As a lad in Putāruru, growing up in the shadow of a city as opposed to a city centre, Jake Gisby had limited exposure to ballet. Much of what he saw came via video instead of in-person visuals in his North Island hometown with a population of 4,000.
As an adult, he dances professionally for the Royal New Zealand Ballet – a dream he might not have pursued if not for an experience he now brings children in other communities.
Jake portrays the central character Pig in RNZB’s touring production of “Dazzlehands” which completes its run this weekend. The show plays Whitehaven Theatre in Blenheim for two performances on Saturday (18 April) before wrapping Sunday in Nelson with two matinees at Theatre Royal.
“Kids are loving it so far,” Jake said by phone last week from Oamaru, the second stop on the South Island tour, which started Easter weekend in Queenstown. This is his third year in “Dazzlehands”; by his count, the capper in Nelson will mark his 64th time dancing the lead role on stage.
“It’s a pleasure because it’s just so much fun,” he said. “What’s great about coming back to a ballet so many times is every time has always felt new but with the experience of the past performances.”
Full-circle shows
Much like the multilayered costume he wears, the ballet resonates with Jake on multiple levels.
Right out front, there’s the message Pig delivers via his “Dazzlehands” arc from outcast to acceptance. “It’s OK to be yourself,” Jake explained, “it’s OK to be unique.”
That is the core of the book upon which the show is based – which performers read aloud at workshops (such as Friday morning at the Blenheim Library) and young audience members increasingly bring with them to the venue.
Humour, colours and music accentuate the fun in the story. Jake, for his part, continually refreshes how he portrays Pig. “I feel like I do it differently every time,” Jake shared.
Perhaps the deepest connection he finds with “Dazzlehands” comes during the meet-and-greet sessions after performing. Jake harkens to his youth, when he got to see a ballet live for the first time, and how his horizons expanded. Now he brings that formative point full circle.
“It’s nice to go to towns that don’t get Royal New Zealand Ballet’s main stages,” he said. “Originally, the [RNZB company] would do tours in smaller centres, and that was actually my first exposure to proper ballet – and it’s nice to be able to do that for other kids and keep that going.”
"Dazzlehands"
When: Saturday (18 April), 10:30am & 12pm
Where: Whitehaven Theatre
Tickets: here
