Ross Brown
Stephen A’Court
Above, from top: Principal Kihiro Kusukami and first artist Catarina Estévez Collins in Birthday Offering. Former soloist Caroline Wiley in Ultra Folly. Principal Mayu Tanigato (front) and former soloist Caroline Wiley in Stand to Reason, 2018.
It’s a triple bill for the winter season at the Royal New Zealand Ballet, commencing July 16 and running till August 1, 2026, in association with Viking, another organization with which this publication has had a long connection.
The New Zealand première of Sir Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of its première at the Royal Ballet. Creator of the English style, Ashton (1904–88) was the founding choreographer of the Royal Ballet, before becoming director. The one-act Birthday Offering, created for the Royal Ballet’s quarter-century, is considered his masterpiece and one of the great ballets of the 20th century. The original cast included Margot Fonteyn, Beryl Grey, Svetlana Beriosova, Nadia Nerina, Violetta Elvin, Elaine Fifield, Rowena Jackson, Philip Chatfield, Bryan Ashbridge and Alexander Grant. The high level of skill involved in Birthday Offering means it is rarely performed.
Sarah Foster-Sproull’s Ultra Folly is a contemporary ballet exploring ‘intimacy, restraint and the fragile nature of human connection,’ says the company, and was originally created for the RNZB in 2020. It was inspired by la Folía, the musical theme that potentially dates back to the 15th century, and explores themes of touch, distance, desire, and vulnerability. It was recently performed in London as part of the Royal Ballet’s International Draft Works.
Finally, Andrea Schermoly’s Stand to Reason celebrates ‘courage, conviction and collective action,’ a contemporary work featuring eight women and marking the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in Aotearoa New Zealand. It draws inspiration from the 1888 Ten Reasons Why a Woman Should Vote pamphlet. Having missed the performance in 2019, Lucire looks forward to this powerful ballet which examines women challenging the status quo.
RNZB artistic director Ty King-Wall said, ‘These three works reflect in very different ways New Zealand’s history, and the evolution of dance in this country. Audiences will experience three uplifting works of immense power and stylistic diversity. They provide both a challenge and a testament to the strength, skill and stamina of our dancers. This is a celebration of the ways in which ballet can offer not only escapism, but also introspection. We are honoured to dedicate our 2026 winter season in honour of the late Matz Skoog, whom we miss greatly but whose legacy we deeply cherish.’
The première of the season will be at the St James Theatre, Wellington on July 16, with performances running through the 18th, before travelling to Auckland for July 23–5 at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre at the Aotea Centre, then July 31–August 1 at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch. Further information and booking can be found at the RNZB website.
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