Like a dish served with three different textures and flavours, the new programme, touring New Zealand in July, brings together three distinct works.
Each offers the opportunity to dip into ballet in classical and modern styles, but more than that, it celebrates the electrifying skill, range and history of the company.
The RNZB is coming off the back of recent work Macbeth, a dramatic reimagining of Shakespeare’s tragic tale, and playful children’s ballet Dazzlehands, based on the picture book by Wellington-based author/illustrator team Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan.
Its versatility has never been more clear, but the Winter Season presentation is a moment for ballet-lovers and newbies alike.
The dimensional triple bill delivers everything ballet is celebrated for, from powerful storytelling and cutting-edge choreography to humour, beauty and raw athleticism.
It includes the New Zealand premiere of Sir Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Sarah Foster-Sproull’s striking contemporary Ultra Folly, and Andrea Schermoly’s powerful tribute to the women of Aotearoa, Stand to Reason.
“These three works reflect in very different ways New Zealand’s history, and the evolution of dance in this country,” says RNZB Artistic Director Ty King-Wall who collated the varied programme.
“They provide both a challenge and a testament to the strength, skill and stamina of our dancers,” says King-Wall. “This is a celebration of the ways in which ballet can offer not only escapism, but also introspection.”
Mixed-bill seasons such as this are becoming popular internationally, as companies seek to reach wider audiences and perhaps challenge existing assumptions about the art form.
This occasion may look to ballet’s past, but it also gives a nod to its vibrant future in the hands of our local talent.
Each Winter Season performance includes these three works:
Birthday Offering, choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton
The centrepiece of the triple bill is the New Zealand premiere of Birthday Offering, Sir Frederick Ashton’s iconic work.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest choreographers in ballet history, his many works showcase extraordinary technical detail and expressive grace and artistry.
Created in 1956 for the 25th anniversary of The Royal Ballet, Birthday Offering is considered one of Ashton’s most dazzling celebrations of classical ballet.
The choreographer was particularly skilled at showcasing each performer’s individuality and in this work, every solo variation was originally created for a specific ballerina, including Dame Margot Fonteyn. This also included Southland-born Rowena Jackson (1926-2024) making the work’s inclusion a centenary tribute to the Kiwi ballerina.
Ultra Folly, choreographer Sarah Foster-Sproull
Intellectually rigorous and emotionally charged works are the signature of Dunedin-born choreographer Sarah Foster-Sproull and Ultra Folly is no different.
Foster-Sproull draws on the lively La Folia variations that date back to the 15th century, the music helping weave together emotional intensity, intricate partnering and finely detailed physical exchanges in the contemporary ballet.
It was first created for the RNZB in 2020 and its return follows international acclaim for the work, the inclusion a moment to highlight the strength of contemporary choreography emerging from Aotearoa.
Stand to Reason, choreographer Andrea Schermoly
Andrea Schermoly is a South African-born choreographer whose international career spans some of the world’s leading ballet and contemporary companies. This work was created in 2018 for the company’s Strength & Grace programme marking the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Schermoly draws inspiration from the 1888 ‘Ten Reasons Why a Woman Should Vote’ pamphlet circulated by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Five years later, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world to grant women the right to vote.
Stand to Reason honours the women who wrote that pamphlet, and encourages us to never forget what it cost them to write it.
Through striking physicality and tightly woven ensemble work, Stand to Reason explores the tension between resistance and progress, asking what it means to challenge the status quo and whose voices are heard in the process.
This year the Winter Season is being brought to stages around Aotearoa in association with Viking. “Much like travel, ballet has this wonderful ability to transport you somewhere new and keep you completely present in the moment,” says Michelle Black, Viking ANZ managing director.
“Bringing together a rich mix of classical and contemporary works, the programme celebrates not just the beauty of ballet, but the ideas, history and human connection behind it.”
Whether you are a lifelong ballet devotee or stepping into the theatre for the first time, the RNZB’s Winter Season promises something unforgettable … a reminder that ballet remains one of the most dynamic and emotionally resonant art forms on stage today.
Wellington
16–18 July, St James Theatre
Auckland
23–25 July, Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre
Christchurch
31 July–1 August, Isaac Theatre Royal
For more information and tickets, see rnzb.org.nz
