Tū Ignite

Hip hop and contemporary dance holiday programme | $250

Calling all wahine and tane aged 14 – 18!  We’re excited to announce our very first Tū Ignite programme.  This four-day recreational holiday programme is for dancers of all backgrounds and levels of ability.  Expect workshops in contemporary dance, hip-hop and more that will keep you moving in new and innovative ways.

Tū Ignite teachers include New Zealand School of Dance tutors, guest teachers from The Company NZ in Wellington and other incredible dance artists.

Discover new skills, refine movements and explore ideas these winter holidays!

Tū: the action of standing or rising
Ignite: The flames of creativity, leadership and confidence in rangatahi

Tū Ignite workshops are also available to schools and communities by prior arrangement.  NZSD has already made arrangements with secondary schools in Auckland. If you’re interested in hosting a Tū Ignite workshop for your school or community, please contact us.
Image: 2021 NZSD 3rd Yr contemporary dance students. Photography by Stephen A’Court

Wellington Pathways: Information sharing on studying at NZSD

A series of informal talks for young dancers interested in the pathway to full-time study at the New Zealand School of Dance.

NZSD faculty provide insights from the School’s perspective and answer questions on:

  • The programmes at NZSD
  • What to expect from full-time dance training
  • How to apply
  • What it takes to audition successfully

As a national institution and the Official School of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the New Zealand School of Dance remains committed to providing exceptional dance training and developing well-rounded dancers who can succeed at the highest level.

Click Here to Register
Wednesday 14 July, 18.15 pm – 19.15 pm
Te Whaea National Dance & Drama Centre, Newtown

Free to attend
Maximum 2 seats per booking

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.

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, NijinskyFrame by FrameChaconneEtudesPaquitaThe Second DetailThe Vertiginous Thrill of ExactitudeGenusWatch herBeing and NothingnessAngels’ AtlasEmergenceCarousel (A Dance)Piano Concerto #1Paz de la JollaSpectre de la RoseThe 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 BeautyGiselleCinderellaThe Winter’s TaleNijinskyAnna KareninaThe Merry WidowManonFrame by FrameA Streetcar Named DesireLa SylphideThe Four SeasonsThe ConcertChaconneAllegro BrillanteSymphony #9Carousel (A Dance)The Second DetailApproximate Sonata 2016ChromaGenusAngels’ AtlasEmergenceCactiPetite MortPaz de la JollaNightOrpheus Alive and The Dreamers Ever Leave You.

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.

NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL OF DANCE RECEIVES TAONGA

Sir Tīmoti Karetū, New Zealand’s first Māori Language Commissioner and a respected exponent of the spoken and performing arts, has gifted the New Zealand School of Dance (NZSD) the phrase ‘Kia kōrero te katoa o te tinana’. Sir Tīmoti’s words, translated by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, the Māori Language Commission, as ‘Let the body do all of the talking’, embodies the philosophy of the School and recognises its commitment to honouring Te Ao Māori as a central tenet in educating young dancers.

Chair of the NZSD Board of Trustees, Peter Mersi feels strongly that the School needs to wear proudly its commitment to Māori kaupapa, explaining, “As New Zealand’s national dance school, we want all our students to feel they can bring their whole selves to the School, to recognise where we have come from, and to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Sir Tīmoti’s gift to the School speaks to the heart of what our students strive for.”

The School will incorporate this taonga into its identity as it enters a new era. In 2021 NZSD students will be among the first to study towards the NZ Diploma in Dance. This new qualification includes credits covering Tikanga Māori, Māori history, language and culture, and Haka Pōwhiri, complimenting the practical training in ballet and contemporary dance that the School excels in.

The NZSD has a strong tradition of embracing tikanga Māori, with all students learning Kapa Haka and welcoming guests with powhiri. For NZSD Director Garry Trinder this is important; “The School’s Board, staff, students and alumni are ready to ensure their kaupapa has depth and integrity. The weight is considerable, with everyone assuming responsibility in every breath and every step to represent history, lore, culture and tradition”.  

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 IIHere & 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.

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.

New students welcome

We begin every year with a pōwhiri to welcome new students and staff to our whānau. We welcomed Daniel Jaber, contemporary dance tutor, and the 1st Yr students on Wednesday the 29th of January. Here are photographs taken of the event.

We wish all our new and returning students and staff an invigorating, inspiring year ahead.

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!

Reviews: Graduation Season 2019

The show is incredible. From musical choice to choreography to performance, it is a brilliant achievement in expression an emotion from established students to the up-and-comers.
As P.T Barnum said “Always leave them wanting more.” – The Wellington App

Wellington, NZ. 19.11.2019. Velociraptor, from the New Zealand School of Dance’s Graduation Season 2019. Choreography by Scott Ewen. Rehearsed by by Paula Steeds-Huston and Victoria Colombus. Te Whaea Theatre, Wellington. Photo credit: Stephen A’Court. COPYRIGHT ©Stephen A’Court

A thrilling line-up of works that don’t disappoint! This is what the New Zealand School of Dance’s Graduation Season 2019 delivers. A diverse range of classical ballet and contemporary dance works, choreographed by acclaimed New Zealand and international artists.

Susan Bendell from Dance Australia wrote that classical ballet students “showed great presence with crisp, well-defined work” and contemporary dance students performed with “maturity and polish”.

Dierdre Tarrant said she “left the theatre in admiration of and exhilarated by the talent from all concerned”, while Bridgette Knight wrote “a great variety of choreographic offerings, ensuring the audience are thoroughly entertained during the performance”. These Theatreview reviews can be found here and here.

For more photographs of Graduation Season 2019, visit our Gallery

Lizzie Murray from Art Murmurs‘ review opens “Power, grace and creativity shine as part of this year’s New Zealand School of Dance Graduation Season…Together the pieces deliver strong bonds on stage and with the audience. Graduation 2019 promises a crisp glimpse into each students’ bright future in dance.”

We also appreciated the reviews from Jennifer Shennan (MichellePotter.org) and Tania Kopytko (from DANZ). The understanding that NZSD is preparing these talented young people for professional careers in dance, and that “Graduation season always displays the talent and enthusiasm of graduating dancers “.

The School is proud to present a varied programme of classical ballet and contemporary dance works that challenge our students to explore and push their edges and in-turn invites the audience to do the same. The season must end on 30th November. Only a few seats are left – book your seat now.

NZSD Foundation announces 2020 scholarship recipient

Foundation members congratulate Eden Kew

Patrons of the New Zealand School of Dance Foundation gathered at the School to celebrate the announcement of the second recipient of the Foundation’s scholarship.

At the event, held on Thursday 24 October, Chair of the Foundation, Andrew Stewart announced that the NZSD Foundation has offered its second full-fee scholarship for the 2020 academic year to contemporary dance student Eden Kew.

Since joining the New Zealand School of Dance, Eden has excelled in both ballet and contemporary dance. He is majoring in contemporary dance, but enjoys the exploration that comes from being able to combine his skills as an acrobat, classical and contemporary dancer.

This year Eden has represented NZSD in Auckland at the Pacific Dance Festival, Kokomai in the Wairarapa and Expressions in Upper Hutt. He also was selected to join the Sydney Dance Company for a week secondment. And next year Eden has been invited to represent the school in Tahiti.

His tutors have said that Eden is a wonderful, exemplary young man. He has an open minded approach and willingness to learn from others, qualities appreciated by the tutors and choreographers that he has worked with..

Grateful thanks to the NZSD Foundation patrons for sharing our vision to recognise and support young peoples’ dreams and ambition to dance.

Tessa Karle, NZSD Board of Trustees Chair Peter Mersi, Jordan Lennon
Tessa Karle, Pip and Doctor Russell Ballard, Jane and Denis Kikcaldie, Jordan Lennon
NZSD Director Garry Trinder, Wendy Weber, Jelle Sjoerdsma
NZSD Head of Contemporary Dance Paula Steeds-Huston, Analee and Dennis Emery, Franky Drousioti, Eden Kew

We thank our Inaugural Patrons, who were instrumental in getting the Foundation off the ground, and those people who have joined the Patrons programme this year.

Annual giving will help grow the Foundation and enable us to provide a new scholarship each year to a student in need.

If you’d like to find out more about supporting the NZSD Foundation, contact Elizabeth Isaacs | Elizabeth.Isaacs@nzschoolofdance.ac.nz