Reviewed by Tania Kopytko

A cold autumn evening was ignited with dazzling dance in the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Firebird with My Brilliant Career programme at the Regent Theatre in Palmerston North on May 14^th.

My Brilliant Career was an excellent choice as a complementary dance to balance the Firebird, providing a good choreographic and story contrast. This work by Cathy Marston could be a slight challenge to those who are not aware that in this ballet, the main character Sybylla is portrayed by two dancers to show the conflict that the protagonist experiences in her world.

We see her being pulled between her desires for creativity and independence and the pressures from her family to conform, to knuckle down and help them, or pressures from the attentions of competing males. This theatrical conceit seems to have advantages and disadvantages. There are some very beautiful pas de trois where the potential boyfriend dances with both women as though they are one. These are beautifully choreographed with stunning flow and continuity in lifts and turns, with quick, seamless changes from one dancer to the next. But I feel that to show that the two dancers are different personalities and desires of just one person, there needs to be more differences in the portrayal of their personalities by Kirby Selchow and Hannah Thomson. At times, they appear to be the same person twice. I find myself asking, what would be lost if the Sybylla role was performed by just one dancer? And conclude it would be at the loss of these wonderful pas de trois. 

Ana Gallardo Lobaina portrayed a convincing overworked and tired mother of an unruly brood of lively youngsters and a useless husband. Callum Gray, as the drunken father, was suitably self-obsessed. Gretchen Steimle strongly portrayed the cultured and dignified grandmother, although she looked the same age as Sybylla’s mother, so again, the programme notes were needed to know that she was a generation older. The other soloists: Joshua Guillemot-Rodgerson, Kihiro Kusukami, Dane Head, Ema Takahashi and Rose Xu, all danced beautifully, as did the dancers who portrayed farmhands and siblings. The ballet had the feel of Agnes de Mille’s 1940s Rodeo, especially the wonderful hoedown sequence.

The creative team supporting this performance excelled themselves. David Fleischer has designed beautiful costuming, and the fascinating set seamlessly converts into houses, a barn or front verandah, giving different perspectives for the dance. The lovely music (Matthew Hindson) almost told the story in itself.  In all, this is a fascinating and enjoyable work.

The Firebird is exquisite in every way, beginning with the stunning projections and lighting effects by POW Studios. The mythical firebird truly appears out of nowhere in the most brilliant display of lightning and fireworks. Kate Kadow is a superb firebird – dramatic, artistic and technically on form. Equally, Arrow, her protector, is impeccably danced by Laurynas Vėjalis. The two dance together perfectly, with assuredness, confidence and panache. Lifts, catches and turns appear effortless, and the dramatic focus between them is not broken in any way by the demands of technique.

This Firebird could not be more relevant to today’s world. Due to the current world political changes, I found even more depth in this production than when I had seen it in 2021. The conniving, greedy, grabbing and untrustworthy Elizaveta, brilliantly danced by Jennifer Ulloa, had a Trump-like quality. Good is pitted against bad. But hope – the beauty of nature and the eternity of life, in some form, prevails.

Loughlan Prior uses choreographic conventions well to express the story. When the firebird gains her strength again after the anguished attack by the Burnt Mask and the Inferno, her strength is cleverly augmented by many dancers’ arms, enabling the extension of her wings. The vicious Burnt Mask (Kihiro Kusukami) disappears dramatically into a packed circle of dancers and the depth of the sea. Choreography, lighting (Jon Buswell), set and costume design (Tracy Grant Lord) and projections, the beautiful Stravinsky music, and impeccable dance all unite to create a superb performance that stunned the Palmerston North audience and brought thundering applause and cheers. Congratulations, Royal New Zealand Ballet.

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When Lauchlan Prior’s production of The Firebird premiered in Covid-culminating 2021 it was paired with Paquita, a pure technique-based classical ballet. The 2025 season’ is paired with the ensemble-centred Aussie outback tale My Brilliant Career. Both works, wildly different in expression, have their common genesis in the hope dawning with the new twentieth century before the two world wars, the great depression and the atomic bomb.

The contrasting double bill is a rich joy for lovers of theatre and dramatic stage musicals, structured by the creative athletics of our world-class national ballet and, in the case of The Firebird, powered by the aspirations of a race that will emerge triumphant from the despair of climate catastrophe and the cruelty of greed.  Together, these evince the breadth of our ballet as storytellers.

My Brilliant Career, commissioned by Queensland Ballet, springs from a novel written by a twenty-one-year-old rural New South Wales woman, and published the year after Sigmund Freud’s work “Interpretation of Dreams”. It dramatises the life events, dreams and split personality of Sybylla, with Syb danced by Katherine Minor and Bylla footed by Jennifer Ulloa. While the duo is contemplative and fluid, the choreography and dance overall is snappy and apple-crisp.

David Fleischer’s nimble silhouette of a set, with its defining outback verandahs, leaves almost an entire uncluttered stage available for a range of ensemble combinations to fill with modern, clean dance. The music by Matthew Hindson is lush with lyrical keyboards by RNZB company pianist Noelle Dannenbring.  Multinational RNZB Principal Laurynas Vejalis brings a delightful, cocky strength to the role of Frank, the jackeroo, while the ensemble numbers led by Gretchen Steimle as the grandmother exude confidence and life. With some clever back-steps and a constantly moving narrative, this fresh first half of the night is a piquant appetiser for the dark world waiting in the wings.

While My Brilliant Career explores the mind/s of a young woman growing fearlessly into a future of her own determining, The Firebird flies into a world which may have no future.

A portentous sun in NASA close-up, more like a dark blood moon, broods over the entire stage as Igor Stravinsky’s seminal 1910 introduction takes us down to The Wasteland where The Scavengers search for scarce and treasured water. Their leader, Arrow, danced with restraint by Principal Joshua Guillemot-Rodgerson, is left behind and, as both he and night fall, the magical harp of Ingrid Bauer heralds the almost illusory appearance of The Firebird in a masterful mix of staging technology and Tracy Grant Lord’s Firebird costume of feather silk. Think of smoke, 3D projection and animation and aerial descent all in one!

Bird and boy meet at the dried waterhole which she aquifies, as the aurora (Australis, we presume) wafts behind.  She offers him the feather which will become salvation later, and when the ruthless pair of Burnt Mask and Elizaveta come on the scene with their minions, Arrow helps her escape.

Dawn breaks and a shipwreck-shelter discharges its hungry homeless.  The shady mottle of lighting creates affective silhouettes, chaos and conflict erupt, and the Firebird’s lovingly-given feather springs groundwater and rain.  A fire storm and raging inferno follow, to be quenched by a flood, which is underscored by the irony that one of the Wellington performances had to be cancelled due to bad weather!

This is ambitious multi-media staging, beyond even that of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where water becomes an almost tangible, interactive element (which can be seen to full effect only from the circle, I believe).

Ana Gallardo Lobaina reprises her elegant, quirky, delicate, strong and (in her words) career-defining role as The Firebird (2021) with extending, trembling wings, mystery, desperation, pathos, love, and triumph. Among her dancing actor athletes in this apocalyptic world, fellow principal Josh Guillemot-Rodgerson shows yet another facet of his repertoire, darkly and stockily clad with quiet strength.  Branden Reiners as Burnt Mask underplays the evil of his character (originally the wicked immortal, Koschei) but his steps and movement are right on point.  Not literally, of course, as the only character supposed to be en pointe (per the original) is The Firebird. The evil Elizaveta is danced convincingly by Kirby Selchow – the dramatic Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (2023).  

This is an extraordinarily creative reimagining of an old folk tale that is now bent to apocalyptic climate chaos.  The journey has included names such as Fokine, Balanchine, Diaghilev, Fonteyn, Chagall.  To that we can add Prior.  His dystopian world is a shuddering prospect that many of us now fight away from inhabiting our dreams – because its bleakness is a future where only the great survive.

Does the theatricality, the bending of the story, and the POW Studios effects-barrage subsume the masterwork of Stravinsky, or complement it? That is the question with which I entered the auditorium.  As Balanchine said, “See the music, hear the dance”.

The vision of the chorographer is clear and well-argued by “the show”. The music is heroic, in the solid grip of conductor Hamish McKeich and the mighty forces of some sixty members of the APO (which must have only just only just fitted, occupying a new floor plan in the lowered pit). The dancing is gritty and appropriately serving the story to the benefit of theatre lovers. It’s not pure dance (we had more of that in the first half) but it is fantastical, impressive, dramatic entertainment of the highest standard. 

And the message of Laughlan Prior, his “love letter to the earth” – how does that survive? It is clear in this inventive twisting of the original, thanks to magnificent dance interpretation and acting. Ultimately hope still springs, as in Stravinsky’s final and enduring theme.  Anchored by the percussive pillars of Steve Logan’s tympany and his three section sub-principals, the full forces of the APO carry us across the threshold of suspended belief until we, the audience, collapse from the sheer flood of not just drama but unsurpassed music, dance and special effects.  Forget Les Mis; this is L’Oisseau, and definitely de Feu!

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Inspired by Miles Franklin’s novel and the 1979 film, My Brilliant Career comes to the stage in a ballet choreographed by Cathy Marston for Queensland Ballet. Presented at Auckland’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre with live music by the Auckland Philharmonia with conductor Hamish McKeich, the programme features two distinct Australian works. The second, Firebird, is highlighted by a new arrangement of Stravinsky’s music by Australian composer Matthew Hindson.

Arriving early and listening to the cacophonous warmup of the invisible orchestra in the deep pit at the front of the stage, I am surprised to see a smaller-than-expected audience for such a lush programme. The musicians seem oblivious to us.

The music starts and the curtain rises, giving way to an opening scene of two female dancers seated and swinging their legs like pendulums under soft mauve lighting. Dressed in pale costumes, they seem unready at first, awkward in arabesque, almost uncertain. The performance takes time to grow into itself. Movements become fluid, and characters begin to form within a community, purposeful and shaped by abundant and creative choreography.

The stage, minimal but effective, features a barn-like structure that shifts form, a subtle nod to the Australian homestead. Though not overtly ‘outback’ in texture, the sparse design by David Fleischer and atmospheric lighting by Paul Jackson suggest immigrants’ unsettled sense of place. What emerges in this first ballet is a delicate and vivid impression of settler sentiment and a young woman’s determination to guard her independence and find her place in her vastly changed world. Ballet vocabulary is regularly broken by the quirk of turned-in feet, soft shoes, folk dancing and frothy dresses. The dancers’ lines speak volumes about their movement lineage, but the work itself needs no additional telling beyond what it really is, a visual testament.

Once warmed, Katherine Minor and Jennifer Ulloa as the two sides deciding Syb and Bylla, take on a compelling contrast. Each dancer weaves an alternate spirit into a more layered performance. Both eventually show sublime poise and clout in their portrayals. Jemima Scott as the mother, Cadence Barrack as the sweet aunt Helen, and Gretchen Steimle as a stiff but affectionate grandmother of some Victoriana, all deliver technical performances. These women are assured as performers and I know, can bring more relevant depth to their characters.

After an overly long interval, the second work of the evening begins. The Firebird was choreographed by Loughlan Prior in 2021. Like the first work, it reveals a fierce determination at its core. However delicate the dancers’ movements appear, their strength in this salient ballet belies any sense of frailty. We witness another spirited journey unfold on stage.

The curtain rises on gauzy pleats, across which a fiery ball is projected, designed by POW Studios. As the pleats then lift, writhing figures are revealed beneath. The contrast between the projection and deep shadows at the back of the stage shows us Earth in decay and demoralised human beings. Set and costume design by Tracy Grant Lord, and lighting by Jon Buswell, support this atmosphere, leading through clouds of smoke to the entrance of the firebird, danced by Ana Gallardo Lobaina.

The narrative speaks of reckoning. The contrast between searing light and drear casts a pained world. Ana Gallardo Lobaina’s performance is compelling. She embodies beauty and aggravation when faced with violence. The motif of feathers, both the single one offered to the hero and those plucked from the firebird’s body, feel underused. These gestures are repeated but lack clarity or symbolic weight. As Arrow, Josh Guillemot-Rodgerson draws us instead through the disaster of a shameful world. Kate Kadow as Neve, brings a quieter strength. She becomes the symbol of hope, responding to the human descent into doom with loyalty and grace.

There is an unsettling irony in watching this dance from the indulgence of theatre, as themes of violence and resource scarcity echo global issues. In each of its vignettes, The Firebird becomes symbolic of a hiatus before transformation. Potential! The final image, a toss of the firebird’s body into oblivion, vanishing in a glimpse of light, delivers a potent momentary vision of fall and flight.

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Strong female characters lead this innovative programme from the Royal New Zealand Ballet. It is always interesting to witness how choreographers tackle complex narratives in dance. In this double programme, both works succeed in drawing the audience into an emotional journey to create a satisfying and uplifting evening of dance.

My Brilliant Career is choreographed by Cathy Marston. It explores the aspirations of a young woman, circa 1890s, in rural Australia. Marston cleverly portrays a complex story through repetitive gestures for each character, placing the narrative in the midst of choreographic invention. Her decision to have two dancers as the central character of “Sybylla” is an innovative concept that adds texture and intricacy to the twists and turns of “Sybylla’s” life as she navigates her choices. “Syb” – Katherine Minor and “Bylla” – Jennifer Ulloa are exceptional in this dual role. They are the pulsing heart of the work.

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A double bill with strong contrasts and the common denominator the masterful Hamish McKeich conducting our own Orchestra Wellington in the epic mastery of Igor Stravinsky and a modern commission by Mathew Hindson.
Add very strong dancing, design and lighting  and this is a compelling evening with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. 

First up a very Australian work inspired by the book by Australian, Miles Franklin and 1979 film. My Brilliant Career was choreographed originally for the Queensland Ballet by UK Choreographer Cathy Marston. Billed as an emotive narrative work I personally struggle to connect with the storyline. It is too pretty to engage and hold me. That said – I love the dresses!  The dancers are excellent, delivering the choreography with authority and clarity but maybe we need to be given more time to really discover and identify the characters? It is a busy ballet. The set and costuming design by David Fleischer and lighting by Paul Jackson all evoke the colours of the outback. Manipulation of sparse building frames effectively and cleverly contains and breaks the space. 

The double faceted personalities danced by Katherine Minor and Jennifer Ulloa as ‘Syb’ and ‘Bylla’ are  excellent. Gestural delineation of character is used with angular port de bras and dance motifs for each dancer. Repressed tensions are  manifest in the uprightness inherent in ballet bodies but the blood and guts of family dissonance somehow is rather polite and superficial? This may develop as the tour travels and the dancers get their whole body and soul into their roles. Ensemble and country hoedown sequences are intricate and toe tapping. Clearly the dancers are having a ball and this togetherness when it occurs is a real reality and strength in telling the story. 

From wide open horizons to stygian gloom – gauze curtains rise on The Firebird and immediately  the staging elements are very strong indeed: projection work by POW studios,  lighting by Jon Buswell and both set and costumes by Tracy Grant Lord.
I first saw this version of The Firebird, choreographed by Loughlan  Prior, in 2021 and the impact is still instantly fantastical and provoking. Immediately drawing us into the story, ‘Arrow’ danced by Josh Guillemot- Rodgerson, dramatically engages both the audience and the cast and takes us with him on his turbulent journey. Ana Gallardo Lobaina’s appearance as ‘The Firebird’ is mesmerising. This powerful choreography gives her rapier legs and trembling wings as her beauty, mystery, desperation, pathos, love and triumph are embodied in her interpretation.

Feathers fall across the set – fluttering symbols of hope as she fights for survival and finds friendship and help. Costumes of superb contrast by Tracy Grant Lord use glittering sequins and tribal wrappings. Evocative lighting by Jon Buswell presents a stage sliced by conflicting extremes of darkness and blazing light. It works. Kate Kadow as Neve is excellent. She  provides hope as she responds to challenge and gives loyalty and love in an apocalyptic world.
 Ironically, as the rain pours in a deluge outside over our country we are in the lovely St James Theatre witnessing a dramatic world where water is a crucial necessity. Battles are waged and the dark side of humanity is very dominant. For an hour we are transported by the universal struggles of power and love. Exciting, superbly danced and compelling in every way.  Stravinsky, I feel, would approve and ultimately it is his music that drives this timeless story. The orchestra and conductor are behind and ahead of the interpretation throughout, Orchestra Wellington are wonderful and music an outstanding part of an outstanding night at the ballet. Bravo all and thank you.

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