The winter brings three works celebrating the heritage of the Royal NZ Ballet & the contributions of outstanding artists from our past, present & future.
The centrepiece of the evening is the New Zealand premiere of Birthday Offering, created by Sir Frederick Ashton for 14 legendary dancers, led by Dame Margot Fonteyn, to mark The Royal Ballet’s 25th birthday in 1956.
We present Birthday Offering as a centenary tribute to Rowena Jackson, & as part of Ashton Worldwide 2024 – 8, a global celebration of the art of Frederick Ashton.
Two works made for the RNZB complete the programme: Sarah Foster-Sproull’s Ultra Folly (2020) & Andrea Schermoly’s Stand to Reason., created for the women of the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2018 to mark the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand
Running Times:
Times are approx. and subject to change at any time.
Act 1 – Birthday Offering: 30 min
Interval 1: 20 min
Full Lockout – Guest cannot enter during once curtains up.
Act 2 – Ultra Folly: 15 min
Full Lockout – Guest cannot enter during the act.
Performance Pause: 10 min
Audience stay seated, Latecomer entry point
Act 3 – Stand to Reason: 22 min
Full Lockout – Guest cannot enter during the act.
Approx. Full Runtime: 1h 40m
The total run time allows time for applause between acts.
Tour Dates:
Ticketek is selling for the following venues only
Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch
Fri 31 Jul 2026
Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch
Sat 01 Aug 2026