The history of ballet

PLATINUM ANNIVERSARY: The Royal New Zealand Ballet is bringing Tutus on Tour to Gisborne in February. Picture supplied

Experience the grandeur that is Tutus on Tour when the Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) reach Gisborne next month.

The tour is part of RNZB's platinum jubilee celebration and kicks off at War Memorial Theatre on February 28.

Tutus on Tour opens first in Kapiti on February 23, before travelling to Hastings, Carterton, Gisborne, Whanganui, Hamilton, Blenheim, Nelson, Kerikeri, Ashburton and Whangārei.

The show looks back with affection at the RNZB's early days and travels through time.

RNZB artistic director Patricia Barker has carefully curated a collection of works that encapsulate the history of ballet, and treasures from the ballet's recent past alongside works — both new and old — which dancers can't wait to perform.

“Our 70th anniversary Tutus on Tour is a beautiful journey through magical ballet moments. It is an opportunity for audiences to experience how ballet has evolved through the decades, and for the dancers to showcase their incredible abilities to shift choreographic styles.”

The performance will include Marie Taglioni's Le Papillon (The Butterfly) from 1860 and Christopher Wheeldon's After the Rain — made almost 150 years apart. Both show the timeless magic of a couple dancing together, creating an intimate world onstage.

RNZB dancer Damani Campbell Williams, who joined the company last year, said Wheeldon's work was truly magical.

“Although there is no exact narrative, each movement carries so much weight and meaning that I get lost in it.

“It's the ultimate feeling of escapism and the intimacy of the piece allows us to take the audience along for the ride. I'm so excited to share this masterpiece with RNZB audiences and travel this beautiful country.”

Another performance, Nobody Takes Me Seriously, from 2001's landmark FrENZy is a toe-tapping solo to Tim Finn's Kiwi classic and the chance for one of the company's men to cut loose — with style.

The Tutus on Tour 2023 programme is completed with two works each for eight dancers: the New Zealand premiere of Brian Eno's elegantly neo-classical Cold Winter's Waiting and Greg Horsman's classical showpiece Holberg Suite, created for Tutus on Tour 2009 and now given a welcome revival.

For tickets and information visit https://rnzb.org.nz/shows/tutus-on-tour-2023/

Tutus on Tour, War Memorial Theatre, February 28 and March 1, 7pm. Tickets from ticketek.co.nz