Ballet Company In Rehearsal

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31904, 4 February 1969, Page 8

Ballet Company In Rehearsal

The New Zealand Ballet begun full-scale rehearsals for its first major commitments of the year with guest principals and a choreographer from overseas and its complement of dancers increased by one-third over 1968. The guest principals are the former Royal Ballet dancer, Patricia Cox, and Gerard Sibbritt, here for three months by arrangement with the Australian Ballet. Miss Cox and Mr Sibbritt have already begun work with the company under Ray Powell, the guest choreographer from Melbourne. He has been ballet master to the Australian Ballet since its inception. Mr Powell’s “Charade” and “One in Five” were televised nationally last winter. On this,

his third visit to the company, he will produce “Just for Fun” and create an original version of “Cinderella” which will be given its premiere at the Auckland Festival on March 20. Back from leave of absence for specialised study in London are two prominent members of the New Zealand Ballet, Gillian Francis and Pamela Meakins. Miss Meakins graduated last year from the London Institute of Choreology and has been appointed to the staff of the company as assistant to the producers. Five graduates of the National School of Ballet have joined the corps de ballet. They are Jan Blanch, Jenny Barton, Pamela Carson, MaryJane McDonald and Patricia Smith. This is the first intake of dancers trained under the auspices of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council.