Tag: Classical Ballet

Auditions, Events, Updates

Full Time Auditions Update

All of us at NZSD have been hopeful that the full-time auditions could go ahead as planned in Auckland. Regrettably we are no longer able to make the trip to Auckland for live auditions as the Level 3 lockdown in Auckland, Northland and parts of the Waikato continues.

Therefore we will be accepting digital auditions from applicants in these regions and look forward to receiving these as early as possible (31 October at the latest).   This applies to those interested in our full-time programme and anyone wanting to join our Associates. Comprehensive Digital Audition Guidelines have been prepared.  Please click on the button to view and download them. 

Digital Auditions Guideline

We recognise that lockdown is a stressful time for everyone.   But even in these uncertain times, although we are physically apart, we are in this together.  Kia kaha Aotearoa!

A morning with Harrison James & Ben Rudisin

Observe Ben Rudisin & Harrison James teach the classical ballet students of the New Zealand School of Dance 

$20 per person  | General Admission

NZSD offers an intimate experience watching Ben Rudisin teaching the 1st Year classical ballet students, while concurrently, Harrison James will teach the 2nd and 3rd Year classical ballet students. This will be followed by tea and a Q&A, with NZSD Director Garry Trinder interviewing Ben and James on their journeys in dance.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

  • 10.00 – 11.30 am Dance Studio 4: Ben Rudison teaching 1st Yr classical ballet students *
  • 10.00 – 11.30 Dance Studio 2: Harrison James teaching the 2nd and 3rd Year classical ballet students*
  • 11.30 – 12.00 Refreshments
  • 12.00 – 12.30 Q&A

*Patrons will be at liberty to move from one studio to another at appropriate junctures in the class.

REGISTER HERE

About Harrison James

Harrison James was born in Paraparaumu, New Zealand and trained at San Francisco Ballet School’s Trainee Program in California and the New Zealand School of Dance. He danced with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Béjart Ballet Lausanne before joining The National Ballet of Canada in 2013 as a member of the Corps de Ballet. Harrison was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2016.

Recently, Harrison made his debut as Eurydice in the world premiere of Orpheus Alive and Armand in Marguerite and Armand. He has danced such lead roles as Leontes and Polixenes in The Winter’s Tale, Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Peter/The Nutcracker in The Nutcracker, Lensky in Onegin, Albrecht in Giselle, James in La Sylphide, Jack/The Knave of Hearts and Raj/Caterpillar in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Count Danilo Dailowitch in The Merry Widow, Vronsky in Anna Karenina, L’Aviateur in Le Petit Prince, Des Grieux in Manon, the title role in Apollo, Oberon in The Dream and Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire. His repertoire includes Swan Lake, Nijinsky, Frame by Frame, Chaconne, Etudes, Paquita, The Second Detail, The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, Genus, Watch her, Being and Nothingness, Angels’ Atlas, Emergence, Carousel (A Dance), Piano Concerto #1, Paz de la Jolla, Spectre de la Rose, The Dreamers Ever Leave You and The Sea Above, The Sky Below.

In 2019, Harrison won the Rolex Dancers First Award for his performance as Alexei Vronsky in Anna Karenina, Oberon in The Dream and the title role in Apollo. In 2015, he was awarded the Patron Award of Merit by the Patrons’ Council Committee of The National Ballet of Canada.

About Ben Rudisin

Ben Rudison. Photo by Aleksander Antonijevic

Ben Rudisin was born in Woodbridge, Virginia and trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem and Houston Ballet II in Texas. Ben joined The National Ballet of Canada as a RBC Apprentice in 2013 and was promoted to First Soloist in 2019.

Ben has danced such lead roles as Diaghilev in Nijinsky, Rothbart in Swan Lake, Prince Gremin in Onegin and the male lead in Being and Nothingness as well as Paris in Romeo and Juliet, Icicle in The Nutcracker, The Mad Hatter in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, L’Allumeur in Le Petit Prince. His repertoire includes roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Cinderella, The Winter’s Tale, Nijinsky, Anna Karenina, The Merry Widow, Manon, Frame by Frame, A Streetcar Named Desire, La Sylphide, The Four Seasons, The Concert, Chaconne, Allegro Brillante, Symphony #9, Carousel (A Dance), The Second Detail, Approximate Sonata 2016, Chroma, Genus, Angels’ Atlas, Emergence, Cacti, Petite Mort, Paz de la Jolla, Night, Orpheus Alive and The Dreamers Ever Leave You.

Events, Uncategorized

Summer Intensive 2021

Thank-you to all the talented and enthusiastic participants of the School’s inaugural Summer Intensive. We thoroughly enjoyed starting the new school year with you!

Save the dates for Winter School 2021, where we hope to dance with all of you again: 12 – 16 July 2021.

All photography below by Julia Forsyth of Joyful Dance Photography.

There & Then | Here & Now

Presenting iconic classical ballet repertoire and exciting new contemporary dance works in an intimate studio setting.

The New Zealand School of Dance (NZSD) presents Then & There | Here & Now: an eclectic programme celebrating the creativity, talent and resilience of the School’s students and tutors in an informal and relaxed setting.

Then & There is a collection of quintessential classical ballet repertoire including the iconic La Sylphide – Act II.  Here & Now is a presentation of enthralling contemporary dance works. Three of these were choreographed by talented New Zealanders and School alumni.

Experience the thrill of live performance in the studio where the students train – providing a  first-hand experience of the School and its dancers.  Be there to salute the next generation of dance talent.

BOOK TICKETS

The ballet and contemporary dance programmes will be performed on alternate evenings in Studio 1 at Te Whaea: National Dance and Drama Centre, Wellington.

Patrons attending these performances will be required to sign-in to Te Whaea using the Covid Tacer app, or sign-in by hand leaving your contact details for contact tracing purposes.

Hand sanitiser stations will be available throughout the venue and paper masks are accessible upon entry to the dance studio where the performances will take place.

As our priority is to keep our students and our community safe, seating is limited for these performances.

Updates

It’s a wrap

Heartfelt thanks to the supporters, students and staff of the New Zealand School of Dance. This year has seen many successes because of your hard work, dedication and commitment.

Highlights this year included outstanding achievements by three NZSD classical ballet students at the Alana Haines Australasian Awards and fabulous reviews for performances at our Choreographic Season, Tempo Dance Festival and Graduation Season.

2019 3rd Yr classical ballet and contemporary dance students at the Graduation Ceremony

The talented and inspired classical ballet and contemporary dance graduates of 2019 have seen their dedication and perseverance pay dividends. Twenty three of these passionate young people have signed contracts with prestigious dance companies around the world. We wish them every success as their careers take flight.

Of course, none of this can be possible without you and the support, funding and grants the School receives throughout the year. Your commitment helps to provide funding for our performance seasons, scholarships and visiting tutors. This help enables our talented young people fulfil their potential – the impact of this is profound and beyond measure.

From all of us here at the New Zealand School of Dance, we hope that you enjoy a relaxing festive season, and look forward to sharing more successes with you in 2020!