Children’s Ballet – Dazzlehands
Bringing a new kind of razzle-dazzle to the ballet world is a collaboration between award-winning New Zealand publishers Huia, 2024 Oceania winner of the Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publisher of the Year, and the Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB).
Celebrated children’s book writers Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan’s magnificent Dazzlehands, published in 2023 in English and te reo Māori, is being adapted into a new ballet which will premiere as part of the RNZB’s free school holiday performances at Te Papa this July.
The Cow says “moo”, the Chicken says “cluck” and the Pig says… “Dazzlehands!” As hard as the farmer tries, Pig won’t go “oink”. Instead, Pig gets all the animals moving to phrases like, “Cross hands, floss hands, work it like a boss hands. Bursting with the razzle, gotta liberate these dazzlehands.”
Choreographed by RNZB dancer Joshua Guillemot-Rodgerson for six RNZB dancers, Dazzlehands’ creative team includes Costume Designer Victoria Gridley (Tāne and the Kiwi), Composer William Philipson (Shortland Street, High Tide Don’t Hide, and feature film DEAD), and Creative Director Lauren Byrne, who is also the RNZB’s Education and Community Engagement Manager.
Gareth Tiopira-Waaka will narrate both the English and te reo Māori shows, and there will be a Relaxed Performance and a performance with New Zealand Sign Language interpretation. Dazzlehands will be 40 minutes long and is appropriate for ages three and over.
Dazzlehands, which is being created through generous support from the Fehl Charitable Trust, will play at Te Papa’s Soundings Theatre on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 July, followed by a schools-only season at Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Due Drop Events Centre on 19th and 20th September.
All enquires please email education@rnzb.org.nz