Spotlight: RNZB Education Impact in 2024

In 2024, the Royal New Zealand Ballet connected with thousands of young people, students, teachers and community members through a rich and far-reaching education programme. From Northland to Invercargill, online and in person, RNZB Education worked to make the world of dance accessible, inclusive and inspiring.

FOR SCHOOLS

A key focus of our work in 2024 was supporting schools across the country. Through residencies, workshops, live performances and digital resources, we met students where they were – in classrooms, theatres, school halls and even online. Our three major residencies showcased this diversity and reach.

Dance Educator Neve Pierce with students from Omanu School Tauranga. Photo credit: Omanu School teacher

In Nelson, students from Waimea College created and performed a 15-minute dance based on the Māori legend Te Maia and His Pet Eagle, HokioiOkioi. In Northland, our team worked with students from four schools as part of the Upsurge Arts Festival. Many had little or no dance experience yet came together to perform in a professional theatre alongside RNZB company dancers. In Auckland, our DANCEwithME residency reached 162 students from six schools, all performing onstage at the Due Drop Events Centre in front of their whānau and community.

“This is a great programme, where our students were given the tools to develop their confidence in a contemporary dance space. The staff are incredible, their patience and willingness to share their skills and experience with our akonga is very much appreciated.”
– teacher from Prospect Primary School

Across the year, we delivered 13 performances for schools, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Tutus on Tour. These shows, specially adapted and narrated for schools, helped open the world of dance by providing inspiring and memorable experiences.

Over 700 workshops were delivered in 50 centres nationwide, with many students taking part in a workshop before or after seeing a performance. Our Digital Resource, now in its second year, offered tutorials, warm-ups and classroom activities for teachers and students to use at their own pace. This has helped us reach rural and remote schools and amplify the impact of our live programmes.

RNZB Education, Mentor Intensive day at the St James Theatre studios, 2024. Photo credit: Stephen A’Court.

FOR DANCERS AND DANCE TEACHERS

Our commitment to developing future talent remained strong. We held 27 open classes around the motu, and our national mentorship programme supported 23 young dancers through intensives and one-on-one guidance with RNZB company members. For dance teachers, our two-day seminar offered a chance to connect with Artistic Director Ty King-Wall and learn from our professional team.

Artist Jake Gisby as Pink, with RNZB dancers in Dazzlehands, 2024. Photo credit: Stephen A’Court.

FOR COMMUNITIES

We also expanded our community engagement. In July, we premiered Dazzlehands at Te Papa, a new children’s ballet adapted from a New Zealand story. With six free performances in English, te reo Māori and NZSL, and a reach of nearly 2,000 audience members, this joyful work brought ballet to a broad, young and diverse audience. Related workshops reached kindergartens and schools across Wellington.

“This was a truly lovely experience for all our party: two grandparents, a very tired mother and two young neuro diverse grandsons. Thank you very much for providing the experience and the funding to enable us all to attend. I have never been to ballet before and would love to go to a performance now.”
– Audience member

Our public engagement events, including Te Papa Whānau Day, pre-performance talks, warm-ups and Q&A’s, gave deeper insights and fostered genuine connections between audiences and artists.

WIDance RNZB workshop. Photo credit: Sumara Fraser.

MAKING DANCE ACCESSIBLE

Our accessibility programmes continued to grow. Audio described performances in three cities, adapted dance workshops for people with high needs, our partnership with integrated dance group WIDance, and our dance in prisons programme all supported inclusion in meaningful ways.

From students taking their first steps in ballet to aspiring professionals and audience members, the RNZB’s education work in 2024 opened doors, sparked imaginations and reflected the diverse voices of Aotearoa.