BALLET LEGACY

The Royal New Zealand Ballet is renowned worldwide for its talented performers, compositions, and expert choreography.

It’s little wonder that New Zealanders love our national ballet company and have done so since its inception in 1953 when Danish Royal Ballet Principal Dancer Poul Gnatt founded it.

When it was founded, the company took on a pioneering spirit, unloading and constructing their own sets, lights, and costumes while they toured the length and breadth of the country and beyond.

Though a lot has changed since the time of Gnatt, the determined spirit of the Royal New Zealand Ballet continues, and so does its fan base.

Fast forward to 2023, in its 70th year, the RNZB is pirouetting into its new season. Tutus on Tour, which kicked off the year in late February, continues the legacy of traversing the country, with stops in smaller centres and iconic and historic theatres. This curation of works encapsulates the history of ballet.

Romeo and Juliet takes to the boards on 4 May and runs until 10 June. This passionate re-telling choreographed by Andrea Schermoly is set to stop in Christchurch from 25 to 27 May, following performances throughout the country. Audiences will be thrown into the feud between the Montagues and Capulets and the star-crossed love of Romeo and Juliet.

This is set to be a performance to behold, with beautifully detailed sets and costumes by Academy Award-winning designer James Acheson (The Last Emperor, Dangerous Liaisons). These were first seen onstage in 2017 to much acclaim, bringing to life all the splendour and seduction of Renaissance Verona, interpreting the Shakespearean play in a magical way. All of this is swept up by Prokofiev’s exhilarating, sensuous score. rnzb.org.nz

Bringing the company into spring is Lightscapes (27 July–12 August). This special season will herald the beginning of their eighth decade and mark the occasion fittingly.

This is a performance of diversity, showing the strengths of different elements of ballet. The first half consists of a new work by Moss Te Ururangi Patterson. Inspired by haka, it is brought to life by the power of the male performers. This will be a striking and lasting addition to the RNZB’s repertoire. Following this, Serenade, a profoundly emotional and movement-based piece, which is almost a century old, will be staged by Patricia Barker. And in the second half, two premier works are making waves in the international scene – Requiem for a Rose by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Logos by company alumna and now Australia Ballet’s Resident Choreographer Alice Topp.

In a fairy tale ending to the 2023 season, Hansel and Gretel sees out the year (26 October–9 December). Maybe you know the story of the two hopeless children, lost in the forest, who stumble upon an oasis of (all) sorts, too good to be true. But you will have never seen it performed like this – laughter and tears, sugar and spice, with a happy ending. It is a performance for all ages.