Royal New Zealand Ballet counts down to Made to Move

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Royal New Zealand Ballet counts down to Made to Move

It is only one week until the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s 2013 season opens at the St James Theatre in Wellington on 27 February with Made to Move - three world premieres in one night.

Christchurch born choreographer Andrew Simmons returns to the company to present Of days the follow up to his internationally acclaimed work A Song in the Dark. “After the success of A Song in the Dark, so many people came up to me and said “I saw this” or “I felt that”, they were moved in some way. It is their interpretations that are interesting and inspiring to me as a choreographer, that is what makes dance truly alive, that intimate interaction between the choreographer, the dancer and the audience.”

Javier De Frutos, one of the worlds’s most acclaimed and innovative choreographers presents his work The Anatomy of a Passing Cloud, a love letter to the Pacific written through dance. “It is right for me to do a piece in New Zealand, a Pacific Island with Pacific music, and what I love most about working with this company is that it is unstructured enough to allow their instincts to take over and create something primal.”

Artistic director Ethan Stiefel completes the line-up and debuts his first original work for the RNZB, a piece that he is thrilled to present to New Zealand audiences. “This work is a piece that has been in my head for two years. It is rewarding to see the ideas become a reality and to observe the amount of enthusiasm and exuberance the dancers are putting into creating it.”

“I am particulary passionate about presenting brand new work that captures the RNZB’s innovative spirit and continues to strengthen the company as a creative force. In Made to Move we are working with choreographers with such different backgrounds, choices of music and sources of inspiration, I have no doubt that the most classical ballet admirer to the modern enthusiast will be engaged by the show.”

Ethan’s fiancée international ballet star Gillian Murphy will dance the lead role in Ethan’s piece Bier Halle. Bier Halle is a spirited comedy which Ethan believes will “delight audiences with laughter, lederhosen and virtuoso technique”.

Made to Move tours to 7 centres, Wellington, Napier, Auckland, Takapuna, Palmerston North, Dunedin and Ashburton, opening next week 27 February and closing at the Ashburton Trust Event Centre on 24 March.

NOTES

Season of Made to Move tour dates:

Wellington: 27 February – 2 March, St James Theatre

Napier: 5 March, Napier Municipal Theatre

Auckland: 8 – 10 March, ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre (as part of the Auckland Arts Festival)

Takapuna 13 – 14 March, Bruce Mason Centre

Palmerston North: 17 March, Regent on Broadway

Dunedin: 20 March, Regent Theatre

Ashburton: 23 – 24 March, Ashburton Trust Event Centre

Approximate running time: 2 hours, including two intervals.

Casting note: As with all RNZB productions, there are several casts. Audience members are advised to check the RNZB’s website for cast lists.

For more information visit: http://www.nzballet.org.nz/shows-and-events/made-to-move/about/

Made to Move:

Three world premieres in one night, Made to Move showcases three brand new works that celebrate the joy of dance, opening in Wellington next week.

Ethan Stiefel’s first original work for the RNZB, Bier Halle, brings the exuberance of a Bavarian inspired beer hall to the stage. Choreographer Javier De Frutos creates his third work for the RNZB, The Anatomy of a Passing Cloud, inspired by the Pacific, an exciting follow up to his award-winning Milagros (2003) and Banderillero (2006). Former company member Andrew Simmons, creator of 2010’s beautiful A Song in the Dark complete the trio of world premieres with Of Days.

Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB):

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2013 the RNZB is an intrinsic part of New Zealand’s national heritage, and has the largest following of all New Zealand performing arts companies. The RNZB enjoys a reputation for strong and unique interpretations of full-length dramatic works. To this base have been added the masterworks and major ballets of the 20th century, such as Balanchine's works and the Stravinsky ballets, and the company has an enviable track record in commissioning new works from New Zealand and international choreographers. The RNZB regularly represents New Zealand on the international stage, with recent tours to the UK, Australia and a tour to China is taking place in April of this year. Filming of the third series of hit reality television show ‘Secret Lives of Dancers’ commenced in early 2013 and will be on screen
later in the year. The New Zealand Film Commission are funding a major motion film directed by Toa Fraser (No 2 and Dean Spanley) based on RNZB’s 2012 season of Giselle for general release in late 2013.
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