Praneeta Mahajan
Hamilton, July 17, 2024
Ballet, a timeless and expressive art form, continues to captivate audiences with its blend of grace, athleticism, and storytelling.
The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) is set to dazzle audiences with its 2024 winter season, presenting a breath-taking trio of ballets. combining the creative genius of leading choreographers, composers, and designers, this season is set to be a highlight of the cultural calendar in the country.
The much-anticipated season, titled ‘Solace: Dance to Feed Your Soul’ will grace the stages of Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch from August 1, 2024 to August 17, 2024. The programme features the works of three of the world’s most innovative and celebrated artists, Wayne McGregor (Britain), Sarah Foster-Sproull (New Zealand), and Alice Topp (Australia).
RNZB Artistic Director Ty King-Wall expressed his excitement about the upcoming season and said, “I am looking forward with such anticipation to our Solace season, in which our dancers and audiences alike will experience the incredible capacity of dance as a language for diversity of expression, and the unbelievable physical capacity of the human body for movement.”
Infra
Wayne McGregor’s ‘Infra,’ from the Latin word for ‘below,’ offers an illuminating portrait of city life. This abstract ballet delves beneath the surface to present a moving meditation on human interactions.
Premiering at the Royal Opera House in London in 2008, “Infra” features an LED screen running the width of the stage, displaying a mesmerising flow of British artist Julian Opie’s walking figures. Twelve dancers perform through solos, duets, and ensembles, set to Max Richter’s elegiac score, which blends melancholy string melodies with electronic sounds.
To Hold
Sarah Foster-Sproull’s ‘To Hold,’ her fifth original work for the RNZB, explores the intricate wonders of the human form, characterised by shape-shifting and endless inventiveness. The powerful score by Eden Mulholland drives a sense of primal transformation, pushing and pulling the dancers through the space. The work is enhanced by costumes designed by Donna Jefferis, inspired by the high-fashion tailoring and pleated designs of Issey Miyake, elegantly framing the body while supporting the complex choreographic structures.
High Tide
Completing the programme is ‘High Tide,’ a poignant new creation by RNZB alumna and former Resident Choreographer at The Australian Ballet, Alice Topp.
Inspired by the music of Ólafur Arnalds, this ballet reflects on the cycles of life, touching upon themes of growth, fear, and reconciliation. ‘High Tide’ examines the shadows and lights of existence, represented through Jon Buswell’s unique stage design, transforming the space into a living sculpture and emphasising the fluid and ever-changing nature of life itself.
Mr King-Wall remarked, “I am delighted that the Royal New Zealand Ballet will have the opportunity to perform a work by Wayne McGregor for the first time. Wayne really has changed the face of ballet and the way we approach the art form over the past two decades. ‘Infra’ possesses a quiet power and immense beauty, and it is wonderful to be seeing it on our shores for the first time.”
“Alice and Sarah are both such loved members of our RNZB whānau, and our relationship has grown so strong across the incredibly fruitful collaborations we have had in recent years. It is a joy to have them back in the studio with us, and for them to be creating two world premiere works for us this season is a huge thrill.”
About 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 RNZB continues to invest in live music, performing wherever possible with the Auckland Philharmonia, 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 and has an enviable record in commissioning new works from New Zealand and international choreographers.
2023 marked twenty years of RNZB Education, a year-round programme of events for schools, young dancers, and ballet schools, which has seen hundreds of thousands of Kiwis of all ages experience ballet.
The education programme has extended into prisons through a partnership with the Department of Corrections. In the last ten years alone, RNZB Education has presented more than 4,000 in-person events, all free or low-cost, with more than 30,000 people now participating every year.
Praneeta Mahajan is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Hamilton.
