Inside the Royal Wardrobe
9 August - 30 November 2003
Costume Designs by Kristian Fredrikson for the Royal New Zealand Ballet
In celebration of the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s 50th Anniversary, the Dowse presented an exhibition of costumes by Kristian Fredrikson, a locally born designer with an international reputation.
Kristian Fredrikson grew up in Petone. His talent for costume design was first recognised at the age of 15, when he dressed his younger brother as an Indian Prince, and won the top prize at a local competition. He started designing professionally in Wellington in the 1960s, and received his first commission for dance costumes from the New Zealand Ballet in 1963. The same year he was invited to design for the Australian Ballet. For the last four decades Fredrikson has lived in Australia, where he has forged a stellar career, designing for dance, opera, theatre, television and film and even the Olympic Games.
On a regular basis, however, Fredrikson has returned to Wellington to work with his first dance company - the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Although a long distance relationship, it is one that Fredrikson describes as “having been a constant joy”. In turn, his impeccably conceptualised and imaginative designs have become a hallmark of our national dance company.