Four ballets by the Royal

Press, 30 July 1986, Page 22

Four ballets by the Royal

The "Dancing Your Way” season by The Royal New Zealand Ballet will bring four ballets to Christchurch next month. The company’s tour takes in Wanganui, New Plymouth, Christchurch, Timaru, Oamaru, Invercargill and Dunedin. The four ballets are “Serenade,” “Moko,” "Mantodea" and "Melodrame.” "Serenade,” premiered in 1935, is the signature piece of the New York Ballet. It evolved over a period of weeks in a classroom at the School of American Ballet. Balanchine ignored the traditional assignment of roles and used whatever

dancers were available during rehearsals. Balanchine himself gifted this work to The Royal New Zealand Ballet in 1975 as a tribute to the company’s artistic director, Una Kai, The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s production will feature guest artist Judy Moheky, principal dancers, Kerry-Anne Gilbert and Helen Booth, with principal dapcer, Stephen Nicholls, • and senior soloists, Ricardo Ella, Wim Koelma and Gary Doherty. “Moko” is an intrinsically New Zealand work that tells the story of Mataora and Niwareka and their role of bringing to the world of men the

art of moko or tattoo and the art of taniko or decorative weaving. The artists commissioned by the company to create this dance drama are Gaylene Sciasica, choreographer; Ross Harris, composer; Sandy Adsett, designer, and Piri Sciasica, cultural director. Head of company, Jon Trimmer, will dance the role of Uetonga, Chieftain of the Underworld and Niwareka’s father. “Mantodea,” which stole the show when it received its New Zealand premiere during the company’s “New Acquisitions” season in 1984, was danced again last year. This contemporary work spares neither the

dancer’s stamina nor the audience’s emotions in its portrayal of a man and a woman slugging it out for dominance in a danced metaphor drawn from the insect world. “Melodrame,” the fourth ballet, completes the programme. It is the work of Jack Carter, creator of the much acclaimed "Witchboy.” It is an entertaining work set in the style of the roaring twenties and early thirties. To capture the flamboyance and flair of this era, British designer, Elroy Ashmore, produced a stunning array of colourful costumes. The astringent melodies of German-bom composer, Kurt Weill, lend

their special atmosphere to the ballet The music for the ballet includes the haunting “Mack the Knife.” The guest artist for the season is New Zealander Judy Moheky. Judy Moheky was bora in Feilding, and trained locally before moving on to the National School of Ballet where she remained for two years. She graduated into the New Zealand Ballet Company where she stayed for a year before joining The Scottish Ballet in 1975. She was promoted to principal artist last year. The Christchurch season in the Theatre Royal is from August 8 to 9.