Summer School 2026 – Silver Swans Course

Ballet Technique and Ballet

Kerry Anne Gilberd

Kerry-Anne Gilberd joined the National School of Ballet at the age of 15, at the invitation of Philip and Rowena Chatfield (née Jackson) receiving the inaugural Todd Scholarship. After just a year at the School, she joined the New Zealand Ballet in 1976. She undertook further study, on scholarship, at The Royal Ballet School and then danced with the Royal Ballet of Flanders for four years before re-joining the New Zealand Ballet in 1981.

While with the RNZB Kerry-Anne danced principal roles in all the
classics, including Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Juliet, Cinderella and the Sylph in La Sylphide, together with works by Balanchine and many original creations by New Zealand and international choreographers. She was awarded the MNZM for services to ballet in 1997. Since retiring from the stage Kerry-Anne has maintained a close connection with the performing arts as a coach for senior ballet students and through her work in sponsorship and fundraising for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Wellington.

Nicholas Shultz

Nicholas grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he began his dance studies at Grand Rapids Ballet School, under the direction of Charthel Arthur and Robert Estner. He was a member of both the Junior and Senior Trainee divisions, performing numerous productions alongside Grand Rapids Ballet. Nicholas also studied with the Joffrey Ballet for three summers, as well as under the direction of Sergio Stefanski at the National Ballet of Canada for a summer. 

In 2002, Nicholas joined Grand Rapids Ballet as an apprentice and was promoted to full company member in 2003. During his tenure with the company, he danced numerous leading and principal roles in ballets such as Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cinderella, and many more. Nick has danced many works by iconic choreographers such as George Balanchine, José Limón, Paul Taylor, Val Caniparoli, and Davis Parsons as well as working with contemporary choreographers such as Olivier Wevers, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Mário Radačovský, Penny Saunders, Robyn Mineko Williams, and Sagi Gross to name a few.  

From 2012-2016 Nicholas, alongside his wife Laura, was also the Artistic Director for Young People’s Ballet Theatre in Flint, Michigan, where he staged and choreographed many works for the company. Nick was also responsible for teaching and cultivating many young dancers, of which some have continued to professional careers. Nick and Laura also served as the choreographers and stage directors for Children’s Opera Workshop from 2012-2017. 

During his time at the RNZB, Nicholas has also co-created two family ballets with Laura, The Ugly Duckling in 2021 and Tāne and the Kiwi in 2022, for free family performances at Te Papa. Nicholas has also been onstage with the Company as the King in The Sleeping Beauty as well as Herr Drosselmeier in Val Caniparoli’s The Nutcracker. Together with Laura, he staged the RNZB’s production of Black Swan, White Swan by Mário Radačovský in 2019, as well as staging multiple new works for Tutus on Tour.  

Nicholas and Laura have two wonderful children, Arya and Ezra, and truly love their life in New Zealand. 

Musical Theatre

Dean McKerras

Dean has Directed / Choreographed and /or produced many shows including Cats, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia, 42^nd Street, Broadway bigger than ever! with Jackie Clarke, The Rocky Horror Show with Richard Long and the touring Chicago starring Michael Barrymore and Tina Cross.

2022 saw Dean McKerras School of Dance rebranded as RED STAR DANCE offering the Danceman an opportunity to reboot thirty years of tradition.

Having gained a Diploma of Teaching and Bachelor of Education, Dean has created and implements a ‘Dance in Education’ programme, which has seen him share dance with over 50,000 school children. Alongside Dance Resources he has written, Dean is in demand for Professional Development Courses and is a guest lecturer at Massey University College of Education.

He currently shares his ‘passion and energy’ for dance with students through master classes which see him travelling around New Zealand, and internationally has taught in Vancouver, London and the Philippines.

Dean is the creator & director of the DanceNZmade branding which runs competitions and workshops around the country for studios and schools, and provides Hip Hop, Contemporary and Performance (jazz based) Levels- a syllabus being danced in studios around the country.

Taking off his dance shoes, Dean enjoys compering, gardening and dabbles in Interior Design. He is blessed together with Liette to be raising two future All Blacks Samuel and Benjamin, a dancing Amelia destined to take over one day!

It is an unequalled passion and energy for Dance, in performance, choreography, and teaching, which makes this ‘danceman’ unique.