dates and Booking Creative team FAQs

The Royal New Zealand Ballet marks the beginning of its eighth decade as New Zealand’s national ballet company with Lightscapes, a collection of works which celebrate the endless possibilities of light, space and the human body – the essence and wonder of dance.

Performing in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland only, from 27 July – 12 August.

Created for this special moment, we are honoured to present Whenua, a new work by Moss Te Ururangi Patterson. Inspired by haka and powered by the strength of the men of the RNZB, this will be a striking, and lasting addition to the RNZB’s repertoire and one which we hope will resonate around the world as well as in Aotearoa.

Plotless, yet somehow laden with meaning and unspoken narratives, George Balanchine’s Serenade fills the stage with exquisite movement and deep emotion. Serenade (1934) was first staged for the then-New Zealand Ballet by the late Una Kai in 1975 and holds a special place in the hearts of generations of dancers, here, and around the world.

Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa will stage the New Zealand premiere of her Requiem for a Rose, created for Pennsylvania Ballet in 2009 as an exploration of love, romantic and idealized, versus lasting and real. Hearts beat fast as love blooms into intoxicating rapture, but will passion endure?

As a final embodiment of the spirit of dance, the RNZB is proud to offer Logos by company alumna Alice Topp. Logos will transport viewers to a world of pure physicality, borne aloft by mesmerizing music and audacious design. Inspired by the storms that we all weather – fears, fights, darkness and demons – Logos ends with clarity, purpose and hope for the future.

Principal Kate Kadow, Artist Damani Campbell Williams and Soloist Ana Gallardo Lobaina. Photos by Ross Brown.
"We need to keep pushing our ideas of what ballet is.... take new stories, create new stories, and put them in a language that's relevant to now"
Alice Topp
Choreographer - Logos

Dates

Wellington Christchurch Auckland
Wellington
St James Theatre
Thursday
27 Jul
7:30 PM
BUY TICKETS
Friday
28 Jul
7:30 PM
Pre-Performance Talk
BUY TICKETS
Saturday
29 Jul
1:30 PM
Post-Performance Q&A
BUY TICKETS
Saturday
29 Jul
7:30 PM
Warm Up, Curtain Up!
BUY TICKETS
Christchurch
Isaac Theatre Royal
Saturday
5 Aug
7:30 PM
Pre-Performance Talk
BUY TICKETS
Sunday
6 Aug
1:30 PM
Post-Performance Q&A
BUY TICKETS
Sunday
6 Aug
7:30 PM
Warm Up, Curtain Up!
BUY TICKETS
Auckland
Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre
Thursday
10 Aug
7:30 PM
BUY TICKETS
Friday
11 Aug
7:30 PM
Pre-Performance Talk
BUY TICKETS
Saturday
12 Aug
1:30 PM
Post-Performance Q&A
BUY TICKETS
Saturday
12 Aug
7:30 PM
Warm Up, Curtain Up!
BUY TICKETS

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Creative team

Meet the team behind this installation
Choreographer - Whenua
Moss Te Ururangi Patterson
Music - Whenua
Ariana Tikao and Shayne Carter
Design - Whenua
TBC
Choreography - Serenade
George Balanchine, copyright The George Balanchine Trust
Staging - Serenade
Rebecca Metzger
Music - Serenade
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Costumes - Serenade
Barbara Karinska
Choreography - Requiem for a Rose
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Music - Requiem for a Rose
Franz Schubert
Design - Requiem for a Rose
Tatyana van Walsum
Choreography - Logos
Alice Topp
Music - Logos
Ludovico Einaudi
Set & Lighting Design - Logos
Jon Buswell
Costumes - Logos
Alice Topp
Lighting Design for all four ballets
Jon Buswell

FAQs

What do I need to know about attending the ballet?
Check out our Top Tips for your Trip to the ballet for details of general timing, lockouts, refreshments, transport and facilities.
Where are my tickets?
If you’ve booked directly with the RNZB, your tickets will be mailed to you over the coming weeks, in order of performance date.  If you’ve booked via our approved ticket agencies (Ticketmaster, Ticketek etc) then your tickets will be issued as outlined in your booking.
Is there use of strobe lighting or Visual Effects in Lightscapes?
Yes, there will be lighting effects used during the performance.
Who will be performing on the night I go to the ballet?
Principal casting details are published on RNZB website as soon as available for productions (generally from one week prior to opening night). Full casting for each performance is displayed on screens in the theatre foyers. You can also pick up a free printed cast sheet. Please note that casting is subject to change without notice.
Can I take photos or film the show?
We respectfully ask that you do not take photographs or make any kind of recording. It’s distracting and so potentially dangerous for the performers, as well as disturbing your fellow audience members.
Are you running school matinee performances for Lightscapes?
Unfortunately we will not be offering a school matinee performance for Lightscapes. We do provide discounted tickets for school groups on a limited basis for each of our productions to encourage you and your students to experience the thrill of live dance. Find out more here.
What protocols are in place at the venue to protect against COVID-19?
The show must go on, so we will continue to work with our colleagues at venues across the motu to offer safe and enjoyable experiences for audiences, maintaining a high standard of cleaning and sanitising around performances. Patrons are most welcome to wear face masks while in attendance. If you are unwell, for your own comfort and that of those around you, please stay home.