THE great composer Igor Stravinsky was conducting the orchestra’s rehearsal for Petrouchka when Russell Kerr sneaked into the back stalls of the empty theatre to listen.
IT was 1955 and Kerr was touring the United States as a dancer in the London Festival Ballet’s production of the ballet. Stravinsky had been invited to conduct the performance of his work and Kerr was keen to soak up any of the composer’s comments and directions.
“He was a perfectionist, Kerr says. “He insisted certain aspects just had to be right. I remember him going over one small part, when Petrouchka falls to the floor at the end of the ballet. There’s a tambourine crash just as his head hits the ground. Stravinsky went over and over this just to get the right sound for the tambourine.”
Kerr has brought the lessons learnt from this experience to his direction of The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s centennial production of Petrouchka, opening its New Zealand tour at the St James Theatre on May 20. Kerr first produced the ballet for the company in 1964. Now aged 81 he is New Zealand’s most renowned ballet choreographer. His experience means he can ensure the choreography in Petrouchka remains faithful to choreographer Michel Fokine’s 1911 original while bringing in new dance elements to add freshness to the production.
“It has to be fresh or I’ve failed. This is particularly so in the crowd scenes. I know Stravinsky was never happy with the crowd scenes in Petrouchka. He felt they didn’t mirror what he envisaged. So I feel each time I do them I have to make them better. That’s where the dancers truly play their part. It’s up to the dancers to take over.”
Born in Auckland in 1930 Kerr began dancing as a student of Auckland ballet teacher Kathleen Whitford. In 1950, on a New Zealand government bursary, he travelled to Europe dancing with the Jose Greco Spanish Company, Sadler’s Wells, Ballet Rambert, and as a soloist with the London Festival Ballet. After returning to New Zealand Kerr began to work for the New Zealand Ballet in 1959, later becoming the company’s artistic director.
“My move from dancer to choreographer was an artistic necessity rather than any form of inspirational leap. Becoming a choreographer involved a long process of trial and error and I was fortunate in having the opportunity to begin this process many years ago.”
Kerr says his body no longer allows him to demonstrate dance steps so easily and he has had to rethink his method of instruction. It’s been more of a mental process. He now has to explain his dance moves.
“Over many years of dancing one is very rarely conscious of the next step. You only have a physical memory of what your physique does. This time I’ve had to consciously think about the moves. It’s completely new for me.”
Kerr describes this opportunity to produce ballet again for the New Zealand Ballet as a second wind. He’s loving being able to produce a ballet without the responsibility of finances. Trying to find funding he says was the big headache of his career.
“Commercial sponsorship has been the lifeline of the New Zealand Ballet company. It’s fortunate that some good sponsors recognize the good will the company can do for New Zealand,” Kerr says.
And if Kerr could have chosen any ballet it would have been Petrouchka. Although he has performed and produced the ballet many times he still sees something new in the music every time he reads Stravinsky’s score. He describes Stravinsky as “musically brilliant”. It’s a respect unlikely to have been appreciated for Stravinsky took no notice of dancers. Kerr recalls the composer telling the Festival Ballet in 1955 that they were there to dance to his score, not he to conduct their dancing. Kerr admits to being somewhat in awe of Stravinsky. He’ll be listening  to make sure that tambourine sounds just right on opening night.
Kerr is not the only ballet veteran working on this production of Petrouchka. Fifty years after working on their first ballet together Kerr is joined by set designer Raymond Boyce. This is their fourth version of Petrouchka. Veteran dancer Sir John Trimmer also appears in this production as the puppet master.
As well as Petrouchka the New Zealand Ballet Stravinsky triple bill features a new work Satisfied with Great Success by expat dancer Cameron McMillan, and a re-telling of Javier de Frutos’ Milagros.
Stravinsky Selection, Royal New Zealand Ballett, St James Theatre, May 20-22.