Waiouru fire fighters deployed to douse dancers

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 574, 21 February 1995, Page 5

Waiouru fire fighters deployed to douse dancers

By

Michele

Monaghan

Waiouru' s firemen (and women) had a job with a difference on Friday evening and early Saturday morning. Members of the Royal New Zealand Ballet were taking part in a photo shoot to promote the new season ballet 'Rite of Spring'. Dancers posed in long belle tutus right next to fires. A tutu and a fire do not make a good pair as the netting material melts and is very flammable. Organisers were worried about the fire danger and called on the New Zealand Army for help. Each dancer had her own safety person and three Hino rural fire-

fighting vehicles were on hand to deal with any eventuality. Marketing manager Barbara Hyde said the co-operation of the army had been "just fantastic." "Nothing has been a problem," she said Choreographer Eric Languet was of the same opinion. "They're so fast and efficient." He added that the time between a decision being made and actually getting done was a lot faster than for the New Zealand Ballet. Even so, it took hours of shooting to get it right. All went according to plan and the services of the fire-fighters were not put to the test.