First National Ballet School

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30938, 20 December 1965, Page 13

First National Ballet School

(Ntw Zealand Preu AMoeiattonJ WELLINGTON, Dec. 16. The Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council will establish New Zealand’s first National School of Ballet in the New Year. The chairman of the council (Mr G. G. G. Watson) announced this today.

Applications would be called immediately for a director of the school to receive between £l5OO and £2OOO, according to qualifications and experience. The school would have close liaison with the New Zealand Ballet Trust and would be controlled by a body with links with both the trust and the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council.

Mr Watson said that as general educational facilities would not be available immediately, entrance for fulltime training would be confined to students who had completed their secondary education. In the interests of the profession, these students should have at least obtained school certificate. The school would be organised so that students attending secondary school would be catered for after school hours, he said. Mr Watson said the establishment of the ballet school was part of an “Ideal scheme” being investigated by a subcommittee of the council.

This scheme envisaged a permanent drama, music and ballet school. “This ballet school is a major step forward for the arts in New Zealand and will be of great value to the ballet trust and to the profession generally. “The school will start in a small way but will undoubtedly grow,” he said. Full-Time The school would eventually become a full-time training school which in its initial stages would be controlled by a steering committee appointed by the council. The steering committee would Include a representative of the Education Department The ballet committee of the council had budgeted £lO,OOO for the establishment of the school. When the director had been appointed and premises obtained. a curriculum and a scholarships and bursaries programme would be worked out. The school would start as soon as possible in the New Year. Tnut Policy The deputy chairman of the Ballet Trust (Mr F. W. Petre) said the establishment of such a school was accepted as trust policy at its inaugural meeting in April, 1960.

“We are wholeheartedly in support of the whole concept,” Mr Petro said. “My board is warmly appreciative of the council’s suggestion that the Ballet Trust should have active membership in the controlling body of the school. “The importance of this school cannot be overemphasised as far as the New Zealand ballet is concerned. “It brings our company into line with major companies overseas and we feel that the council’s far-sighted action represents confidence in the New Zealand Ballet," Mr Petre said.