Loughlan Prior

Described by Dance Aotearoa New Zealand as “a creative tour de force,” Loughlan Prior is an award-winning choreographer recognised for his visually compelling and dynamic work across stage and film.

Prior joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) in 2010 and rose to become a company Soloist, enjoying a decade-long career performing in New Zealand and internationally. In 2018, he was appointed RNZB Choreographer in Residence, where he has crafted a diverse collection of works for the company’s repertoire, including Cinderella, Hansel & Gretel, The Firebird, Woman of Words, and Ultra Violet.

Prior has created and staged works for companies including Alberta Ballet, BalletCollective Aotearoa, BalletX, Ballet Unleashed, Dance Lab New York, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Queensland Ballet, Singapore Ballet, and West Australian Ballet, among others. He has also worked extensively as a guest choreographer and tutor with the Australian Ballet School, Canada’s National Ballet School, New Zealand School of Dance, and Palucca University Dresden. In 2022, he was invited to present a full evening of works for the New Zealand School of Dance’s Performance Season.

Prior is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the project company Lo|Co Arts. He has received Creative New Zealand’s Tup Lang Award for choreography, a Warren Douglas Scholarship, the Ballet Foundation of New Zealand’s Harry Haythorne Choreographic Award, and was recognised as a ‘Distinguished Graduate’ of the New Zealand School of Dance in 2019. He was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2025.

His wide-ranging creative collaborations span both live and digital platforms, with projects for TV3’s Dancing with the Stars, Auckland Arts Festival, Chamber Music New Zealand, iD Fashion Week, New Zealand String Quartet, Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum, Tempo Dance Festival, Vogue Australia, Wānaka Festival of Colour, WGT LUX Festival, and Zambesi fashion house.

As a filmmaker, Prior’s dance films have screened internationally, including at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, San Francisco Dance Film Festival, and the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2022, his film Inklings won first prize in the dance category at the Berlin Filmhaus Awards.

In 2025, Loughlan Prior’s dramatic ballet The Firebird makes its return to stages across Aotearoa, and his production of Hansel & Gretel enters the repertoire of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet. He will also create new works for Ballet Ireland and West Australian Ballet.

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