The Royal New Zealand Ballet knows how keenly its loyal followers are missing their dose of pirouettes and pas de deux so starting on Friday April 3, it will offer free broadcasts of recent performances via Facebook Premiere.

The move follows the decision by RNZ Ballet to postpone its May – July season of Venus Rising to August – September 2020 and to cancel its season of Dangerous Liaisons to accommodate this.

If you have tickets for either ballet, you will be contacted after April 20 to discuss options for re-booking, exchanges, donations and refunds. If you do not yet have tickets to Venus Rising, RNZB asks you to check in with them after April 20 for an update on the rescheduled performances.

In the meantime, gather up the ballet fans in your bubble and tune in to Facebook Premiere over the weekend. The first ballet for broadcast is Christmas 2019’s acclaimed production of Hansel & Gretel, choreographed by Loughlan Prior, with an original score by Claire Cowan and designs by Kate Hawley. This was filmed onstage at the Opera House in Wellington in November 2019.

The cast includes Kirby Selchow and Shaun James Kelly in the title roles, Katharine Precourt as The Ice Cream Witch and Paul Mathews as her monstrous alter ego, The Witch Transformed. Orchestra Wellington are in the pit, under the baton of conductor Hamish McKeich.

‘‘Last year, audiences around New Zealand fell in love with our zany production of Hansel & Gretel’’ says RNZB Artistic Director Patricia Barker. ‘‘Being faced with so much uncertainty as we are glued to our televisions for any good news, we at the RNZB thought we could all use a little extra sweetness and pick-me-up. We are so pleased to be able to share this special ballet, 100% made in New Zealand, with audiences again.’’

Executive Director Lester McGrath says people don’t need a Facebook account to enjoy the broadcasts. ‘‘We encourage anyone and everyone with internet access to make the most of this great opportunity to connect with their national ballet company.’’

The performance will be broadcast three times over the weekend to enable audiences of all ages to enjoy it. The times are:

• Friday April 3, 7.30pm
• Saturday April 4, 1.30pm
• Sunday April 5, 10.30am.

The performance lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes, plus a brief interval between the two acts to make a cup of coffee and grab a slice of gingerbread.

Alongside full productions, RNZB Education is putting together a wealth of digital resources for people of all ages staying at home. The company’s NCEA resources are available online, while the Ballet Masters and Dance Educators are developing online classes for the young and young at heart, online workshops for primary and secondary schools and balletic exercises for seniors, including dance moves and exercises which can be done sitting down.

rnzb.org.nz/shows/live-in-your-living-room-hansel-gretel/