Wellington gets Leaps & Sounds treat

STACEY KIRK

A collaboration of two of New Zealand's classical powerhouses has been years in coming, so it is not surprising that tickets for the free performances were snapped up within a day.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) will perform together for the first time in six years in Leaps & Sounds next month in Wellington.

Fans will be treated to nine world premieres of short works choreographed by RNZB dancers to music by composers, all under the age of 25, from the NZSO's Young Originals Todd Corporation Young Composers Award.

NZSO chief executive Christopher Blake said the collaboration would open up the arts to a wider audience while at the same time, supporting its up-and-coming talent.

"The collaboration, between two of our national performing arts companies, aims to nurture young talent and provide audiences with free access to these works performed, by the country's leading musicians and dancers."

Each choreographer selected music from the NZSO Todd Corporation Young Composers Award recordings archive.

The dancers had a minimum of 40 hours to create their work and were also responsible for casting fellow RNZB dancers and designing costumes for their piece.

RNZB artistic director Ethan Stiefel said the dancers have relished the opportunity to take creative control.

"Our dancers are enjoying the opportunity to choreograph their own work on their colleagues.  Furthermore, the collaboration with the NZSO means that they are able to work with original New Zealand music and have their creation performed to live symphonic music. We are delighted that this event has come to fruition."

Several of the selected compositions were created when the composers were only 15 years old and, although recorded by the NZSO, have never before been performed live for an audience.  Hamish McKeich will conduct the NZSO in the two performances of one hour each.

*The RNZB and NZSO will give two performances of Leaps and Sounds on June 16 at 4.30 and 7.30pm at the Michael Fowler Centre

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