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Mangawhai-raised ballerina Olivia Platt (Ngāti Whātua and Ngāpuhi) is making her mark on a national stage after being promoted to artist with the Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB).
Platt joined the company at the start of last year and said the promotion was the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition.
“It’s really exciting as it is my dream job. I’m very lucky to be part of an organisation that trains and performs at such an elite level,” she said.
“There are never any guarantees in this profession, but I have dedicated most of my life to training, working hard and making sacrifices from a very young age. It’s not just a career, it’s a whole lifestyle.”
Platt started dancing at the age of three in Tauhoa and entered her first competition when she was five. She continued her training in Mangawhai under Lisa Johnson before moving on to the Mount Eden Ballet Academy and the Anneliese Gilberd Academy.
A childhood experience helped set her path. At seven years old, she attended a performance of The Nutcracker by the Royal New Zealand Ballet in Auckland.
“When we came out of the theatre, I told Mum I wanted to do that when I grew up,” she said. “So dancing in The Nutcracker with RNZB felt like a full-circle moment.”
In 2022, Platt moved to Wellington to study as a Classical Major at the New Zealand School of Dance, which she described as the country’s leading full-time dance training institution.
Her professional experience continued to grow, including attending Assemblée Internationale in Toronto in 2023 and joining RNZB on secondment for George Balanchine’s Serenade that same year. In 2024, she performed in Russell Kerr’s Swan Lake and appeared in the New Zealand-adapted version of The Nutcracker.
In the latter production, Platt performed the role of Mrs Stahlbaum, reimagined as Māori.
“It was amazing to share a little part of my own Māori heritage on stage through this character,” she said.
Now based in Wellington, Platt follows a demanding rehearsal and performance schedule, which limits how often she can return home. However, she said Mangawhai remains an important part of who she is.
“Growing up in Mangawhai, it was much smaller than it is now; everyone knew everyone,” she said. “Unless I was at dance class, I was always outside.”
She recalls spending afternoons at the beach, swimming, surfing and playing sports, and growing up on 10 acres overlooking Mangawhai village.
From a childhood spent roaming the streets and beaches of Mangawhai, Olivia Platt has progressed to dancing with New Zealand’s most prestigious ballet company, demonstrating that dedication and perseverance can turn a childhood dream into reality.
