The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) has announced that Ty King-Wall will take on the role of Artistic Director from November this year.

He will replace David McAllister, the former Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, who has been acting as RNZB’s interim AD since the retirement of Patricia Barker in January. McAllister is also currently the interim AD for West Australian Ballet.

Ty King-Wall. Photo © Erik Sawaya

King-Wall is a former Principal Artist with The Australian Ballet. Though currently based in Melbourne, where he is a teacher at The Australian Ballet School and the Dancers’ Director on the Board of The Australian Ballet, he was born in Waihi, New Zealand. He will move to Wellington to commence the role in mid-November.

RNZB Chair Dame Kerry Prendergast said, “The appointment of Ty alongside our recent announcement of Tobias Perkins as Executive Director completes and secures our senior leadership team. It is a ballet ‘brains trust’ of strong arts leaders who have industry virtuosity, global views but local understanding, and with the broad minds and big hearts to guide New Zealand’s national...