DANZ MAGAZINE

In Conversation with Mark Baldwin Linda Lim talks with Mark Baldwin about the influences on his practice during his tenure as artistic director for leading UK contemporary dance company Rambert, and since leaving the company in 2018. Mark Baldwin, OBE, was born in Fiji and raised and educated in New Zealand. Mark was a founding member and... Keep Reading

Sir Jon Trimmer is a legend of New Zealand ballet, not only for his memorable performances and his commitment to ballet in this country, but for the sheer longevity of a performance career spanning six decades. Celia Jenkins spoke to him at his home on the Kapiti Coast about his time with the Royal New Zealand ballet, and portraying character... Keep Reading

Atamira Dance Company Artistic Director Jack Gray, of Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Porou descent, is a well-known Kiwi choreographer, facilitator, teacher, writer and lecturer. He shares with us his experience of travelling to California to attend a gathering of Indigenous choreographers. Keep Reading

Circus has traversed quite a distance from the traditional travelling shows of last century to the modern physical theatre art it is today. Carlene Newall de Jesus talked to Eve Gordon from New Zealand circus company The Dust Palace to get her take on the role of ‘story’ in circus. Keep Reading

The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) are seeing out 2019 with The Ryman Healthcare Season of Hansel & Gretel, a fairy tale production that is drizzled in surreal sweetness and original edge. The production, commissioned with Artistic Director Patricia Barker at the helm, is the first full-length ballet of RNZB dancer and Choreographer in Residence.. Keep Reading

Emerging contemporary dance artist Caitlin Davey is a graduate of the Unitec Performing and Screen Arts programme who has worked with a number of New Zealand’s established artists. The outcome of two development residencies, her performance work About Others invites the audience, gently and with respect, to walk in the shoes of others. Keep Reading

New Artistic Director for Tempo Dance Festival, Cat Ruka (Ngāpuhi, Waitaha) has unveiled a world-class programme from 2–12 October in a breakthrough year for Aotearoa’s leading pan-genre dance festival. Following her appointment to the role in February this year, Cat immediately focused on findi... Keep Reading

Dance holds the power to transcend the spoken word and breach cultural divides. Its very essence is universal, a common language. It can travel. Chris Connolly delves into the education choices for millennial dancers. Keep Reading

For teenage dancers and their parents there’s often a tension between the desire for more intensive dance training and the importance of an academic education. Jenny Stevenson explores some solutions offered in New Zealand. Keep Reading

This article was originally posed to me as a question I could never hope to address in 850 words: is tertiary dance education training students in such a way that meets the needs of the industry? The relationship between tertiary dance educators, and ‘the real world’ or ‘the industry’, and the successful or otherwise tr... Keep Reading

Three dance teachers share their personal perspectives on the pros and cons of dance competitions for a young dancer’s education, personal growth and relationships.  ... Keep Reading

From humble beginnings as a shy teenager in Hip Hop class, Braedyn Humphries' dance career has seen some remarkable shifts. His work as a dance tutor for DANZ, his contribution to the mixed ability Hip Hop crew JDK (Just Dance Krazy), and his recent graduation from the New Zealand School of Dance (NZSD), has seen him gripped by dance and dance... Keep Reading

Nuel Nonso (Nigerian-born musician now based in NZ) gives his insights on the flow of dance influences between the cultures of Africa and the US; from shoki to Hip Hop. I remember watching Missy Elliott's WTF (Where They From) for the first time and grinning that I-see-you grin when,... Keep Reading

Collaborating as a Collective By Bella Wilson and Dance Plant Collective Dance Plant Collective is a contemporary dance theatre collective based in Auckland. Here Co-founders Tui Hofmann, Brittany Kohler, Natasha Kohler, Rosie Tapsell, Jaz Yahel and Bella Wilson discuss their approach to collaboration. Initially, we formed our collective ... Keep Reading

Dancer-Centered Dance Making - Reimagining Collaborative Choreographic Relationships By Sarah Knox Placing dancers at the centre of the process of creating dance work underpins the teaching and choreographic practices of Sarah Knox and Sarah Foster-Sproull. These principles are core to TRIGGER dance, founded by these two multi-talented dance... Keep Reading