purchases only. Prices as low as $19 per ticket.
About Oceánica Ballet
Oceánica Ballet is a group of dynamic artists curated from the Bay Area’s diverse classical dance scene. Oceánica Ballet was formed in 2021 to unite people through the shared experience of dance performance as a reflection of our complex and diverse collective humanity. Our mission is to enliven the San Francisco Bay Area cultural landscape by making professional-level ballet performances accessible and relatable to Bay Area audiences. We enrich the artistic careers of locally-based, professionally trained dance artists of diverse ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, and body types. We create innovative new ballet-based dance works, and interpret classics in fresh and exciting ways.
Oceánica Ballet, Inc. has been designated a Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
About Artistic Co-Director Edgar Lepe
Trained in Folklorico Ballet throughout his youth, Edgar Lepe began studying classical ballet in 2008 at the San Francisco Academy of Ballet under the direction of ballet masters Richard Gibson and Zory Karah.
Edgar has performed in Mexico and the United States with Collage West Ensemble, Compañia Mexico Danza, Ensembles Ballet Folklorico of San Francisco, as well as Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Presidio Dance Theatre, Bay Pointe Ballet, and Oakland Ballet. Edgar has choreographed for Bay Pointe Ballet, Bay Area Ballet Conservatory, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, and San Jose Dance International. He currently teaches at Bay Area Ballet Conservatory. Edgar is an Artistic Co-Director of Oceánica Ballet.
About Artistic Co-Director Robert Burns Lowman
Robert Burns Lowman trained at Susan Hayward School of Dancing and holds B.A.s in Dance and Theater & Performance Studies from U.C. Berkeley. He is a recipient of the Mask and Dagger Memorial Prize (2012) and the Rosalyn Schneider Eisner Prize (2013).
Robert has danced in works by Gregory Amato, Marit Brook-Kothlow, Carlos Carvajal, Ron Cunningham, Katie Faulkner, and Scott Wells. At Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Robert performed principal roles in Giselle, The Nutcracker, and Carmen Suite; and was featured as a soloist in the virtual release of The Chrysalis Project. In addition to performing, Robert directed PBT’s annual Dance Makers choreography showcase from 2016-2019 and was PBT Artistic Assistant from 2018-2020. Robert has also performed with em(body) dance project and Ballet Folklórico México Danza, and currently teaches ballet at Bay Area Ballet Conservatory. Robert is an Artistic Co-Director of Oceánica Ballet.
*Times, dates, and prices of any activity posted to our calendars are subject to change. Please be sure to click through directly to the organization’s website to verify.