Our final performance of Lightscapes saw us farewell Soloist Damen Axtens, who has been with the RNZB for two years. Damen is setting off to France, where he has accepted a contract with the renowned Paris Opera Ballet! This is a phenomenal opportunity, and we are incredibly proud of Damen as he spreads his wings over in Europe. We wish Damen all the best for this exciting new chapter in his dance career; you will be missed here at the RNZB! Thank you to our friends at AVIS for ‘partnering’ Damen in 2023 ..read more

Soloist Matthew Slattery took his final bow as a dancer with the RNZB at the close of our Lightscapes tour. We want to acknowledge the wonderful work Matt has contributed to the company in his time here, first in 2012 – 13 and then, returning from Boston Ballet in mid-2022, as an Artist, and then promoted to Soloist for 2023. After Cinderella, where his roles included Prince Charming, and Venus Rising, where he performed in both Aurum and Waterbaby Bagatelles, this year, we’ve enjoyed watching him take the stage as Tybalt, Paris, and Lord Capulet in Andrea Schermoly’s Romeo & Juliet, perfo ..read more

The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) has today announced the appointment of its new Executive Director, Tobias Perkins.   Perkins comes to the RNZB from the UK, most recently at Leeds’ prolific Northern Ballet, where he held a number of roles including Interim Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director. In these positions, Perkins oversaw an increase in the company’s core funding during a highly challenging funding period in the UK’s arts sector, and developed the reach and prominence of the company’s touring programme. In his role of Director of Planning, the company’s children’s ba ..read more

Pay It Forward nominations & bookings have now closed. Thank you everyone for your very generous contributions to this initiative in support of those impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle. Support local communities in Hawkes Bay, Auckland & Northland who were affected by storms and flooding by gifting a night out at the ballet! Purchase a Pay It Forward ticket and the RNZB will match all purchases 1:1!   Your Pay It Forward ticket will offer a special night out for someone in your community, with beautiful choreography, music and costumes and timeless storytelling tran ..read more

Shakespeare’s great love story returns in May with the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s (RNZB) passionate re-telling of Romeo & Juliet touring to eight venues across the motu.  With mesmerising choreography by Andrea Schermoly (Stand to Reason, Within Without) and exquisite sets and costumes by Academy Award-winning designer James Acheson (The Last Emperor, Dangerous Liaisons), the RNZB’s Romeo & Juliet, in association with Avis, brings all the splendour and seduction of Renaissance Verona, the ferocity of two families in battle, and the heart-breakingly beautiful but ultimately tragic ..read more

27 February 2023 After ten years with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Soloist Madeleine Graham will say haere rā to the national ballet company, and to audiences throughout Aotearoa next month, when she leaves Wellington to join her life partner for new adventures in Amsterdam. ‘I’ve experienced tremendous growth both professionally and personally during my ten years with the Royal New Zealand Ballet’ says Melbourne-born Madeleine, who joined the company in the spring of 2012, fresh from completing her classical training at The Australian Ballet School. ‘Performing a diverse repertoire internati ..read more

20 February 2023 The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) has today announced that, due to the ongoing community impact of Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawke’s Bay and the East Coast of the North Island, the company’s upcoming performances of Tutus on Tour, due to take place at Toitoi Hawke’s Bay Arts and Events Centre in Hastings this Saturday 25 February and at the Gisborne War Memorial Theatre on Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 March, have been cancelled. All related events in each region will be cancelled, including public open classes in Gisborne. All ticket holders will be contacted and offered a ..read more

17 February 2023 The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) has today announced that, due to health and safety issues with the venue, the upcoming Whanganui performance of Tutus on Tour has sadly been cancelled. The affected performance was due to take place at the Royal Whanganui Opera House on Wednesday 1 March.  Whanganui District Council’s Manager of Venues and Events Dana Burnett says, “We are devastated we are not going to be able to host the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Tutus on Tour as planned. Following a recent review of the building, which recognised the need for a temporary structure t ..read more

9 January 2023 The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) has today announced the retirement of Artistic Director Patricia Barker. In her five and a half years at the helm of the national ballet company, Barker commissioned 12 new main stage ballets from New Zealand-based or born choreographers including six ballets with original scores by New Zealand composers. New commissions from local and international choreographers are in discussion for 2024. Barker will retire from the RNZB following the end of the first season of the year, Tutus on Tour. Returning to the USA with her family, she will continue ..read more

16 December 2022 In order to best accommodate the wondrous stage elements of this visually stunning production, the decision has been made to relocate Lightscapes to the Isaac Theatre Royal. To facilitate this move, the dates of the Christchurch performances have also been changed and are as follows: Saturday 5th of August, 7:30pm with Pre-Performance Talk Sunday 6th of August, 1:30pm with Post-Show Q&A Sunday 6th of August, 7:30pm with Warm Up, Curtain Up! If you have already booked for Lightscapes in Christchurch, you will be contacted directly by the RNZB Ticketing team. For any questio ..read more