On 6 March 2017 it will be 50 years since the New Zealand School of Dance (NZSD), then known as the National School of Ballet, welcomed its first students.
Today the New Zealand School of Dance has an international reputation, attracting staff from around the world and sending students to companies in Europe, Asia, US and Australia.
To mark its 50th anniversary year, the NZSD has a number of special events planned. There will be performances with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the commissioning of new works by contemporary dance graduates and the publication of a book of highlights, honouring alumni, choreographers and teachers who have passed through the school and made a contribution to the shaping of New Zealand’s dance culture. Illustrated with images by photographer Stephen A’Court the book is written by NZSD classical tutor Turid Revfeim, a graduate of the school, former soloist and ballet mistress of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. The book launch will be timed to coincide with the anniversary week on 5 March 2017.
The celebrations will conclude with the 50th Anniversary Graduation Season at the St James Theatre in Wellington, 24-25 November 2017. Performances will feature the New Zealand School of Dance students alongside dancers from the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Pictured above: NZSD students in 1967.