Counterpointe

06/08/2026

The Fledgling Programme offers a pathway towards European ballet schools and company auditions 🩰🎹

Based at The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Ora, students experience the European tradition through small group classes, individual coaching, audition preparation, live music for classes and a fully staged annual ballet with orchestra.

Fledglings leap to the world stage with offers from internationally renowned schools such as Vaganova Ballet Academy, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Hungarian Dance University, European School of Ballet as well as summer courses acceptances to Royal Ballet School, John Cranko School and Princess Grace Academy.

Full-time, Part-time and distance pathways available

Applications are now open

Find out more and arrange your auditon ⬇️

www.counterpointe2023.com

03/08/2026

Last week some of Counterpointe’s RAD students had the special opportunity to take part in a workshop with Royal New Zealand Ballet educator Ella Chambers 🩰😍👏

A huge thank you to the Royal New Zealand Ballet for making opportunities like this possible for young dancers, and to Ella for visiting our studio in Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre Christchurch and inspiring our dancers! 🩰🎹😍

27/07/2026

Looking back at our contemporary dance evening “Te Ha” in the Great Hall of the Christchurch Arts Centre earlier this winter!

An incredibly inspiring opportunity to work alongside world-class vocalists Jennine Bailey and Deborah Wai Kapohe ! 🎶🎼🩰🎹
As well as performing a variety of contemporary dance pieces, the dancers had the special opportunity to sing Hine e Hine with Deborah Wai Kapohe . 👏🎶🎼

What a very special experience for them Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre Christchurch 😍

Music is an important part of a dancers education at Counterpointe, all ballet classes with live Piano, performances with live music and the opportunity to join the Countpointe chorale 🎼🎶🎵

We can’t wait to foster more opportunities like Te Ha again 😍👏

📹 retold.

17/07/2026

Thank you to Milen from the Folk Dancing Group OPAS for introducing us to Bulgarian folk dancing and folklore whilst exploring the specific musical rhythms of the Balkans! 🎶🎵💃🇧🇬

A special midwinter workshop for Fledgling Programme students - thank you! 👏🤗

14/07/2026

Step into the magical world of The Fairy Doll and join its enchanting characters for a festive adventure filled with wonder and delight!

Presented here for the first time in New Zealand as the complete ballet, The Fairy Doll is a charming and engaging introduction to the magical world of classical ballet for families and first-time ballet audiences!

Set in a magical toy shop by day; we meet the eccentric storekeeper and his affluent patrons! When the shop closes at nightfall and the storekeeper has gone to bed; join the magical Fairy Doll as she brings her fellow dolls to life in a Grand Ball of celebration! ... but we must be careful not to wake the storekeeper!

This entirely new production features resplendent costumes and sets following closely the original 1888 sketches (Vienna, Austria) in addition to the expansions made for the 1903-1904 productions (St Petersburg, Russia). The charming original score by Josef Bayer has been expanded to include the much-loved Pas de Trois by Riccardo Drigo, and has been orchestrated especially for this production which will be accompanied by a LIVE orchestra.

2026 marks 100 years since Anna Pavlova’s tour of New Zealand, during which she performed the Pas de Trois from The Fairy Doll as the centrepiece of her programme.

Don’t miss this magnificent production; true to the European classical ballet tradition and accompanied by a live orchestra!

https://events.humanitix.com/the-fairy-doll

Be enchanted when night falls on a magical toy shop...!

01/07/2026

Congratulations to Fledgling graduate Faith who has completed her first year of study at Vaganova Ballet Academy, St Petersburg Russia!!

Faith has successfully passed her exams and will be returning for a second year of study at Vaganova Ballet Academy. Well done Faith!! 👏🎉

Faith launched from the Fledgling Programme with a 3 month traineeship European School of Ballet , summer courses at the renowned Royal Ballet School and before commencing at Vaganova Academy .

What a journey!!! 👏🩰✈️

We are so very proud of Fledglings taking flight to the world stage 🤩🩰🎹 ✈️

28/06/2026

Sound on! 🔉 A magical peek into Bizet’s Habanera from the opera Carmen with the incredible Deborah Wai Kapohe 😍

Pieter Symonds created the choreography performed here by Fledgling Programme student Ani. Pieter (Fledgling programme contemporary teacher) brings a wealth of international experience and knowledge to our dancers thank you! 👏🙏😍

Counterpointe’s recent performance “Te Ha” brought together live music and dance in the beautiful Great Hall Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre Christchurch . Opportunities for young dancers to perform with live music and professional artists are exceptionally rare - we are incredibly proud to offer our students these inspiring experiences in our home Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre Christchurch 🩰🎹😍

26/06/2026

Almost a month has passed since our contemporary dance evening “Te Ha” in the Great Hall of the Christchurch Arts Centre!

What an inspiring and uplifting winter project this was for our dancers: a once in a lifetime opportunity to work alongside world-class vocalists Jennine Bailey and Deborah Wai Kapohe ! 🎶🎼🩰🎹

Thank you Jennine and Debbie for giving our dancers such a friendly and warm introduction to working with professional musicians in the performance arena! 😍🤩

🎥 retold.

15/06/2026

All Counterpointe students have the opportunity to learn to sing and read music by participation in the “Counterpointe Chorale”.

Singing as a group develops children’s sense of musicality, as well as providing a performance experience where they are supported to discover how to work as an independent team!

Last weekend the Counterpointe Chorale participated in a Royal School of Church Music “Music Sunday” event at the Parish of St Michael and All Angels.

The Chorale performed a variety of pieces from the tradition of English Sacred Choral Music, in collaboration with the Parish Choir of St Michaels and St Michaels Scholars (from St Michael’s Church School).

English Sacred Choral Music is a significant part of the musical heritage of Christchurch and wider New Zealand: we are so lucky to have access to this inspiring and timeless musical tradition.

The Royal School of Church Music has put forward a petition to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, for English Sacred Choral Music to be recognised as a Living Heritage Tradition.