RNZB pack out schedule

Royal New Zealand Ballet.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet will have a busy year next year, with performances in the United States in January followed by three countrywide tours.

The RNZB will tour to Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Minneapolis and New York. RNZB artistic director Ethan Stiefel was excited to be returning to the US.

"The ballets we are taking, including our acclaimed production of Giselle and a trio of contemporary works, will show the RNZB and New Zealand at its very best."

Following the US tour, the RNZB will present three New Zealand seasons, with a total of 61 performances from Auckland to Invercargill.

Coppelia, an enduring classic combining ballet with comedy and a touch of magic, opens in Wellington on April 17. The production was designed by the late Kristian Fredrikson for The Australian Ballet.

The winter tour, Allegro: Five Short Ballets, opens in Auckland on July 30 and showcases the company's versatility in styles, including works by ballet great George Balanchine, Johan Kobborg, who co-created the RNZB's Giselle with Stiefel, Larry Keigwin, and the world premiere of a new piece by New Zealand choreographer Daniel Belton.

The year ends with A Christmas Carol, a dazzling retelling of the Dickens' classic. The production, new to New Zealand, comes from the UK's Northern Ballet, a company renowned for its story telling and stylish productions, including previous RNZB favourite Dracula.

The original score is by film and television composer Carl Davis, and incorporates Christmas carols.

All three tours will include performances at the Napier Municipal Theatre.

For more info, visit www.nzballet.org.nz.