The New Zealand Dance Company (incorporated as The New Zealand Dance Advancement Trust) is an

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

based, nationally focused

contemporary dance Contemporary dance is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in ...

company. Established in 2012, by co-founders Chief Executive/Artistic Director (and Arts Laureate)

Shona McCullagh 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. Biog ...

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 begun in 2021 by former

Limbs Dance Company The Limbs Dance Company was formed in Auckland, New Zealand in May 1977 and disbanded in Wellington in September 1989. Limbs was "the first contemporary dance company in New Zealand to win a general following", and performed alongside notable New Z ...

member Shona McCullagh. Like Limbs, the NZDC company commissions work from New Zealand and international choreographers. Part of the mission was to support new talent and utilise dancers and choreographers who had left New Zealand. The founding production was the ''Language of Living,'' featuring choreographers

Michael Parmenter Michael Earl Parmenter (born 1954) is a New Zealand choreographer, teacher and dancer of contemporary dance. Career Parmenter studied dance in the 1980s in New York and was influenced by both New York-based choreographer Erick Hawkins and Jap ...

, Justin Haiu, Sarah Foster-Sproull and

. NZDC has developed more than 25 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. 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. In 2011

Creative New Zealand The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa (Creative New Zealand) is the national arts development agency of the New Zealand government, investing in artists and arts organisations, offering capability building programmes and developing markets ...

funded the new venture of The New Zealand Dance Company and Westpac bank sponsored.

Dancers

* Carl Tolentino * Chrissy Kokiri * Katie Rudd * Ngaere Jenkins

Management

* Interim Chief Executive - Caroline Bindon * Artistic Director - Tor Colombus * Creative Producer & Marketing Lead - JP Bolton * Finance Manager - Christine Rice

Works

ArteFact (2022) Location - New Zealand Tour 2022 Director/ Choreographer - Ross McCormack Night Light (2022) Location - ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland Choreographers - Tor Colombus and Eddie Elliott This Fragile Planet (2020) Location - Auckland Fringe Festival and

Hamilton Gardens Hamilton Gardens is a public garden park in the south of Hamilton owned and managed by Hamilton City Council in New Zealand. The 54-hectare park is based on the banks of the Waikato River and includes enclosed gardens, open lawns, a lake, a nur ...

Arts Festival Choreographers -

Nina Nawalowalo Nina Nawalowalo is a New Zealand theatre director and co-founder of the contemporary Pacific theatre company The Conch. She is known for directing the stage plays ''Vula'' and ''The White Guitar.'' The first film she directed ''A Boy Called Pi ...

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 Bianca Hyslop is a New Zealand Māori dancer and choreographer. She is affiliated to Te Arawa and Ngāti Whakaue iwi. Biography Hyslop completed a Bachelor of Performing Screen and Arts degree at Unitec Institute of Technology in 2009. She bec ...

, Scott Ewen, Omea Geary,

Malia Johnston Malia Johnston is a New Zealand choreographer and dance director who has created works for many of New Zealand's dance companies including Footnote Dance, the New Zealand Dance Company, and events such as the World of Wearable Arts and the Armis ...

, 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 Louise Mary Potiki Bryant is a New Zealand choreographer, dancer and video artist. She has choreographed a number of award-winning performances, and is a founding member of Atamira Dance Company. She designs, produces and edits videos of perfor ...

, Malia Johnston OrphEus - A Dance Opera (2018) Location -

Auckland Festival Formerly known as Auckland Festival, Auckland Arts Festival or is an annual arts and cultural festival held in Auckland, New Zealand. The Festival features works from New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia and beyond, including world premieres of new wor ...

, New Zealand Festival Wellington Choreographer -

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,

, Sarah Foster-Sproull, Justin Haiu, Tupua Tigafua, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker Shaun Parker's Trolleys Winner of the Argus Angel Award (

Brighton Festival Brighton Festival is a large, annual, curated multi-arts festival in England. It includes music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and family events, and takes place in venues in the city of Brighton and Hove in Engla ...

, UK) Location - UK, Spain, Belgium, France, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Australia, Auckland Choreographer - Shaun Parker

References

External links

The New Zealand Dance Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Zealand Dance Company Organizations established in 2011 Dance companies in New Zealand Arts in New Zealand Organisations based in Auckland Performing groups established in 2011