The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s hugely popular Tutus on Tour – a tasting menu of ballet treats – will deliver rays of early summer sunshine to stages across the country, from Auckland’s North Shore to Invercargill, from 7 October.
Artistic Director Patricia Barker has curated a gorgeous gala programme which showcases RNZB dancers at their very best. Beloved classical favourites sit alongside more recent works, including one New Zealand premiere.
The pas de trois from Le Corsaire offers firecracker virtuosity, while the joyful ‘Waltz of the Pohutukawa Flowers’ and grand pas de deux from the RNZB’s production of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Val Caniparoli, heralds the Christmas season with warmth and grandeur.
On the contemporary side, Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain pas de deux (2005) makes its RNZB debut. Gentle and tender, showing a profound connection between its performers, it is a work that is cherished by every dancer lucky enough to perform it.
Olivier Wevers’ The Sofa (2013), to music by Mozart, introduces this rising star of contemporary ballet to Aotearoa.
Rounding out this generous programme of dance is RNZB Choreographer in Residence Shaun James Kelly’s The Ground Beneath Our Feet (2019); an exuberant ballet, tailor-made for the RNZB, that rides the scintillating rhythms of its music like a rollercoaster.
Royal New Zealand Ballet Artistic Director Patricia Barker says, “It’s been a while since we’ve been able to stop in at some of our regional theatres, something we normally all look forward to very much each year. This Tutus on Tour programme is a full, rich, exciting showcase of ballet from across the spectrum, and it is suitable for people of all ages. In fact, given the bite-sized nature of our Tutus on Tour programmes, we love welcoming younger ones to experience all kinds of ballet.”
Reintroduced in 2017, Tutus on Tour is a chance for ballet lovers young and old across the country to indulge their passion. The enchanting summer programme will sell quickly, so it is recommended ticket buyers move quickly.
Tutus on Tour will return in February to March 2023, visiting additional venues from the Far North to the Deep South. Dates and details will be announced in October.
Tauranga, 20 and 21 October
Baycourt Community and Arts Centre
