The New Zealand Ballet presented “The Snow Maiden,” a 27-minute ballet in two acts, on Christmas Day. It was based on an old Russian fairy tale of a snow maiden who leaves the cold North Country to journey to the South Country and melts in the hot sun. Members of the Ballet Company included Jon Trimmer, Jan Blanch, Bernard Hourseau (who was also the choreographer). Jack Callick and Michael Haigh. Actors also taking part were Craig Ashley, Tony Ditchburn and Russell Duncan.
Sets and costumes included four most realistic “reindeer” and a bear. The set for Act One was an iceberg with drifts of “fog” , manufactured with the aid of pounds and pounds of dry ice being melted at a strategic point in the wings “We had to use a lot,” remarked the producer, John Charles. "We found 50 pounds went nowhere.” More was provided by a fast van.
produced by John Charles for the N.Z.B.C., who commissioned the ballet for television. The music was written and orchestrated by the New Zealand composer, Edwin Carr, and played by the N.Z.B.C. Symphony Orchestra.
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