RNZB Tutus on Tour 2024_Mayu Tanigaito_
Credit Ross Brown
RNZB Tutus on Tour 2024_Mayu Tanigaito_
Credit Ross Brown
Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Tutus on Tour is coming to Gisborne at the end of February with two shows at the Gisborne War Memorial Theatre.
The summer tour will visit 11 different regional theatres in 23 days, marking the end of summer and the start of a brand-new year ofballet.
Dance lovers of all ages can look forward to a programme which uplifts classical favourites, showcases exquisite costumes, delivers breathtaking ballet technique, and presents a new tribute to the company’s founding fathers.
Tutus on Tour will feature excerpts from former artistic director Russell Kerr’s production of Swan Lake, ahead of the company’s full-length Swan Lake season in May. Featuring dazzling designs by Kristian Fredrikson, created in 1996, the performances will include the Black Swan pas de deux, the famous Cygnets quartet, the graceful Pas de Trois from Act I, and the grand Hungarian and Spanish dances — a special highlight of Act III.
Complementing the classical splendour of Swan Lake is Prismatic, by RNZB choreographer in residence Shaun James Kelly. This work is inspired by RNZB founder Poul Gnatt and choreographer Russell Kerr’s landmark Prismatic Variations, set to the music of Johannes Brahms. Commissioned to mark the RNZB’s 70th birthday in 2023, Prismatic unites all the hallmarks of Kelly’s confident choreographic style, grounded in traditional ballet technique and inspired by the rhythmic and melodic arcs of the soaring score.
Closing the programme is Clay by Alice Topp, a mesmerising pas de deux which opens her acclaimed Logos, first seen in Aotearoa New Zealand in the RNZB’s popular 2023 season Lightscapes.
“Tutus on Tour goes to the heart of what the Royal New Zealand Ballet stands for, sharing the beauty and power of classical ballet with Kiwis far and wide,” says incoming artistic director Ty King-Wall. “From Whangārei to Oamaru, the tour begins our 2024 season with a collection of works that strongly represent the history and evolution of our company. It is a joy to bring this programme on tour. Look out for us at a theatre near you!”
■ Tutus on Tour at the Gisborne War Memorial Theatre, February 28 and 29
