The Royal New Zealand Ballet is bringing the never performed in New Zealand Roland Petit ballets of Carmen and L’Arlesienne to Dunedin on its national tour. The role of artistic director of Roland Petit repertoire, given to him on the death of Petit in 1987, sees him direct dancers in productions of Petit’s ballets in the correct dance style and moves of the works. Roland Petit ballets are for everybody. It is difficult.’’Another difference in Petit’s ballets is that they call for a lot of emotion and touching. ‘‘Sometimes they are afraid, shy to show emotion, shy to touch, but with Roland Petit a woman is a woman and a man a man, and you touch.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 22, 2017 19:40 UTC