Faint starlight peeps through the dark forest canopy. It is midnight:
the witching hour. Alone and lost, two hungry children stumble towards
a glowing vision of warmth and comfort, heaven for any child with an
empty belly and an aching heart. But all is not as it seems… For
Christmas 2019, the Royal New Zealand Ballet is proud to present a new
two-act ballet by Loughlan Prior, with a specially commissioned score
by Claire Cowan. This major premiere brings together many of New
Zealand’s creative talents to tell a timeless tale for audiences
young and old. RNZB Choreographer in Residence Loughlan Prior has
built up a significant body of work as a choreographer and filmmaker,
creating works for members of the RNZB as well as for diverse New
Zealand companies and creative partners, and for performances and film
festivals in Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the USA. Loughlan
was the winner of the RNZB’s inaugural Harry Haythorne Choreographic
Award in 2015, and in 2016 received Creative New Zealand’s Tup Lang
Choreographic Award. His The Long and The Short of It, inspired by Sir
Jon Trimmer, enchanted New Zealand audiences during 2018’s Tutus on
Tour. Claire Cowan is at the forefront of compositional talent in New
Zealand. She has received significant commissions and awards from
orchestras such as the Auckland Philharmonia and the NZSO National
Youth Orchestra, recently winning a prestigious Silver Scroll for her
Television series soundtrack “Hillary”. Her classical concert work
is unique in that it seamlessly merges art music and popular idioms,
offering a strong connection to audiences. Since 2010, Claire has
directed the popular Blackbird Ensemble, a theatrical orchestra
dedicated to performing rarely heard music of all genres. Hansel &
Gretel will be the first full length ballet score ever commissioned
from a female composer.
music
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15/12/2019 Last update