2023
New work by Moss Te Ururangi Patterson
$10,000 – Supported by the Auckland En Pointe Patrons
As part of Lightscapes, the RNZB commissioned a brand-new work from Moss Te Ururangi Patterson (Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Pukenga, Ngati Rahiri) inspired by haka and powered by the strength of the men of the Company. Auckland En Pointe Patrons contributed to the choreographic fee for this work.
Set and costumes for Logos by Alice Topp
$10,000 – Supported by the Wellington En Pointe Patrons
Alice Topp presented the New Zealand premiere of Logos, a work created for The Australian Ballet in 2020. Wellington En Pointe Patrons supported the cost of hiring the set (a gigantic glass foil screen) and costumes from The Australian Ballet.
Requiem for a Rose staging
$10,000 – Supported by the Auckland En Pointe Patrons
As part of Lightscapes, the RNZB presented the New Zealand premiere of a work by Colombian-Belgian choreographer Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa. Auckland En Pointe Patrons contributed to the cost of staging this work. Auckland En Pointe Patrons contributed to the staging of this work.
Dancers’ pointe shoes
$25,000 from Wellington and Auckland En Pointe Patrons
En Pointe Patrons voted to support the RNZB in one of the most practical ways, by providing vital support to keep the dancers ‘on their toes’. $25,000 bought 250 pairs of pointe shoes, around two and a half months’ worth of pointe shoes for the women.
Ballet in a Box, Auckland
Supported by Andy Coster and Fran Wyborn
Ballet in a Box is a magical introduction to the world of ballet for school children of all ages. RNZB held four performances in September at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau, reaching 2050 school children.
The programme included a performance of a new ballet, ‘Tiaho Pō’, followed by free workshops incorporating elements of the performance. Performances were narrated in English or in Te Reo Māori, with a relaxed performance (catering for neurodiverse audiences).
DANCE WITH ME Residency, Auckland
Supported by Andy Coster
A collaboration with the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau involving workshops and a performance.
150 students from 6 low decile schools in the Auckland Region took part in the programme. A series of weekly dance workshops delivered by two RNZB Dance Educators, which culminated in a shared performance on stage of the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau. For many students it was their first-time stepping foot on a professional stage!
Royal New Zealand Ballet Foundation Scholarship
Supported by Anonymous
This Scholarship supports a young Kiwi dancer at the Royal New Zealand Ballet as they work to realise their potential in this most demanding of professions. The Royal New Zealand Ballet Foundation Scholar sits alongside the two Friedlander Foundation Scholars and the long-standing and prestigious Todd Scholar, expanding the pathways available for talented young New Zealanders to pursue professional careers in dance in Aotearoa.
The 2023 Royal New Zealand Ballet Foundation Scholar is Ema Takahashi.