Stories for Supporters – Meet the Dancers 2026
We are delighted to welcome five new dancers to the RNZB this year.
Two graduates from the New Zealand School of Dance have joined as Scholars for 2026. Lyn Lin and Charlotte Willis may be familiar as they graced NZ stages on secondment for The Nutcracker late last year. Lyn joins as the Todd Scholar and Charlotte as one of our Friedlander Foundation scholars.
Alongside Charlotte, Breyah Takitimu joins as our second Friedlander Foundation scholar after returning home to NZ after training in Chicago for the past two years. Breyah also joined the RNZB as a guest for The Nutcracker season.
Joining us as full-time Artists are Padraic Lum and Ethan Dwyer, recent graduates of The Australian Ballet School.
These recent joiners have been busy in the studio and have recently enjoyed their first performances as RNZB dancers in Alice Topp’s Macbeth which had its world premiere in Wellington late February.
Get to know each of them better through the interviews below and explore their full bios on our website.
Lyn Lin
What are you most excited about in the upcoming seasons this year and why?
I’m the most excited for The Sleeping Beauty at the end of this year. This ballet has always had a special place in my heart because I’ve loved the fairy tale for as long as I can remember. I recall watching the RNZB’s The Sleeping Beauty in the past and being completely mesmerized. I still remember saying, “Aurora’s still pointing her toes when she falls asleep!”. I’m excited to watch the artistry, technique, and storytelling behind this production, and I’m very grateful to be immersed in this environment.
What do you believe is a typical misconception about ballet that you would like to set straight?
A common misconception about ballet is that it’s easy and only about being pretty and graceful. There’s a Chinese saying, “One minute on stage, ten years of work off stage.” Ballet is, of course, beautiful but that’s because dancers spend years of disciplined training to develop the technique and artistry to make the movements look effortless.
As a student at the NZSD you seconded with the RNZB. Can you tell us what that experience was like?
Last year I had the incredible opportunity to be seconded with the RNZB for their new production of The Nutcracker. It was truly a dream come true to join the company and tour the country performing this iconic ballet. I was surrounded by such inspiring dancers, and being able to work alongside them made the secondment an unforgettable experience. One of the first RNZB productions that I ever watched was The Nutcracker, so to then be part of it as my very first professional ballet season is a full circle moment that I will forever cherish and be grateful for.
Photo credits: Stephen A’Court
Pictured below as a Snowflake in Ty King-Wall’s The Nutcracker, 2025
Charlotte Willis
What are you most excited about in the upcoming seasons this year and why?
I’m most excited for Stand to Reason by Andrea Schermoly in the Winter Season and Sleeping Beauty by Greg Horsman at the end of the year. I remember watching Stand to Reason when RNZB first performed it in 2018 and feeling so empowered by its message while being completely mesmerized by the choreography. I loved it so much that I actually bought a second ticket to see it again! I’m also really excited for Sleeping Beauty because it’s such an iconic, timeless ballet, and I already know I’m going to love the costumes and choreography.
What has been or would be your favourite ballet to dance?
My favourite ballet that I have danced is Swan Lake by Russell Kerr, which RNZB performed in 2024. It was a dream come true to perform such a beautiful and iconic ballet, and it was made even more special because it was my first time back on stage after six months away due to injury.
As a student at the NZSD you seconded with the RNZB can you tell us what that experience was like?
As a student at NZSD, I had the opportunity to second with RNZB three times, and each time I felt incredibly welcomed into the RNZB whānau. It can be intimidating dancing alongside people who were my idols growing up, but at the same time it’s incredibly exciting and inspiring to watch and dance beside them. Being able to experience the professional company environment while still training was such a valuable learning experience. I also loved the touring life and getting to perform in different theatres around New Zealand and spending that time with friends made the experience even more special. The bond between NZSD and RNZB is such an important one, and I feel very lucky to have been able to experience it while still in training.
Photo credits: Stephen A’Court
Pictured below as a Kowhai Flower in Ty King-Wall’s The Nutcracker, 2025
Breyah Takitimu
What are you most excited about in the upcoming seasons this year and why?
I am really looking forward to the Winter Season because I have always been passionate about all styles of dance. It’s exciting to have the opportunity to perform both classical and contemporary repertoire within one season.
What made you want to join the Royal New Zealand Ballet?
I grew up continually captivated by the Royal New Zealand Ballet and looked forward to every performance. It is such a privilege to now join the company, learning from and performing alongside some of the dancers who first inspired me. My family and friends are also very important to me, so getting to perform for them in my home country is a dream come true.
What has been, or would be, your favourite ballet to dance?
My favourite ballet that I have performed so far would have to be either Paquita or Reflections by Gerald Arpino – these pieces were very rewarding to work on and perform.
It would be a dream to dance Giselle or William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated.
Photo credit: Stephen A’Court
Pictured below as a Manuka flower, alongside fellow RNZB members in Ty King-Wall’s The Nutcracker, 2025
Padraic (Paddy) Lum
What are you most excited about in the upcoming seasons this year and why?
I am excited to finish off this season’s tour of Macbeth, as it is my first time experiencing the creation of a full-length ballet, which I feel grateful to be able to perform in my first year with the company.
I am also excited for Sleeping Beauty to wear the lavish costumes and perform in one of the most renowned works in classical ballet. Having performed smaller excerpts of The Sleeping Beauty with The Australian Ballet’s National Tour, it has been a dream of mine to participate in the full-length production.
In 3 words what does ballet mean to you?
Ballet to me means freedom, refinement and creation.
Ballet is one of those things which allows you to be free and explore your body’s capabilities, whilst retaining a level of structure and technique which rivals the demands of sporting athletes. The nuanced and often fine line between artistic interpretation and technical competency can feel challenging to traverse, but through this blend of freedom and refinement you are able to bring to life a creation of pure human expression, interpretation and physicality.
Photo credits: Stephen A’Court
Pictured below as Malcolm, alongside fellow RNZB dancers, in Alice Topp’s Macbeth, 2026
Ethan Dwyer
What are you most excited about in the upcoming seasons this year and why?
As this will be my first season with The Royal New Zealand Ballet and my first time in the country, I am very excited to go on tour with the company and experience different places I haven’t seen before. Also being able to perform in different, unique theatres will be very memorable for me.
Who in the dance world inspires you?
I have been inspired by so many different people throughout my time dancing. I found the most inspiration and learnt the most from time spent in the studio with the incredible teachers I have had in the past. I will never forget the valuable knowledge they would give me before a show that inspires me every time I perform on stage.
How have your first few months been? What have you been doing?
I have had a wonderful time in my first few months with The Royal New Zealand Ballet. Getting to be part of a work like Macbeth has been an amazing learning experience and I have really enjoyed discovering what company life is like.
Photo credit: Stephen A’Court
Pictured below in the Banquet scene of Alice Topp’s Macbeth, 2026
