BALLET RISES FROM ASHES

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31384, 1 June 1967, Page 2

BALLET RISES FROM ASHES

By Friday, March 31, everyone intimately concerned with the New Zealand Ballet knew exactly What had been lost in terms of costumes, electrical equipment back cloths, properties, makeup and the work of seven years. Yet that day, from the dancers to the artistic director, Russell Kerr, everyone said, “We will open on May 3 as scheduled."

By Sunday, April 2, the full financial extent of the loss was known and on April 3, the trust board announced an appeal for funds. Now, nine weeks later, the company has already been on tour for a full month.

Almost £6OOO has already poured in to the fire fund in large and small amounts. The money has come out of children’s money boxes, from ballet recitals, from committees that asociate themselves with the ballet’s visits in all parts of the country. Commercial firms have backed the ballet in amounts ranging from £5O to £lOOO.

Total recovery will take years, but what has been achieved so far indicates the place the New Zealand Bal-

let has won for itself in the affections of the public and the respect of the community. In one sense, the fire could not have come at a worse time. In one blow it destroyed not merely the past repertoire, but more than half of the repertoire prepared for the current tour. Yet, in another sense the disaster fired the people closely associated with the company and a new spirit is obvious. In Auckland, for example, the members of the Auckland Symphonia privately raised £B2 for the ballet and by the end of the two and a half week season, dancers and musicians were on new terms with each other.

Together they had achieved a remarkable success.