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Rugby players, ballet dancers to carry message
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Rugby players, ballet dancers to carry energy-saving message
Electricity generator and retailer Meridian Energy is enlisting rugby players and ballet dancers in the effort to help get the power saving message across to New Zealanders.

The company is including its sponsorship partners, the Royal New Zealand Ballet and Canterbury Rugby, in its publicity aimed at helping the country achieve the ten percent savings target set by the Government.

Chief Executive Keith Turner says Meridian is committing close to half a million dollars to its publicity efforts, on top of the major contribution it is making to the overall “Target Ten” campaign.

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interview: Gary Harris
The new artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet tells Sally Christian for Dance Gazette (RAD) about his varied and sometimes painful career.

Gary Harris has worked all over the world as dancer, teacher, notator, repetiteur and designer. In September 2001, he became the artistic director with the Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB). When we met in mid-November 2001, he had just finished the set and costume design for a work choreographed by Christopher Hampson. Set to Poulenc’s Double Piano Concerto, this will be staged in Manchester and London as part of the English National Ballet season.

For a man who has achieved so much, Gary Harris is unassuming. He is relaxed, very friendly and happy to answer any questions. He talks energetically and passionately about how dance, design and theatre have always interested him. Following a stint at stage school, he began his training at the Arts Educational at the age of sixteen and then went on to study at The Royal Ballet Schools. He joined the London Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet) in 1978 and was one of the company’s leading dancers until his departure in 1985, when he turned his interests to teaching.

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Ballet: Diluted emotional core in Romeo and Juliet

John Smythe

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50-year-old company still on its toes
By MIRIAM BELL for stuff

There's all the more reason for young Aucklanders to get dancing.

Celebrations for the Royal New Zealand Ballet's 50th birthday on Wednesday included announcements of The Edge Community Arts Programme 2003 ballet mentor students.

The Edge spokeswoman Sally Woodfield says the organisation has a contract with the Ministry of Education to provide dance, drama and music mentoring programmes.

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Romeo And Juliet, St James's Theatre, >Wellington, *****
Radio days

11 July 2003

You know the term "wireless set"? Old-fashioned radios they may be, but those big, burnished boxes used to be much more assertive, dominating almost every home in pre-television days. How clever of Michael Corder to seize on their mannerisms and the evergreen music of their lighter programmes, from Housewives' Choice to In Town Tonight, to make one of the most entertaining new ballets for a long time.

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An unlikely headline, bit it sounds like an interesting new direction for outreach/revenue generation:

NZ ballet confirmed for Wearable Art awards
From stuff (New Zealand)

The Royal New Zealand Ballet is to perform at this year's Montana World of WearableArt Awards.

WOW has confirmed the ballet will make its debut appearance at the awards in September, and will feature in the Nelson City Council Red Section. Garments in this section are made entirely of red.

A ballet company spokeswoman said at least 20 of the company's 32 dancers will be involved in the show.

Royal New Zealand Ballet artistic director Gary Harris said he will choreograph and design a work that explores the red colour's themes through movement and music.

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<small>[ 21 July 2003, 09:33 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Romeo & Juliet at the Aotea Centre
27.06.2003 By BERNADETTE RAE
The New Zealand Herald

The Royal New Zealand Ballet is celebrating its 50 years in fantastic style, with passion and finesse.

Its sparkling new production of Romeo & Juliet celebrates the ultimate love story and the classical ballet technique with a display of explosive, lithe and lyrical excellence that brings tradition and tragedy into the 21st century.

<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/entertainmentstorydisplay.cfm?storyID=3509546&thesection=entertainment&thesubsection=arts&thesecondsubsection=reviews" target=_blank>More...</a>