by Steve Sucato | Nov 5, 2017 | Career, Profiles
Former Pacific Northwest Ballet principal Patricia Barker has taken over as artistic director of Royal New Zealand Ballet. Barker, 54, was named to her new role in June, becoming only the second woman director in RNZB’s 64-year history and the second...
by Madeline Schrock | Jun 6, 2017 | Career, Profiles
In the latest round of “artistic director musical chairs,” Royal New Zealand Ballet has announced major news: Patricia Barker has been named the company’s new artistic director. Later this month, she’ll replace Francesco Ventriglia. The...
by Gillian Murphy | May 20, 2014 | Company Life
When I was 19 years old and in the corps de ballet of American Ballet Theatre, a domino effect of casting changes left me with three days to learn and prepare my first dramatic leading role: Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis. There was not enough time to feel...
by Jennifer Heimlich | Nov 28, 2001 | Company Life
Ethan Stiefel’s only been in charge of the Royal New Zealand Ballet for a year, but he’s already brought his signature pizazz to the company. The former ABT star is currently co-choreographing and producing a new Giselle with The Royal Ballet’s Johan...
by Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone | Nov 28, 2001 | Company Life
As choreographers like Wayne McGregor push the aesthetic boundaries of ballet, even the most contemporary work still adheres to recognizable elements of the form. There are gradations—and yes, there’s the eventual hair-splitting difference between...
by Margaret Fuhrer | Nov 28, 2001 | Company Life
Ethan Stiefel’s sojourn abroad will soon come to an end: The former American Ballet Theatre principal has not renewed his artistic director contract with Royal New Zealand Ballet. Many in the ballet world expressed surprise when Stiefel first joined the RNZB...
by Jennifer Heimlich | Nov 28, 2001 | Company Life
What makes a great ballet partnership? To most of us, it seems to be some mysterious combination of sweat and magic. Earlier this week, The New Zealand Herald posed the question to Gillian Murphy, who’s currently starring as Odette/Odile in the Royal New...
by Pointe Team | Nov 28, 2001 | Company Life
Exciting things are happening down under: To commemorate Royal New Zealand Ballet’s 60th anniversary, the company is teaming up with local fashion designer Tamsin Cooper to create a new ballet-inspired fashion line. Cooper’s collection, based on “Swan Lake” (which the...