A new Alice in Wonderland by Sarah Foster-Sproull, the New Zealand premiere of Lucette Aldous’ Don Quixote and works by Marius Petipa, Dani Rowe and Christopher Wheeldon will feature in Royal New Zealand Ballet’s 2027 season.
The program combines full-length storytelling with a winter triple bill and a new interactive production for children, with performances touring throughout New Zealand from April to December.
Artistic Director Ty King-Wall says the season celebrates ballet’s breadth and its capacity for expression and connection.
“From the exuberance of Don Quixote to the extraordinary precision of Kingdom of the Shades, the beauty of For Pixie and Fool’s Paradise, and the imaginative world of Alice in Wonderland, this is a season filled with contrast and colour.”
Lucette Aldous’ Don Quixote crosses the Tasman
The season opens in April with the New Zealand premiere of Aldous’ Don Quixote, originally created for West Australian Ballet in 2010.
The production has a particular resonance for audiences on both sides of the Tasman. New Zealand-born Aldous became one of Australian ballet’s most celebrated dancers, renowned for her interpretation of Kitri, including opposite Rudolf Nureyev.
Her staging follows the romance of Kitri and Basilio through the Spanish setting of the classical comedy, with the would-be knight Don Quixote helping and hindering their progress. Matadors, fan dances and comic encounters frame the virtuoso dancing and pas de deux for which the ballet is known.
The production features sets and costumes by Allan Lees OAM. Ludwig Minkus’ score will be performed live by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Philharmonia, conducted by Hamish McKeich.
Opening at Wellington’s St James Theatre on 15 April, Don Quixote will tour to Auckland, Palmerston North, Napier, Hamilton and Christchurch.
Petipa, Rowe and Wheeldon in the Winter Season
July’s Winter Season brings together three works spanning classical and contemporary ballet, including RNZB’s first performances of Kingdom of the Shades from Act III of La Bayadère.
Petipa’s celebrated scene places the corps de ballet at the centre of a demanding exercise in precision, control and unity. Its procession of white-clad dancers offers a substantial classical challenge for the company.
Dani Rowe’s For Pixie provides a more intimate counterpoint. The pas de deux draws on Nina Simone’s Wild is the Wind and the complex, passionate relationship between the choreographer’s grandparents.
The program closes with the New Zealand premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Fool’s Paradise. Set to a score by Joby Talbot, with designs by Narciso Rodriguez, the neoclassical work brings a contrasting movement language to the bill.
The Winter Season will be performed in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch from 15–31 July.
A new Wonderland from Sarah Foster-Sproull
RNZB Choreographer-in-Residence Sarah Foster-Sproull will create the company’s major new production for the end of the year: a world premiere of Alice in Wonderland, opening in Wellington on 28 October.
The production brings together a New Zealand creative team to reimagine Lewis Carroll’s story, with Alice’s curiosity and independence at its centre. The White Rabbit, Queen of Hearts, Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat will populate a world drawing on childhood reading, drawing and outdoor adventure.
Foster-Sproull’s approach combines the imagery of John Tenniel’s illustrations with pop-up books, painted backdrops, puppetry and theatrical illusion. The staging will emphasise the physical craft of live theatre to realise Wonderland’s transformations.
Sets and costumes will be designed by Emma Kingsbury, whose previous work for RNZB includes its 2022 Cinderella. Eden Mulholland will compose an original score, performed live at every venue by an onstage ensemble of multi-instrumentalists.
The six-city tour runs through to 19 December, taking in Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Auckland and Palmerston North after its Wellington premiere.
Ballet Zoo welcomes young audiences
Alongside its mainstage seasons, RNZB will introduce Ballet Zoo, a 30-minute interactive performance designed for children.
The story follows a zookeeper searching for a missing kiwi, encountering a whānau of ballet animals along the way. Drawing on classical works including The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, the production offers an introduction to ballet through familiar creatures, movement and play.
Free dance workshops and character meet-and-greet sessions will accompany the performances, giving children opportunities to participate beyond watching the show.
Ballet Zoo will be presented in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch in July and August, alongside the Winter Season tour.
Royal New Zealand Ballet 2027 tour dates
Don Quixote
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Wellington: St James Theatre, 15–17 April
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Auckland: Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, 22–24 April
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Palmerston North: Regent on Broadway, 28 April
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Napier: Municipal Theatre, 1–2 May
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Hamilton: BNZ Theatre, 7–8 May
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Christchurch: Isaac Theatre Royal, 13–15 May
Winter Season
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Wellington: St James Theatre, 15–17 July
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Auckland: Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, 22–24 July
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Christchurch: Isaac Theatre Royal, 30–31 July
Ballet Zoo
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Wellington: St James Theatre, 18 July
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Auckland: Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, 25 July
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Christchurch: Isaac Theatre Royal, 1 August
Alice in Wonderland
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Wellington: St James Theatre, 28 October–7 November
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Christchurch: Isaac Theatre Royal, 11–14 November
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Dunedin: Regent Theatre, 19–21 November
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Hamilton: BNZ Theatre, 26–28 November
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Auckland: Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, 2–12 December
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Palmerston North: Regent on Broadway, 17–19 December
For further information, visit Royal New Zealand Ballet.