Find out what’s happening this month in New Zealand dance news!
This August, the Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) will present three landmark danceworks that scan eight decades, by choreographers who were and are groundbreaking in their time. The program, Bold Moves, will feature George Balanchine’s 1934 Serenade, William Forsythe’s 1984 Artifact II and Andrea Schermoly’s 2018 Stand to Reason. Performances will be held 16 August – September 15, in Wellington, Auckland, Palmerston North, Christchurch, Dunedin and Naper. For tickets and more information, visit rnzb.org.nz/shows/bold-moves.
The RNZB welcomes some new dancers to the company. Simone Messmer, a former principal dancer with Miami City Ballet and soloist with San Francisco Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, will join as a guest artist for Bold Moves. Lara Flannery and Callahan Laird from the New Zealand School of Dance will join the Bold Moves national tour on secondment to the RNZB. Nicole Denney, a young competition winner from California, will also join the company as an extra dancer for the tour. In addition, the RNZB welcomed a few young students into the studio this past July, to gain insight into company life. The students are Macy Cook (Chilton Ballet Academy), Arabella Moore (The Dance Education Centre), Asia-Rose Blowfield (Mount Eden Ballet Academy), Nicola Robinson (The Conlan College) and Rebekah Terry (Mount Eden Ballet Academy).
The inaugural programme for New Zealand’s newest major arts festival, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival, has been announced. The event, to be held from 4 – 2 October, will deliver performance events by hundreds of performers from across New Zealand and the Pacific, including Rodney Bell’s Meremere; Tupua Tigafua’s Shel We?; Tukutuku, a collaboration between Gisborne Girls’ High School, Jolt Dance Company and Christchurch Symphony Orchestra; and more. The Festival Director Tama Waipara says, “Anchored in Tūranga-nui-ā-Kiwa/Gisborne, our festival celebrates our whakapapa connections right around the coast, from Raukokore to Rangitukia, and Manutuke to Muriwai. This Festival will centre itself in the heart of the East Cape, but stretch its arms far and wide, globally acclaimed, proudly local and unashamedly accessible.” For further information, visit tetairawhitiartsfestival.nz.
The New Zealand Dance Company (NZDC) Company Classes happen throughout the year when NZDC is in residence at Wellesley Studios. Class styles range from contemporary, ballet and yoga. Professional level dancers are warmly invited to join in the range of technique classes and dance alongside the company. For more information, head to www.nzdc.org.nz/node/company-classes.
NZDC has begun term three with its Int/Adv Contemporary Classes at Wellesley Studios. These classes are aimed at pre-professional, intermediate/advanced dancers, who are years 14+. Whether you are a current student wanting to further your skills or a lifelong dancer seeking the chance to move again, NZDC always welcomes new participants. Classes are held every Wednesday from 6:30-8pm, alongside school term dates. For more, visit www.nzdc.org.nz/node/contemporary-classes.
The New Zealand School of Dance (NZSD) Graduation Season 2019 will be held 20 – 30 November, at Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Centre in Wellington. Classical ballet and contemporary dance students from NZSD will perform inspiring choreography as they leap toward the future of their dance careers. This renowned annual performance event showcases NZSD’s exceptionally talented students in exciting new works, whilst also affirming the relevance of timeless classics. To book, visit nzschoolofdance.ac.nz/event/graduation-season-2019.
International Ballet Workshops (IBW) is thrilled to announce not one but two international guest teachers for its summer 2020 series. International guest principal artists and teachers Katherina Markowskaja and Maxim Chashchegorov will join IBW to teach across Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth in January. Registrations for the Summer 2020 Series are now open. View all the details and register at www.internationalballetworkshops.com.
By Laura Di Orio of Dance Informa.
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