Much-loved ballet Swan Lake lures back RNZB dancer
Paul Mathews, a long-serving Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer who retired in 2022, is being drawn back into the world of ballet for the company’s season of Swan Lake.
Heralded as the ultimate ballet, Swan Lake's return, which opens at Wellington’s St James Theatre on May 1, has enduring appeal across generations.
For Mathews – who spent 17 years withthecompany before leaving to work in business – the journey back to the stage is a homecoming of sorts, a chance to reunite with familiar faces and revisit cherished memories.
His return, however, comes with a bitter sweet twist as he steps into the role of Wolfgang, a character created – and only ever performed –bythelateSirJon Trimmer, marking a poignant tribute to the beloved figure who died last year.
The legacy of Sir “Jonty” looms large, casting both a shadow and a guiding light.
“Jonty has left a big, colourful void,” Mathews said. “I have performed over 50 times in this production, in various roles, but I am excited to embody Wolfgang. Sharing character roles with Sir Jon was always a rich exchange of insights into character development.”
Regarding his approach to the character, Mathews draws on his past collaborations with Trimmer.
“We spoke a lot about building a character and how to make the character your own. I plan to go through that same process with Wolfgang.”
Mathews’ enthusiasm for the upcoming season of Swan Lake might also have something to do with his wife, Mayu Tanigaito.
A principal dancer with the RNZB, Tanigaito is currently preparing to perform the coveted dual role of Odette/Odile for the first time in her career.
“It is a privilege to perform this iconic role,” she said. “From competing as a young teenager to understudying the role years ago, this feels like a culmination of my journey with Swan Lake.”
Amid the anticipation and preparation, Mathews retained his reverence for the art form that shaped his life.
“Swan Lake epitomises ballet for me,” he said. “Its themes of love, hope, deception, betrayal, and forgiveness continue to resonate powerfully.”
As the stage awaits the RNZB dancers and the audience anticipates the performance, one thing is clear – Swan Lake is more than just a ballet; it is a testament to the timeless beauty of the human spirit, a journey that transcends time and space.
And, in that journey, Mathews finds his heart, once again, centre stage in Swan Lake. His return is not just a reunion with the magic of live theatre, but a reaffirmation of his enduring love affair with the art of ballet and his desire to share it with audiences everywhere.
The RNZB will collaborate with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in Ōtautahi/Christchurch, and the Auckland Philharmonia in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland to bring the production, and its iconic score, to life.
With every rehearsal, each note of Tchaikovsky's sweeping score, the magic of Swan Lake will come to life once more.
NZSO Principal Conductor in Residence Hamish McKeich said: “Many would say Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is the most iconic and pure ballet score ever written. Certainly, the music is packed with all the drama you’d want, and glorious moments abound with seemingly endless inventiveness.
“A delight to interpret and I’m looking forward to performing it with the wonderful dancers of the RNZB and live orchestra.”
– RNZB’s Swan Lake will tour New Zealand from May 1 to June 2.