Royal New Zealand Ballet Announces 2012 Seasons

The Royal New Zealand Ballet will present four mesmerising seasons of dance for New Zealand audiences next year – and there’s something for everyone.

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Photo of Sara Havener 2012 Cinderella, by Ross Brown.

“I can’t wait to bring you RNZB’s 2012 programme – it’s a blockbuster,” says RNZB’s new Artistic Director, Ethan Stiefel.

In a coup, Stiefel’s fiance and international ballet star, Gillian Murphy, will become a Principal Guest Artist with the RNZB next year.

The 2012 season opens on 29 February with NYC New Young Classic. In this programme of three short ballets from the Big Apple, Murphy will dance in George Balanchine’s classic ballet Who Cares? set to George Gershwin’s popular songs. One of New York’s hottest young choreographers, Larry Keigwin, will create a new work for RNZB and Benjamin Millepied, who choreographed the movie Black Swan, will present his 28 Variations on a Theme by Nicolo Paganini, completing the New York inspired programme.

The TOWER Season of Cinderella sees the return of Christopher Hampson’s acclaimed production in August; another chance for New Zealanders to enjoy kiwi designer Tracy Grant Lord’s sumptuous costumes and sets against Prokofiev’s rousing score.

In November, Murphy, ranked by the LA Times as “one of the most exciting ballerinas of her young generation,” returns to the stage to star as Giselle in The TelstraClear Season of Giselle. A new staging, co-produced by Stiefel and internationally renowned Royal Ballet Principal Dancer Johan Kobborg, will complete the star team for this quintessential dramatic ballet.

A cherry on the top for 2012 is the inclusion of an additional season which has children and families in mind. The Meridian Season of Angelina Ballerina’s Big Audition is a ballet- version based on the enormously popular children’s books and animated 2002 TV series. Originally created by English National Ballet this production will delight audiences in March.

Dates and detailed information on each season is in the attached Media Backgrounders document.