Loughlan Prior Dance

Kia ora koutou,

What a big year it's been! I hope December is treating you well and everything is coming to a steady end, with a generous helping of holiday relaxation on the horizon.

The last month and a half has been full of wonderful discoveries, new works in development and exciting preparations for the new year. 

Thank you to everyone who made 2021 so wonderful. I feel very blessed to have been able to work in such beautiful, creative spaces with passionate, inspiring people. I'd like to wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a fabulous new year! See you in 2022!

Warren Douglas Scholarship

Last week, I was very proud to receive the Warren Douglas Scholarship which supports dance artists in their development towards artistic and administrative leadership. This is an area which I am very passionate to nurture alongside my work as a director and choreographer. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Nikau Foundation for this great honour. 

Established in memory of Warren Douglas; an exceptionally talented ballet dancer who sadly passed away far too early in 1995, the scholarship aims to aid a dancer's transition from performance to arts administration, as Warren himself had done, moving from the New Zealand Ballet to the Manager of the Opera House. 

Time Weaver Premiere

Time Weaver was created especially for students of The New Zealand School of Dance to showcase their skill and artistry in the 2021 Graduation Season. 

"The ephemeral Time Weaver contrasts extension and length with confidently-manipulated fractured line, tension and risk.” - Brigitte Knight, DANZ

"It is a meticulous performance that requires sophisticated communication to combine sensitive support with meticulous line.” - Lynn Pringle, Stuff Entertainment

Two New Creations

This month I have been developing a new dance film for Ballet Unleashed with graduate students of the New Zealand School of Dance, Australian Ballet School, Canada's National Ballet School and The Ailey School. 'Inklings' is an ongoing project created via zoom which combines artists from around the world into a spellbinding short film with collaborators, composer Claire Cowan and post-production company POW Studios. 

Click here for Ballet Unleashed

This December I was very happy to be involved with the Royal New Zealand Ballet's Choreographic Workshop RAW, in which I had the chance to begin developing ideas for a future project 'Woman of Words' honouring iconic literary figure Katherine Mansfield (1888 - 1923). This special biographical work dives deep into the power of creativity and the written word; Mansfield's extraudinary life and love told through narrative dance. 

A look ahead to 2022

In August 2022, the Royal New Zealand Ballet will premiere our brand-new production of Cinderella!

Feisty, funny and fabulous, I'll be collaborating with phenomenal partners in crime, composer Claire Cowan and designer Emma Kingsbury, to bring a heartwarming and sassy re-imagining of the narrative to the stage! In our version, Cinderella is a stargazer, a dreamer and a unique spirit who finds herself in the wrong story. Set within an enormous, embroidered tapestry, the ballet is a kaleidoscopic collision of detail and colour, illustrating a timely twist on the classic tale. I can't wait to share more news on the world of Cinderella as this project develops.

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