By Dave Goosselink
Former All Black captain David Kirk did it, so did former Black Caps skipper John Wright.
Now a new group of Otago students are following their lead, dancing in the all-male Selwyn Ballet.
This year's lads are enjoying donning tutus and continuing the long tradition.
Opening night at the ballet and the guys are getting their game faces on – the boys at Selwyn College have been preparing for the performance for months.
It's the 82nd year of the Selwyn Ballet, the oldest troupe in the country, beating the Royal New Zealand Ballet by a quarter of a century – and the fledgling ballerinas don't have much trouble getting into character.
While the performance is strictly blokes-only, the female students help run an efficient production line, catering to the hair and makeup needs of the fussy boys.
“I've just been told that he wants blue eyes and then darker colours for the swirls around the outside – to accentuate his features,” says a bemused makeup artist, Emily Sullivan.
There's a hint of a few nerves as the guys take the stage, as part of Otago University's capping show.
Some of the tutu-wearing lads are proudly following in the footsteps of fathers and grandfathers.
“It's pretty cool knowing that that many years ago they were doing it, and now you're part of the chain and following the old man's footsteps I guess,” says Alex Lowe, one of the ballerina boys.
They take the performance seriously, impressing their choreographer who's spent many long hours working with the left-footed lads.
“Most of them don't have any kind of dance experience, but they really come to rehearsal and they work,” says Sophia Kalogeropoulou.
Head ballerina Chris Brewer is one of only two returners allowed to take part. He agrees the boys have come a long way.
“It's quite funny looking at them in the start, seeing them at the start like not knowing any steps at all, and then to now it's like, we've gone a long way,” he says.
They've got nine nights to go in the capping show, with an invite to entertain fans at the netball later this month.
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