Latest news with #Land&Sea
Scoop
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
RNZB Announces Groundbreaking New Season: Home, Land & Sea, 24 July-9 August, 2025
The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) is proud to announce its most ambitious new season, Home, Land & Sea, featuring a historic first-time collaboration with The New Zealand Dance Company (NZDC). This creative partnership brings together two of New Zealand's premiere dance institutions in a bold exploration of national identity, connection to place and our collective future. At the heart of the season is the world premiere title work Home, Land & Sea, choreographed by acclaimed NZDC artistic director Moss Te Ururangi Patterson (Ngāti Tūwharetoa). This groundbreaking piece will feature six dancers from each company, creating a unique artistic dialogue that transcends traditional dance boundaries. The work, says Patterson, is a poetic response to Aotearoa's complex history, our evolving national identity and the ongoing search for belonging. 'We're not creating a nostalgic version of the past or a tidy vision of the future,' says Patterson. ' Home, Land & Sea is being built as a space for reflection and resistance – a place where the audience can sit with complexity, with connection and with hope. The result will be a deeply human work that moves between the personal and the political, the ancestral and the imagined. Home, Land & Sea will invite audiences to consider what it means to feel at home in this place. It will ask where we have come from, where we are going, and how we might find strength, connection and hope in one another?' The piece is set to an original score by one of New Zealand's most iconic musicians – Shayne P Carter of Straitjacket Fits and Dimmer fame. This collaboration represents a new chapter for ballet in Aotearoa, says Ty King- Wall, RNZB's artistic director. 'Joining the collective forces of our two distinctive companies is all about kotahitanga, about unity and togetherness, which we are so committed to. It is brilliant for RNZB to be building further the creative partnership we've established with Moss over the years, and to be elevating that to another level through this project with NZDC. Both in the studio and on stage, this will be such a wonderful opportunity for learning, sharing, and contemplation.' The programme also features two additional works. Chrysalis, a world premiere by RNZB choreographer-in-residence Shaun James Kelly, explores metamorphosis and personal transformation through the transcendent music of Philip Glass. Kelly, whose own journey from him homeland of Scotland to his artistic home in New Zealand, hopes audiences will see themselves in the work and feel each movement and emotion with the music. 'I feel that this work is relevant right now,' says Kelly. ' Chrysalis is about themes of friendship, connections, relationships and self-discovery – something that we can all relate to. It plays on something that could happen in a moment, in a passing on the street,' says Kelly. 'It's modern in its look but choreographically is based on the beautiful and fluid moments of classical ballet, keeping the tradition alive for generations to come.' That modern look comes from the stunning costumes created by leading fashion designer Rory William Docherty. "It has been a dream working with Rory,' says Kelly. "After collaborating on the concept, he has used his original artwork and unique take on traditional design to bring movement and life to the clothing.' The third piece on the bill is The Way Alone by master choreographer Stephen Baynes. The Way Alone premiered in New Zealand as part of Tutus on Tour. For Baynes, this is a deeply personal response to the music of Tchaikovsky which has been described as 'contemplative, thoughtful and inherently musical' and one he hopes will raise awareness of some of the composer's lesser-known work. 'The ballet is fundamentally an expression of Tchaikovsky's music and especially the Romanticism which is at the heart of his aesthetic,' says Baynes. 'This season embodies all that we value at RNZB – artistic risk-taking, cultural connection and dance that really speaks to the contemporary New Zealand experience,' says King-Wall. 'We're creating a space where the work that we do pushes our boundaries, opens our minds, and defies expectations on what ballet is and what it can be.'
CBC
22-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Land & Sea: It doesn't get more tight-knit than this 'boot hockey' tournament in Isle aux Morts
This year marked the 10th annual Isle aux Morts Winter Classic. (Paul Pickett/CBC) The streets of Isle aux Morts, on Newfoundland's southwest coast, are quiet in winter. The town has lost a lot of life since the 1980s, when the fishery thrived and the population was about 1,200. Now, half that number call Isle aux Morts home. The fish plant closed in 1995. The school is down to 17 children, and there's only one fisherman working on the water. It's quiet, but there's still lots of energy in this tiny place — and every year, during a few days in February, there's also a deep expression of love, not just for St. Valentine, but for the community and a great Canadian game: hockey. This year marked the 10th annual Isle Aux Morts Winter Classic, spearheaded by Vic Lawrence, who founded the event. "Last year I think we had 12 men's teams and six women's teams. We play for 10 minutes, that's it, game over. We have a schedule made up," said Lawrence. February isn't the easiest time to travel, but the draw is irresistible for homesick, hockey-loving Isle aux Morters. Pond hockey has been played on Lorrie's Pond in Isle aux Morts for generations. This photo is from the 1960s. (Submitted) "People come back from everywhere: St. John's, Halifax, New Brunswick, Ontario. We have guys from Alberta," said Lawrence. Steve LeFrense grew up in Isle aux Morts and lives 15 minutes away in Port aux Basques. He says the event always brings excitement and raises spirits in the community. "I love everybody coming home and seeing lots of family and friends and people that you haven't seen in a while. Everybody's together for a full weekend. So we play hockey together, we eat together, then we're all at the bar together," said LeFrense. There, they relive old times and childhood memories from simpler days. "Everybody knows everybody and it's a really tight community," he says. "Growing up here ... I mean, we didn't have the technology things like kids have today. So our [time] was spent outside." A lot of winter fun in Isle aux Morts has always taken place on Lorrie's pond, where locals have gathered on the ice for generations to play pond hockey. "We'd stay there all day long on the weekends and as soon as we got out of school, we were back there again. We'd build the wooden nets and we'd go to our buddy's father's stage and cover it and we used them all winter. There were days it wasn't fit to be down there, but we were still there," said Lawrence. WATCH | Check out the full episode of Land & Sea: Lawrence recalls that some of the kids who'd play would have skates and some wouldn't. To make sure they could have as many people on the hockey teams as possible, they all agreed to play in their winter boots. Boot hockey, as they call it, is the game they play at the Isle aux Morts Winter Classic. "The first year there were 36 of us. And every year it's going bigger and bigger. Last year we had 150. This year, it looks like we're going to have more, probably 170," said Lawrence. The first several years the Classic was held right on Lorrie's pond. But in recent years the ice became unpredictable, so the event moved to a space that used to be the marine centre. When men like Vic Lawrence and Steve LeFrense were young boys, that space would have been filled with fishing boats all winter long. Now, there are none. And that's one of the reasons the Winter Classic means so much to the community: along with boosting spirits, it provides a financial injection into a dying town. All hands are deck for the annual winter classic. (Isle aux Morts/Facebook) All year long, in the lead-up to the weekend of pond hockey, Lawrence organizes online hockey pools. All the money raised goes back into the community. Over the past decade, the local Anglican church has scored a huge blessing: donations totalling some $30,000 to help with operating expenses. The community centre gets an annual cheque from the Winter Classic, and so does the Isle aux Morts Fifty Plus Club. Doreen Billard, club president, says the winter event has become an important gathering, both socially and economically. "The town comes alive. This weekend, wherever you go, she's full," Billard said. "We look forward to preparing for it because we know we're going to see people we haven't seen since last year." Freeman Walters moved away from Isle aux Morts in 1966 to find work in Nova Scotia. He hasn't missed one Winter Classic. In fact, he gets so excited to come home in February each year, there are nights he can't sleep. "There's nothing like seeing your family and all your friends and the people that you grew up with," Walters says. "Your heart and your brain is still in Newfoundland, regardless where you go." Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Land & Sea: It doesn't get more tight-knit than this 'boot hockey' tournament in Isle aux Morts
This year marked the 10th annual Isle aux Morts Winter Classic. (Paul Pickett/CBC) The streets of Isle aux Morts, on Newfoundland's southwest coast, are quiet in winter. The town has lost a lot of life since the 1980s, when the fishery thrived and the population was about 1,200. Now, half that number call Isle aux Morts home. The fish plant closed in 1995. The school is down to 17 children, and there's only one fisherman working on the water. It's quiet, but there's still lots of energy in this tiny place — and every year, during a few days in February, there's also a deep expression of love, not just for St. Valentine, but for the community and a great Canadian game: hockey. This year marked the 10th annual Isle Aux Morts Winter Classic, spearheaded by Vic Lawrence, who founded the event. "Last year I think we had 12 men's teams and six women's teams. We play for 10 minutes, that's it, game over. We have a schedule made up," said Lawrence. February isn't the easiest time to travel, but the draw is irresistible for homesick, hockey-loving Isle aux Morters. Pond hockey has been played on Lorrie's Pond in Isle aux Morts for generations. This photo is from the 1960s. (Submitted) "People come back from everywhere: St. John's, Halifax, New Brunswick, Ontario. We have guys from Alberta," said Lawrence. Steve LeFrense grew up in Isle aux Morts and lives 15 minutes away in Port aux Basques. He says the event always brings excitement and raises spirits in the community. "I love everybody coming home and seeing lots of family and friends and people that you haven't seen in a while. Everybody's together for a full weekend. So we play hockey together, we eat together, then we're all at the bar together," said LeFrense. There, they relive old times and childhood memories from simpler days. "Everybody knows everybody and it's a really tight community," he says. "Growing up here ... I mean, we didn't have the technology things like kids have today. So our [time] was spent outside." A lot of winter fun in Isle aux Morts has always taken place on Lorrie's pond, where locals have gathered on the ice for generations to play pond hockey. "We'd stay there all day long on the weekends and as soon as we got out of school, we were back there again. We'd build the wooden nets and we'd go to our buddy's father's stage and cover it and we used them all winter. There were days it wasn't fit to be down there, but we were still there," said Lawrence. WATCH | Check out the full episode of Land & Sea: Lawrence recalls that some of the kids who'd play would have skates and some wouldn't. To make sure they could have as many people on the hockey teams as possible, they all agreed to play in their winter boots. Boot hockey, as they call it, is the game they play at the Isle aux Morts Winter Classic. "The first year there were 36 of us. And every year it's going bigger and bigger. Last year we had 150. This year, it looks like we're going to have more, probably 170," said Lawrence. The first several years the Classic was held right on Lorrie's pond. But in recent years the ice became unpredictable, so the event moved to a space that used to be the marine centre. When men like Vic Lawrence and Steve LeFrense were young boys, that space would have been filled with fishing boats all winter long. Now, there are none. And that's one of the reasons the Winter Classic means so much to the community: along with boosting spirits, it provides a financial injection into a dying town. All hands are deck for the annual winter classic. (Isle aux Morts/Facebook) All year long, in the lead-up to the weekend of pond hockey, Lawrence organizes online hockey pools. All the money raised goes back into the community. Over the past decade, the local Anglican church has scored a huge blessing: donations totalling some $30,000 to help with operating expenses. The community centre gets an annual cheque from the Winter Classic, and so does the Isle aux Morts Fifty Plus Club. Doreen Billard, club president, says the winter event has become an important gathering, both socially and economically. "The town comes alive. This weekend, wherever you go, she's full," Billard said. "We look forward to preparing for it because we know we're going to see people we haven't seen since last year." Freeman Walters moved away from Isle aux Morts in 1966 to find work in Nova Scotia. He hasn't missed one Winter Classic. In fact, he gets so excited to come home in February each year, there are nights he can't sleep. "There's nothing like seeing your family and all your friends and the people that you grew up with," Walters says. "Your heart and your brain is still in Newfoundland, regardless where you go." Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
CBC
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Land & Sea: 60 years of memories from the road
Land & Sea is nearing the end of its 60th season on the air. Sixty seasons is no small feat in the fickle world of television. The show started in 1964, four years after Coronation Street began and five years before Sesame Street would become a children's favourite. Those who've had an opportunity to work on the show over the decades will tell you that a job that allows you to travel Newfoundland and Labrador and connect with its people isn't a job at all, it's a privilege. Pauline Thornill started hosting the program in 1992 and retired in 2022. She describes Land & Sea as her dream job. Her very first story took her to the isolated community of Harbour Deep, where residents were carrying on a unique tradition known as The Goat Dance, a four partner, fast-paced square dance. Thornhill wanted to do what Land & Sea has always done, to shine a light on a piece of local culture before it was lost. By the time that first story was done, she knew she had found her show and her people. "That ordinary person who had no hidden agenda, they were just like you say, telling their own story. That was the kind of person that Land & Sea gravitated to in the first place," said Thornhill. "Just everyday people doing extraordinary things and sometimes they didn't even realize they were extraordinary because it was just their life and they were living it." Land & Sea strives to take viewers on adventures in remote parts of the province, showcasing the way of life and the stunning scenery. One of Thornhill's most memorable excursions was a trip that took her and the crew to northern Labrador and the majestic Saglek Fjord. They travelled by long liner for two days north of Nain, Labrador with a char fishing crew, and camped out in a fjord in Labrador tents. "You'd have to be in the Saglek Fjord to really appreciate the grandeur of it. You felt so small and insignificant compared to everything you were seeing around you," said Thornhill. WATCH | Check out the full episode of Land & Sea: The travel logistics on Land & Sea shoots are often challenging, not to mention the weather. Thornhill says the Land & Sea team members are always working toward the same goal, to get the best show possible for the loyal audience. "Everybody who I worked with, they were all professionals. There's a standard, there's a bar of production that you strive to meet and every technician I ever worked with did that, no matter what the challenges were," she said. Ted Dillon has been a cameraman for many Land & Sea shoots over the years. Dillon grew up in downtown St. John's and says travelling to work in small and remote communities has been extremely educational and rewarding. He has been particularly fond of stories that have pushed him to acquire new skills, like a winter show they produced from Nain. "We get off the plane and I say to Pauline, is someone picking us up? And she said, no, Teddy, here's the keys to your snow machine. And I said, 'what do you want me to do with this?' But by the end of the 10 days, it was like I came from Nain," said Dillon. Dillon says every trip leaves lasting impressions. Getting to experience rural scenery is one perk. And the kind welcome that local people extend to the Land & Sea crew is Newfoundland and Labrador hospitality at its finest. "We're rock stars, rock stars. People love to see us coming because we're there to tell their stories, you know, be it tragic stories, be it funny stories, be it quirky stories," Dillon said. "Yeah, it's pretty spectacular. We're very lucky. We're probably the luckiest people in the CBC." Ric Barela has been the recipient of that kind of warm welcome too. Barela has recorded audio for countless Land & Sea shows. He has always been impressed by the honesty and the emotion in interviews. "Anybody who participates in this program really does have a strong belief that others should hear what they've gone through and they want to share because these are the real true stories of what everyday life can be," said Barela. As Barela recounts in a recent Land & Sea show called "Memories from the Road," stories about survival or loss at sea have stayed with him over the years. Barela says he has been amazed at the strength people have shown and their ability to communicate their feelings about such painful events. "Forthcoming beyond belief. They put their hearts right out in front of you and it's there on display," Barela said. "It's magic." Many who watch say the stories and pictures are magical and so is the music. Sandy Morris can take credit for that. Morris has been composing music for Land & Sea shows for 30 years from his home studio in St. John's. "It's a wicked gig. I get up in the morning and I come down here and at the end of the day I've got music written for a whole show and recorded. It's great fun. I really feel good after that," said Morris. Morris says that even though he has been on TV in some capacity since the mid 60s, including the years as part of the wildly popular Wonderful Grand Band, he is mostly known around the province for appearing in the opening of Land & Sea playing the show's theme music. Most assume Morris is the composer of that theme. In fact, it's a piece of TV stock music that was brought in from Toronto decades ago for the show. There's no known composer and no known publisher. Yet it has become a sentimental provincial refrain. "People just love that theme music so much. I've heard people say, when they hear it, they could be living on the mainland or something and when they hear it, it brings them right back home again," said Morris. "It's amazing. It's a very powerful piece of music." Thornhill isn't surprised by the deep connection people have to Land & Sea's theme music or to the show itself. "I think people feel safe with Land & Sea. I think people trust Land & Sea," said Thornhill. "As long as nobody loses sight of the fact that it is all about us — us meaning the people who we interview — I think Land & Sea will always be successful."
CBC
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Isle aux Morts comes home for hockey in this week's Land & Sea
Land & Sea's final episode of the season is all about a good old hockey game in Isle aux Morts. The annual Winter Classic brings the community together for a weekend of fun, games and gathering.
