The world of ballet mourns the loss of a legend, Sir Jon “Jonty” Charles Trimmer KNZM MBE, who passed away on October 26, 2023. Born on September 18, 1939, in Petone, New Zealand, Trimmer’s journey in ballet began at the tender age of 12 at his sister’s ballet school.
Advertisement
Trimmer’s career took flight when he joined the New Zealand Ballet Company in 1958. His talent and passion for ballet took him beyond the shores of New Zealand. He ventured overseas to further his ballet career, attending the Royal Ballet School from 1960 to 1961.
Sir Jon Trimmer toured with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet from 1962 to 1964, danced with The Australian Ballet from 1965 to 1966, and with the Royal Danish Ballet from 1968 to 1969.
Sir Jon Trimmer’s performances were not limited to the stage. Trimmer also made his mark in film and television. He played the part of Edgar Marwick in Peter Sharp’s 1986 movie “Undercover Gang” and was nominated for the Best Actor award for his role in the TV series “Fireraiser” in 1986.
Advertisement
In 1970, Sir Jon Trimmer returned to New Zealand to help revive the New Zealand Ballet and became the principal male dancer in that company. He was with the company, now known as the Royal New Zealand Ballet, from then on. Among the many roles he danced were Petrouchka and the role of Albrecht in Giselle.
In later years he danced character parts such as Captain Hook in Peter Pan. Trimmer’s dedication to ballet was recognized with numerous awards. At the 1971 Feltex Television Awards, Trimmer won the performers’ award for his dancing in the ballet Façade.
In the 1974 New Year Honours, Trimmer was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to ballet. In 1999, Trimmer was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to ballet.
Leave a Reply