Story: Ballet

Dancers rehearsing (2nd of 3)

Dancers rehearsing

Taken in the early 1960s, this photograph shows Russell Kerr leading a rehearsal. After success as a dancer in Britain, Kerr returned to New Zealand in 1957 intending to found a national ballet company, only to find that Poul Gnatt had already done so. Like Gnatt, Kerr initially worked with Auckland-based Beryl Nettleton and Bettina Edwards, becoming a partner in their successful dance school. He also became the producer for the Auckland Ballet Theatre. Gnatt and Kerr worked together on Prismatic variations, and Kerr went on to become artistic director of the New Zealand Ballet (1962–68).

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Royal New Zealand Ballet Collection
Reference: PAColl-8050-02-58
Photograph by John Ashton

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Jennifer Shennan, 'Ballet - A national company emerges', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/43129/dancers-rehearsing (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Jennifer Shennan, published 22 Oct 2014