DANZ QUARTERLY

DANZ QUARTERLY ISSUE No 14 – January, February, March 2009

Editorial

Despite turbulent financial times, the dance industry has seen heartening consolidation this year. This was evident from the outset as the New Zealand International Arts Festival poster showcased the extraordinary beehive hairdos from Shen Wei Dance Arts. This was fitting as the dance presence at the festival in Wellington impressed with flair, innovation and expertise.

At the local level, the annual dance festivals such as Christchurch’s ‘The Body’, Wellington’s ‘Dance Your Socks Off’ and Auckland’s ‘Tempo’ provided substantial opportunities for dance artists and audiences alike to grow, both in creative expectations and numbers. DANZ’s research and development of the new Dance Industry Strategy, coupled with Creative New Zealand’s revised project funding process are aimed at being more directly responsive to the diverse needs of the dance community and will take the sector’s already considerable gains to another level.

This growth in infrastructure and opportunity is to be welcomed. It is timely to remember the environment that faced many of our great NZ dance artists who created nationally important legacies – such as Sir Jon Trimmer, Douglas Wright, Shona McCullagh, Russell Kerr, Michael Parmenter and many others – was less supportive. We can be ever-grateful for their tenacity and commitment.

On a literary level, the publication of Tara Jahn-Werner’s excellent ‘The Illustrated
History of Dance in New Zealand’ is another important step forward in providing substantial evidence of a vibrant dance history.

Francesca Horsley
Editor

Contents

Atamira – Māori Dance Platform by Francesca Horsley
Dolina Wehipeihana, creative producer of one of the most successful young dance groups in New Zealand.

Dance Letters from the readers of DANZ Quarterly
A new initiative to enable dialogue on dance matters.

Introducting Tiina Alinen by Tania Kopytko (part one)
A discussion with the head of contemporary dance at the New Zealand School of Dance about her career and work.

“…and a 5,6, 5,6,7,8” – Seriously Swinging by Jessica McLachlan
Working at Herräng Dance Camp, international festival of African-American swing dance in Sweden.

Time to Heal by Nicola Muir
Four years ago Christchurch-based dancer Erica Viedma sustained a dramatic injury which almost ended her dancing career.

Sir Jon Trimmer Celebrates 50 Years by Ann Hunt
In 2008 Sir Jon spent his fiftieth year dancing with the Royal New Zealand Ballet and was named ‘Wellingtonian of the Year’.

Education News:
Tanemahuta Gray is DANZ LEOTC special guest; Dance In Education conference to be held in 2009;

Dance Subject Association advocating for dance scholarship; Resourcing dance in schools.

Becoming “Tintomara” by Tara Randell
Excerpts from the diary of a dancer auditioning and preparing for her role in the musical ‘Cats’.

A Pacific Island Story by Sue Cheesman
Neil Ieremia, artistic director of Black Grace, has gone back to his Samoan roots for inspiration for the new full length work ‘Gathering Clouds’.