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Gaylene Ann Sciascia (born 3 September 1948) is a New Zealand choreographer and dance educator.
Sciascia was born Gaylene Ann Wilson in Auckland on 3 September 1948. She graduated from the 
In the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
with a Master of Fine Arts.
In 1972 she opened New Zealand's inaugural contemporary dance company, New Dance, along with John Casserly, Suzanne Renner and Jennifer Shennan. When New Dance toured New Zealand in 1973 was the first national tour of a local modern dance group. Sciascia and colleagues along with others such as Susan Jordan and Jamie Bull (Impulse Dance) were part of introducing modern dance throughout New Zealand in the 1970s.
In 1976 Sciascia organised the first National Dance Congress in Porangahau.
In 1991 she established Whitireia Performing Arts and led the programme until 2011.
In the 2017 New Year Honours
The 2017 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours were awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...
, Sciascia was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rend ...
, for service to dance.
Personal
Sciascia married Piri John Ngarangikaunuhia Sciascia in 1972. He died on 18 January 2020.References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sciascia, Gaylene 1948 births Living people Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit New Zealand choreographers University of Utah alumni People from Auckland