Jon Trimmer

Jonty Trimmer was born on 18 September 1939 in Petone, New Zealand. He started learning ballet at age 12 at his sister's ballet school.

In 1958 he joined the New Zealand Ballet Company where he worked until he left to study overseas.

While overseas between 1959 and 1970 he:

• attended the Royal Ballet School from 1960 to 1961
• toured with the Sadler's Wells Ballet from 1962 to 1964
• danced with The Australian Ballet from 1965 to 1966
• danced with the Royal Danish Ballet from 1968 to 1969

In 1970 he returned to New Zealand to help revive the New Zealand Ballet and became the principal male dancer in that company. He has been with the company, now known as the Royal New Zealand ballet since then.

Among the many roles he has danced were Petrouchka and the role of Albrecht in Giselle. He now dances character parts such as Captain Hook in Peter Pan.

In the 1974 New Year Honours, Trimmer was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to ballet.[1] In 1982, he was awarded a Fulbright Cultural Grant.[2]

In 1991 he was presented with a Scroll of Honour from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand for services to entertainment and dance.

He played the part of Edgar Marwick in Peter Sharp's 1986 movie Undercover Gang.[3]

In 1986 he played in the TV series Fireraiser and was nominated for the best actor award.[4]

He is patron of the Centastage theatrical company[4]

He received a knighthood in 1999 for services to ballet.[5]

In 2002 and 2003 he performed with Helen Moulder in her play Meeting Karpovsky.

Trimmer met his wife Jacqui when they were both dancers in the New Zealand Ballet Company in 1958. He was 18 at the time.[6]

He has danced with Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.[6]

• Royal New Zealand Ballet
• Jon Trimmer on IMDb