Footnote New Zealand Dance (founded in 1985) is New Zealand's oldest contemporary dance company. Based in
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, it has been described as "New Zealand’s most enduring and influential contemporary dance company."
History
Footnote was founded in 1985 by Wellington ballet teacher
Deirdre Tarrant with a “dual commitment to fostering original works by local choreographers and composers, and establishing dance workshops in schools”. Tarrant had recently returned from dancing overseas; her vision was to 'establish a real community of creative dance people as well as to develop contemporary dance in New Zealand'. The company has played an important role in establishing and supporting contemporary dance in New Zealand.
Footnote received government funding: in the early 1990s it shifted from project-based funding to receiving recurrent funding through
Creative New Zealand.
In 2005 Footnote established its 'Forte' season, where a New Zealand dance artists working internationally was brought back to New Zealand to create a new work for the company.
Dancers and choreographers who have worked with Footnote include
Michael Parmenter,
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.
Bio ...
,
Malia Johnston,
Raewyn Hill,
Lisa Densem and
Ross McCormack. The company regularly tours in New Zealand, and has performed in Shanghai, Berlin, Brussels, Antwerp and London.
In 2015 the company marked its 30th anniversary with ''30 Forward'', a programme of works commissioned over the past ten years from the Forte seasons and a new work by Malia Johnston, ''Flip Pivot Boom''.
Present–day company
In 2012 Tarrant stepped down as director and joined the company's arts advisory panel.
Tarrant was succeeded by Malia Johnston. Richard Aindow was general manager from 2014 - 2020 Brian Wood in 2021, and Zoë Nicholson joined in 2023. Anita Hunziker leads the company's artistic vision as Artistic Manager.
The company was headquartered on Wellington's
Cuba Street. In 2022, the company moved to a temporary studio in Northland, Wellington, while looking for a permanent premises.
The company is funded through Creative New Zealand,
Wellington City Council
Wellington City Council is a Territorial authorities of New Zealand, territorial authority in New Zealand, governing the city of Wellington, the country's capital city and List of cities in New Zealand#City councils, third-largest city by popul ...
, Wellington Community Trust, The Lion Foundation, and individual and family donors.
References
External links
Deirdre Tarrant: Footnote NZ Dance Radio NZ, 24 August 2015
Footnote website
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Arts in New Zealand
Modern dance companies
Culture in Wellington
1985 establishments in New Zealand
Dance companies in New Zealand