The New Zealand Dance Company

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The New Zealand Dance Company (incorporated as The New Zealand Dance Advancement Trust) is an Auckland based, nationally focused contemporary dance company.

Contents

Established in 2012, by co-founders Chief Executive/Artistic Director (and Arts Laureate) Shona McCullagh [1] and the founding General Manager Frances Turner, the company sought to break the paradigm of dance companies operating on a project by project basis, presenting work by one choreographer, and moved instead to a sustainable model of presenting a variety of choreographic works.

About

The New Zealand Dance Company (NZDC) was founded in 2012 by former Limbs Dance Company member Shona McCullagh. Like Limbs, the NZDC company commissions work from New Zealand and international choreographers. [2] Part of the mission was to support new talent and utilise dancers and choreographers who had left New Zealand. [3] The founding production was the Language of Living, featuring choreographers Michael Parmenter, Justin Haiu, Sarah Foster-Sproull and Shona McCullagh. [4]

NZDC has developed more than 27 new works by choreographers from New Zealand, Australia, Holland and South Korea and has toured internationally including to the Holland Dance Festival, Australia, Germany, Liverpool, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Canada. [3]

In addition to a professional Company, NZDC has a Youth and Community Engagement Programme of weekly classes, masterclasses and workshops for all ages and levels – including an over 60s Feisty Feet class. [5]

In 2011 Creative New Zealand funded the new venture of The New Zealand Dance Company and Westpac bank sponsored. [4]

Dancers

Management

Works


Stage of Being (2023)

Location - ASB Waterfront Theatre, [7]  Auckland  Choreographers - Tupua Tigifua (LittleBits and AddOns), Xin Ji & Xiao Chao Wen (Made in Them)

ArteFact (2022 & 2023)

Location - New Zealand Tour 2022 & 2023 [8]  Director/ Choreographer - Ross McCormack

Night Light [9] (2022 & 2023)

Location - ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland Choreographers - Tor Colombus and Eddie Elliott 

This Fragile Planet (2020) Location - Auckland Fringe Festival and Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival

Choreographers - Nina Nawalowalo and Tom McCrory (The Conch), Ross McCormack
International Tours (2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014) Location - Canada, Belgium, Luxemburg, Paris, Liverpool, Germany, Holland, Australia, Netherlands
Matariki for Tamariki (2019, 2020, 2022) Location - Auckland, Northland Choreographer - Sean McDonald
Kiss the Sky (2019, 2017) Location - Bay of Islands, Wanaka, Invercargill, Wellington, New Plymouth, Nelson, Hamilton, Auckland Choreographers - KIM Jae Duk, Victoria Columbus, Stephanie Lake, Sue Healey
Tamaki Tour Location - Auckland Choreographers - Sean McDonald, Mia Mason, Lucy Marinkovich, Chrissy Kokiri, Taniora Motutere, Ashleigh Perriot, Tupua Tigafua, Bianca Hyslop, Scott Ewen, Omea Geary, Malia Johnston, Joshua Cesan
Lumina (2018, 2016 ,2015) Location - Paris, Liverpool, Hamilton, Christchurch, Nelson, Auckland, Germany, Holland, Whangarei, Napier, Wellington, New Plymouth Choreographers - Stephen Shropshire, Louise Potiki Bryant, Malia Johnston
OrphEus - A Dance Opera (2018) Location - Auckland Festival, New Zealand Festival Wellington Choreographer - Michael Parmenter 
The Absurdity of Humanity (2017, 2016) Location - New Plymouth, Marlborough, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland
Rotunda (2015, 2014, 2013) Location - Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland, Adelaide, Melbourne, Parramatta, Geelong, Den Haag, Amsterdam, Auckland Choreographer - Shona McCullagh in collaboration with dancers
Language of Living (2014, 2013, 2012) Location - Invercargill, Christchurch, Nelson, New Plymouth, Tauranga, Auckland, Whangarei, Hawke's Bay, Wellington Choreographers - Shona McCullagh, Michael Parmenter, Sarah Foster-Sproull, Justin Haiu, Tupua Tigafua, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker
Shaun Parker's Trolleys Winner of the Argus Angel Award (Brighton Festival, UK) Location - UK, Spain, Belgium, France, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Australia, Auckland Choreographer - Shaun Parker

Related Research Articles

The following lists events that happened during 2002 in New Zealand.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auckland Arts Festival</span> Annual arts festival in New Zealand

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The 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours in New Zealand, celebrating the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, were appointments made by the Queen in her right as Queen of New Zealand, on the advice of the New Zealand government, to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by New Zealanders. They were announced on 2 June 2003.

Shona Margaret McCullagh is a New Zealand choreographer, dancer, filmmaker and artistic director. McCullagh was the founding director of the New Zealand Dance Company and was appointed artistic director of the Auckland Festival in 2019.

Jack Gray is a New Zealand choreographer, researcher and teacher of contemporary Māori dance.

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The New Zealand School of Dance was established in 1967 and is a tertiary educational institute in New Zealand that teaches contemporary dance and ballet. It started as the National School of Ballet, and after contemporary dance was added in 1982 the name was changed to the New Zealand School of Dance.

Miriama McDowell is a New Zealand actor, director and playwright. She is a graduate of Toi Whakaari.

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Tupua Tigafua is a Samoan choreographer and dancer based in New Zealand. Tigafua was a recipient of the Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifika Award for Emerging Artist in 2017. In 2021, the Wellington Theatre Awards presented him with the Excellence Award for Choreography and Movement for original work Ciggy Butts in the Sand.

References

  1. McCullagh, Shona. "Shona McCullagh". The New Zealand Dance Company. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  2. Schultz, Marianne (2017). Limbs Dance Company. OCLC   1030942994.
  3. 1 2 "About". New Zealand Dance Company. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 Francis, Rain (1 July 2012). "The New New Zealand Dance Company". Dance Informa Magazine. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  5. Engagement Programme, Youth and Community. "MĀTAURANGA/ EDUCATION". The New Zealand Dance Company. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  6. Rudd, Katie. "A part of our life force". Taranaki Daily News. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  7. Zealand (www.bka.co.nz), Site designed and developed by bka interactive ltd, Auckland, New. "ASB Waterfront Theatre | ASB Waterfront Theatre". www.asbwaterfronttheatre.co.nz. Retrieved 24 October 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. "Artefact – How to Behave in a Museum". Theatreview. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  9. "Night Light". Theatreview. Retrieved 24 October 2023.