This masterpiece ballet is presented in two acts and follows the original storyline. Subtle revisions and variations have been introduced by Gediminas Taranda, Artistic Director of the Imperial Russian Ballet Company.

Swan Lake crosses the world of magic and mystical creatures with that of the real world. It is a story where the virtues of love and forgiveness in the end conquer evil and betrayal.
The Imperial Russian Ballet Company was formed in 1994, headed by the Bolshoi Theatre soloist Gediminas Taranda. The Imperial Russian Ballet Company comprises 40 dancers from the major ballet schools of Russia.

“Bold, Brave Russians”

“In a night that overflows with all things ballet, you can’t help be swept up by the sheer panache of the Imperial Russian Ballet Company dancers.”
The West Australian

“The Russians Know Best.” – Jenny Stevenson, Dominion Post

“Perhaps it is true after all that only the Russians can do the classic Swan Lake.”

The post The Imperial Russian Ballet Company – Swan Lake appeared first on The Weekend.

Like a beautifully shot, indie thriller film, The Clearing overflows with vivid imagery and mesmerising performances.

“An absorbing piece of dance-theatre.” Dr Ian Lochhead, The Press
“Every dancer is beautifully controlled, totally committed, and clearly connected to the piece and to each other.” Kerri Fitzgerald, DANZ
“Footnote…can place this work on the world stage.” Kerri Fitzgerald, DANZ

The post Footnote NZ Dance presents The Clearing appeared first on The Weekend.

Stay for the weekend and be part of a Competitions Festival of 130 elite young performing solos artists, aged between 15 and 25 yrs from all over New Zealand as they compete at the National Young Performer Awards, hosted by Performing Arts Competitions Association of NZ (PACANZ) Palmerston North Dance Assn & Manawatu Performing Arts Competitions Society.

This years’ event is for Soloists in Modern Dance, Highland Dance, Instrumental and Speech & Drama.

This elite solo competition starts with preliminary rounds, building to the Sunday semi-finals and the spectacular Sunday night finals concert featuring 15 of the best competing for $40,000 in prize money. Modern Dance & Highland Dance will compete at Regent on Broadway, with Instrumental at the Spiers Centre, Speech & Drama at The Globe Theatre and the final concert to be held at the Regent on Broadway.

Each Troupe and Solo performer represents a PACANZ member society, and undergoes a rigorous selection process, performing to the specific required standards of their chosen art form. Like their sporting peers, it is an honour for young performing artists to be selected to participate at a national award. For some this is the pinnacle of their artistic endeavours; for others however, this will be the catalyst that launches their professional career. PACANZ is a parent organisation of 60 smaller competition societies in New Zealand.

The post National Young Performer Awards appeared first on The Weekend.

Alone and lost, two hungry children stumble towards a glowing vision of warmth and comfort, heaven for any child with an empty belly and an aching heart. But all is not as it seems…

For Christmas 2019, the Royal New Zealand Ballet is proud to present a new two-act ballet by Loughlan Prior, with a specially commissioned score by Claire Cowan. This major premiere brings together many of New Zealand’s creative talents to tell a timeless tale for audiences young and old.

RNZB Choreographer in Residence Loughlan Prior has built up a significant body of work as a choreographer and filmmaker, creating works for members of the RNZB as well as for diverse New Zealand companies and creative partners, and for performances and film festivals in Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the USA.

Loughlan was the winner of the RNZB’s inaugural Harry Haythorne Choreographic Award in 2015, and in 2016 received Creative New Zealand’s Tup Lang Choreographic Award. His The Long and The Short of It, inspired by Sir Jon Trimmer, enchanted New Zealand audiences during 2018’s Tutus on Tour.

Claire Cowan is at the forefront of compositional talent in New Zealand. She has received significant commissions and awards from orchestras such as the Auckland Philharmonia and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, recently winning a prestigious Silver Scroll for her Television series soundtrack “Hillary”.

Her classical concert work is unique in that it seamlessly merges art music and popular idioms, offering a strong connection to audiences. Since 2010, Claire has directed the popular Blackbird Ensemble, a theatrical orchestra dedicated to performing rarely heard music of all genres. Hansel & Gretel will be the first full length ballet score ever commissioned from a female composer.

The post Hansel & Gretel appeared first on The Weekend.

Alone and lost, two hungry children stumble towards a glowing vision of warmth and comfort, heaven for any child with an empty belly and an aching heart. But all is not as it seems…

For Christmas 2019, the Royal New Zealand Ballet is proud to present a new two-act ballet by Loughlan Prior, with a specially commissioned score by Claire Cowan. This major premiere brings together many of New Zealand’s creative talents to tell a timeless tale for audiences young and old.

RNZB Choreographer in Residence Loughlan Prior has built up a significant body of work as a choreographer and filmmaker, creating works for members of the RNZB as well as for diverse New Zealand companies and creative partners, and for performances and film festivals in Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the USA.

Loughlan was the winner of the RNZB’s inaugural Harry Haythorne Choreographic Award in 2015, and in 2016 received Creative New Zealand’s Tup Lang Choreographic Award. His The Long and The Short of It, inspired by Sir Jon Trimmer, enchanted New Zealand audiences during 2018’s Tutus on Tour.

Claire Cowan is at the forefront of compositional talent in New Zealand. She has received significant commissions and awards from orchestras such as the Auckland Philharmonia and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, recently winning a prestigious Silver Scroll for her Television series soundtrack “Hillary”.

Her classical concert work is unique in that it seamlessly merges art music and popular idioms, offering a strong connection to audiences. Since 2010, Claire has directed the popular Blackbird Ensemble, a theatrical orchestra dedicated to performing rarely heard music of all genres. Hansel & Gretel will be the first full length ballet score ever commissioned from a female composer.

The post Hansel & Gretel appeared first on The Weekend.

Alone and lost, two hungry children stumble towards a glowing vision of warmth and comfort, heaven for any child with an empty belly and an aching heart. But all is not as it seems…

For Christmas 2019, the Royal New Zealand Ballet is proud to present a new two-act ballet by Loughlan Prior, with a specially commissioned score by Claire Cowan. This major premiere brings together many of New Zealand’s creative talents to tell a timeless tale for audiences young and old.

RNZB Choreographer in Residence Loughlan Prior has built up a significant body of work as a choreographer and filmmaker, creating works for members of the RNZB as well as for diverse New Zealand companies and creative partners, and for performances and film festivals in Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the USA.

Loughlan was the winner of the RNZB’s inaugural Harry Haythorne Choreographic Award in 2015, and in 2016 received Creative New Zealand’s Tup Lang Choreographic Award. His The Long and The Short of It, inspired by Sir Jon Trimmer, enchanted New Zealand audiences during 2018’s Tutus on Tour.

Claire Cowan is at the forefront of compositional talent in New Zealand. She has received significant commissions and awards from orchestras such as the Auckland Philharmonia and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, recently winning a prestigious Silver Scroll for her Television series soundtrack “Hillary”.

Her classical concert work is unique in that it seamlessly merges art music and popular idioms, offering a strong connection to audiences. Since 2010, Claire has directed the popular Blackbird Ensemble, a theatrical orchestra dedicated to performing rarely heard music of all genres. Hansel & Gretel will be the first full length ballet score ever commissioned from a female composer.

The post Hansel & Gretel appeared first on The Weekend.

Alone and lost, two hungry children stumble towards a glowing vision of warmth and comfort, heaven for any child with an empty belly and an aching heart. But all is not as it seems…

For Christmas 2019, the Royal New Zealand Ballet is proud to present a new two-act ballet by Loughlan Prior, with a specially commissioned score by Claire Cowan. This major premiere brings together many of New Zealand’s creative talents to tell a timeless tale for audiences young and old.

RNZB Choreographer in Residence Loughlan Prior has built up a significant body of work as a choreographer and filmmaker, creating works for members of the RNZB as well as for diverse New Zealand companies and creative partners, and for performances and film festivals in Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the USA.

Loughlan was the winner of the RNZB’s inaugural Harry Haythorne Choreographic Award in 2015, and in 2016 received Creative New Zealand’s Tup Lang Choreographic Award. His The Long and The Short of It, inspired by Sir Jon Trimmer, enchanted New Zealand audiences during 2018’s Tutus on Tour.

Claire Cowan is at the forefront of compositional talent in New Zealand. She has received significant commissions and awards from orchestras such as the Auckland Philharmonia and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, recently winning a prestigious Silver Scroll for her Television series soundtrack “Hillary”.

Her classical concert work is unique in that it seamlessly merges art music and popular idioms, offering a strong connection to audiences. Since 2010, Claire has directed the popular Blackbird Ensemble, a theatrical orchestra dedicated to performing rarely heard music of all genres. Hansel & Gretel will be the first full length ballet score ever commissioned from a female composer.

The post Hansel & Gretel appeared first on The Weekend.

Alone and lost, two hungry children stumble towards a glowing vision of warmth and comfort, heaven for any child with an empty belly and an aching heart. But all is not as it seems…

For Christmas 2019, the Royal New Zealand Ballet is proud to present a new two-act ballet by Loughlan Prior, with a specially commissioned score by Claire Cowan. This major premiere brings together many of New Zealand’s creative talents to tell a timeless tale for audiences young and old.

RNZB Choreographer in Residence Loughlan Prior has built up a significant body of work as a choreographer and filmmaker, creating works for members of the RNZB as well as for diverse New Zealand companies and creative partners, and for performances and film festivals in Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the USA.

Loughlan was the winner of the RNZB’s inaugural Harry Haythorne Choreographic Award in 2015, and in 2016 received Creative New Zealand’s Tup Lang Choreographic Award. His The Long and The Short of It, inspired by Sir Jon Trimmer, enchanted New Zealand audiences during 2018’s Tutus on Tour.

Claire Cowan is at the forefront of compositional talent in New Zealand. She has received significant commissions and awards from orchestras such as the Auckland Philharmonia and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, recently winning a prestigious Silver Scroll for her Television series soundtrack “Hillary”.

Her classical concert work is unique in that it seamlessly merges art music and popular idioms, offering a strong connection to audiences. Since 2010, Claire has directed the popular Blackbird Ensemble, a theatrical orchestra dedicated to performing rarely heard music of all genres. Hansel & Gretel will be the first full length ballet score ever commissioned from a female composer.

The post Hansel & Gretel appeared first on The Weekend.

Alone and lost, two hungry children stumble towards a glowing vision of warmth and comfort, heaven for any child with an empty belly and an aching heart. But all is not as it seems…

For Christmas 2019, the Royal New Zealand Ballet is proud to present a new two-act ballet by Loughlan Prior, with a specially commissioned score by Claire Cowan. This major premiere brings together many of New Zealand’s creative talents to tell a timeless tale for audiences young and old.

RNZB Choreographer in Residence Loughlan Prior has built up a significant body of work as a choreographer and filmmaker, creating works for members of the RNZB as well as for diverse New Zealand companies and creative partners, and for performances and film festivals in Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the USA.

Loughlan was the winner of the RNZB’s inaugural Harry Haythorne Choreographic Award in 2015, and in 2016 received Creative New Zealand’s Tup Lang Choreographic Award. His The Long and The Short of It, inspired by Sir Jon Trimmer, enchanted New Zealand audiences during 2018’s Tutus on Tour.

Claire Cowan is at the forefront of compositional talent in New Zealand. She has received significant commissions and awards from orchestras such as the Auckland Philharmonia and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, recently winning a prestigious Silver Scroll for her Television series soundtrack “Hillary”.

Her classical concert work is unique in that it seamlessly merges art music and popular idioms, offering a strong connection to audiences. Since 2010, Claire has directed the popular Blackbird Ensemble, a theatrical orchestra dedicated to performing rarely heard music of all genres. Hansel & Gretel will be the first full length ballet score ever commissioned from a female composer.

The post Hansel & Gretel appeared first on The Weekend.

Alone and lost, two hungry children stumble towards a glowing vision of warmth and comfort, heaven for any child with an empty belly and an aching heart. But all is not as it seems…

For Christmas 2019, the Royal New Zealand Ballet is proud to present a new two-act ballet by Loughlan Prior, with a specially commissioned score by Claire Cowan. This major premiere brings together many of New Zealand’s creative talents to tell a timeless tale for audiences young and old.

RNZB Choreographer in Residence Loughlan Prior has built up a significant body of work as a choreographer and filmmaker, creating works for members of the RNZB as well as for diverse New Zealand companies and creative partners, and for performances and film festivals in Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the USA.

Loughlan was the winner of the RNZB’s inaugural Harry Haythorne Choreographic Award in 2015, and in 2016 received Creative New Zealand’s Tup Lang Choreographic Award. His The Long and The Short of It, inspired by Sir Jon Trimmer, enchanted New Zealand audiences during 2018’s Tutus on Tour.

Claire Cowan is at the forefront of compositional talent in New Zealand. She has received significant commissions and awards from orchestras such as the Auckland Philharmonia and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, recently winning a prestigious Silver Scroll for her Television series soundtrack “Hillary”.

Her classical concert work is unique in that it seamlessly merges art music and popular idioms, offering a strong connection to audiences. Since 2010, Claire has directed the popular Blackbird Ensemble, a theatrical orchestra dedicated to performing rarely heard music of all genres. Hansel & Gretel will be the first full length ballet score ever commissioned from a female composer.

The post Hansel & Gretel appeared first on The Weekend.