RNZB kicks off 70th Anniversary with 11-stop tour
The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) will open its 70th anniversary season by taking a fresh, new production of the ever-popular Tutus on Tour to 11 theatres across Aotearoa, from Whangārei to Ashburton.
Tutus on Tour 2023, which opens in Kāpiti on 23 February before travelling to Hastings, Carterton, Gisborne, Whanganui, Hamilton, Blenheim, Nelson, Kerikeri, Ashburton and Whangārei, looks back with affection at the RNZB’s early days and travels through time.
RNZB Artistic Director Patricia Barker has carefully curated a collection of works which encapsulate the history of ballet, and her desire to share treasures from the RNZB’s recent past alongside works new and old that the dancers can’t wait to perform.
Barker says, “Our 70th anniversary Tutus on Tour is a beautiful journey through magical ballet moments. It is an opportunity for audiences to experience how ballet has evolved through the decades, and for the dancers to showcase their incredible abilities to shift choreographic styles.”
Marie Taglioni’s Le Papillon (The Butterfly) from 1860 and Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain – made almost two centuries apart – both unveil the timeless magic of a couple dancing together, creating a breath-taking, intimate world onstage for the audience.
RNZB Dancer Damani Campbell Williams, who joined the company in 2022, says. “After the Rain is truly magical. Although there is no exact narrative, each movement carries so much weight and meaning that I get completely lost in it. It’s the ultimate feeling of escapism and the intimacy of the piece allows us to take the audience along the journey with us. I’m so excited to share this masterpiece with RNZB audiences and travel this beautiful country!”
‘Nobody Takes Me Seriously’ from 2001’s landmark FrENZy is a toe-tapping solo to Tim Finn’s Kiwi classic and the chance for one of the company’s men to cut loose, with style.
The Tutus on Tour 2023 programme is completed with two works each for eight dancers: the New Zealand premiere of Brian Enos’ elegantly neo-classical Cold Winter’s Waiting (2013) and Greg Horsman’s classical showpiece Holberg Suite, created for Tutus on Tour 2009 and now given a welcome revival.
Principal Mayu Tanigaito, who celebrates her 11th anniversary with the RNZB this year, says, “I have performed in many towns with Tutus on Tour, with my first being 10 years ago, and I have many great memories. The smaller venues allow for a more intimate connection with the audiences, and we always feel very welcome. I love the kiwi hospitality – some venues provide snacks, and sometimes children give us flowers and ask for autographs. While we can't perform our biggest shows in the smaller venues, and so can't visit as often, I am proud to dance for a ballet company which finds a way to bring ballet to the regions.”
The RNZB will offer a free schools’ performance in seven of the locations. These popular interactive and informative events offer a glimpse into the world of ballet for school-aged students.
The Royal New Zealand Ballet
The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB), the national ballet company of Aotearoa, was founded in 1953 by Danish dancer Poul Gnatt, as a touring professional ballet company for all New Zealanders. Based in Wellington, the Royal New Zealand Ballet is an intrinsic part of New Zealand’s national heritage, and has one of the largest followings of all New Zealand performing arts companies. The Royal New Zealand Ballet continues to invest in live music, performing wherever possible with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. The RNZB enjoys a reputation for strong and unique interpretations of full-length dramatic works. The company has an enviable track record in commissioning new works from New Zealand and international choreographers.