The Royal New Zealand Ballet Will Perform 'Swan Lake' Across Aotearoa This May

The Royal New Zealand Ballet will be enchanting Aotearoa this May with a new rendition of Swan Lake. From Wednesday, May 1–Thursday, June 2, the ballet company will be taking flight across the country in a production last performed over a decade ago and inspired by the Royal Ballet's former Artistic Director, the late Russell Kerr.

The Royal Ballet's current Artistic Director Ty King-Wall said the production will resonate with audiences throughout New Zealand, who may recall attending Swan Lake in 2013. King-Wall said Kerr's presence will be felt throughout the piece, making the famously stirring production even more emotional.

"With Russell's passing in 2022, our season is imbued with even more emotion, as we recognise his incredible talent and honour one of the true luminaries of ballet in Aotearoa," King-Wall said. "Swan Lake's themes of hope, deception, betrayal, and forgiveness continue to resonate so powerfully."

The production's score will be performed by orchestras all over country, with the Auckland Philharmonia accompanying the company in Tāmaki Makaurau, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Wellington and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in Ōtautahi.

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's Principal Conductor Hamish McKeich said of the ballet's much-celebrated music: "Many would say Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake is the most iconic and pure ballet score ever written," McKeich said. "Certainly the music is packed with all the drama you'd want, and glorious moments abound with seemingly endless inventiveness."

Principal ballet dancer Mayu Tanigaito will be performing the dual starring role of Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, a part she said she has been working towards for her entire 12 years as a professional dancer.

This production should be well worth the wait.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet will be performing 'Swan Lake' in Auckland, Wellington, Napier, Invercargill, Dunedin and Christchurch from Wednesday, May 1–Thursday, June 2. For exact dates and book tickets, head to the company's website.