Congratulations to RNZB dancer Yang Liu and her husband Evan Li who are swapping their pas de deux for a pas de trois. Yang is now on maternity leave and we wish her much health and happiness over the next few months as they await their new arrival. You may spot them in the audience during the year until Yang’s scheduled return to the stage for The Nutcracker.

Speaking of arrivals, we are very pleased to welcome two of our male dancers back from injury for the upcoming season of The Piano: the ballet. William Fitzgerald and Alexandre Ferreira have both made full recoveries from their shoulder and foot injuries respectively, and are in the studio and looking forward to being back onstage. Both dancers are currently rehearsing the role of Ada’s lover George Baines for the production which premieres on February 23.

RNZB leading man Joseph Skelton is taking a break from daily rehearsals to undergo a rehabilitation programme for a back injury. Alongside his intensive physiotherapy and exercise regime, he’ll use the time away from the studio and stage for personal professional development, learning new skills in his family business to ensure that he is stronger than ever for our upcoming Dancing With Mozart programme, and well into the future.