Review: Royal New Zealand Ballet with Scottish Ballet: A Transcontinental Dance Celebration
The Royal New Zealand Ballet's collaboration with Scottish Ballet at Wellington's St. James' Theatre offered audiences a rare glimpse into the contemporary choreographic talents nurtured by both companies. As RNZB Artistic Director Ty King-Wall emphasized, this two-night-only event embodied the spirit of "mutual admiration and respect" between these geographically distant but artistically aligned institutions.
The program opened with Cayetano Soto's "Schachmatt" (Checkmate), a jazz-inflected 20-minute ballet that had premiered just days earlier at London's Sadler's Wells. Drawing inspiration from Joan Rivers, Pedro Almodovar, and Bob Fosse, this highly stylized piece featured dancers performing with what might be called "modern jazz contempt." The choreography delighted with signature moves including high flamingo flicks of the hands, affected allongés, chest pops, and ostrich-like profiles—all deliberately at odds with classical ballet demeanor.
The dancers donned tailored, cheeky costumes—shorts with jockey-like jackets and caps—that perfectly complemented the playful choreography. Movement was simultaneously earthy and ballet-inflected, featuring whipped circles and rond de jambe executed with sassy hands. "Cheesecake" pas de deux incorporated elements of slapstick, while demanding technical legwork saw dancers transitioning from floor positions to 180-degree extensions in an instant. Golden lighting through stage smoke and expressive hand gestures heightened the drama, with Soto's unmistakable Latin flair permeating the piece.
The second work, "Prismatic," came from RNZB's Scottish-born resident choreographer Shaun James Kelly. Set against a backdrop by renowned New Zealand designer Raymond Boyce from 1960, the dancers appeared in pale lycra illuminated by prismatic, multi-colored lighting. The choreography evoked William Forsyth with its complex footwork and angular upper-body movements set to Johannes Brahms. Beginning with a diagonal ensemble formation accompanied by exultant fanfare, the piece unfolded into energetic pas de deux. Moments of levity—including mechanical backwards bourrees en pointe and flat-footed landings from échappé—balanced the opening's grandeur. Dancer Kihiro Kusukami stood out for his effortless lightness, strength, and impeccable timing.
Following intermission came "Limerence," a poignant new work by Annaliese Macdonald. The minimalist staging featured glowing smoke orbs and a coat rail with black blazers. Dancers Ana Gallardo Lobaina and Joshua Guillemot-Rodgerson, alongside Katherine Minor and partner, performed a pas de quatre embodying emotional insecurity, doubt, and abandonment. Set to Franz Schubert's cello-laden score, the dancers alternately embraced and withdrew from one another with apparent inner torment, suggesting the dissonance of relationships unraveling. Minor's expressive, cherubic face conveyed tentative hope, while Lobaina's graceful limbs embodied both passion and despair.
The program concluded with Sophie Laplane's masterful "Dextera," showcasing her trademark quirky, experimental style. Beginning in a "doll's workshop" setting, dancers in red gloves manipulated others with marvellous precision. The Scottish Ballet's contemporary technique shone through with stunning isolation and control. As the piece progressed beyond the initially clichéd Coppelia-like concept into abstraction and absurdity, the line between puppet master and doll blurred completely. The final electric scene featured the entire ensemble dancing in frenzied abandon, with acrobatic lifts resembling dolphins cresting waves. Through humor and visual spectacle, the work prompted reflection on technological encroachment and human autonomy. The finale—a rumba line amid a rainfall of colorful gloves—brought both companies together in a surreal, joyous celebration.
This transcontinental collaboration showcased ballet's remarkable diversity, from one end of the Earth to the other—a privilege to witness.