Footnote
12 September 2010 2:00pm - 2:30pm
Footnote Dance is a significant part of the dance experience for thousands of Kiwis. Over the past 24
years, Footnote Dance has presented the fluid energy of dance as a real reflection of our New Zealand
identity in the theatre, in schools and in the community. Funded by Creative New Zealand as a
Recurrently Funded Organisation, Footnote Dance also receives support from Wellington City Council
and various Charitable Trusts.
New Zealand is a physical nation and we pride ourselves on our ‘go out and make it happen’ attitude.
Deirdre Tarrant, founder and current Director of the company has made a unique reality happen.
Footnote has at its heart her determination to create a secure, sustainable professional company of
excellent dancers who can respond to the innovation and ideas of contemporary choreographers
wanting to communicate through the most universal art form - dance.
Footnote has been and is a unique part of the dance industry in New Zealand with Dance-in-
Education programmes that travel from Whangarei to Winton, as well as touring seasons in theatres
throughout the country. Both established and emerging choreographers are presented in
programmes that, over the years, have featured the artistic messages of Michael Parmenter, Raewyn
Hill, Malia Johnston, Jeremy Nelson, Merenia Gray, Moss Patterson, Sarah Foster, Lyne Pringle, and
Tarrant herself and always to music made in New Zealand.
In 2010, Footnote Dance will tour their two signature performance seasons across the country –
Made in New Zealand, featuring work by Michael Parmenter, Malia Johnston, Deirdre Tarrant, Sarah
Foster and Ross Mc Cormack, and the Footnote Forte Series, which this year will celebrate the work
of outstanding New Zealand choreographers in a series of works based on environment, both social
and geographic in Aotearoa. These seasons are supported by a range of ‘wrap’ programmes; dancein-
education, professional development workshops ‘Choreolab’, studio performances ‘Perforum’,
performance in galleries ‘Watch This Space – Maatakitakihia Mai Tenei Waahi’, and collaborations
with other arts partners such as the Museum of Wellington City & Sea and the World of
Wearableart.
Overseas outreach is also important for Footnote Dance. In 2008, the Company travelled to Brisbane
and Hong Kong. In 2009 they travelled to Belgium and Germany to take part in workshops at Dance
Centrum Jette and P.A.R.T.S, and to show and work further with Claire O’Neil on the critically
acclaimed production MTYLAND, first seen in New Zealand in the 2008 Footnote Forte Season.
Footnote Dance was also invited to Essen to visit the Folkwang Hochschule and PACT Zollverein,
leading centres of contemporary dance.
Footnote Dance takes its role as our national repertoire company very seriously, with a real focus on
being the artistic guardians of new dance. In 2010 Footnote Dance performed in the NZ International
Arts Festival with a presentation of MTYLAND and represented New Zealand contemporary dance in
a new work by Malia Johnston for the World Expo in Shanghai. Footnote dancers are both excellent
role models for young people and at the top of their profession as contemporary dancers in New
Zealand. The dancers in 2010 are Anita Hunziker, Sarah Knox, Jeremy Poi, Francis Christeller, Lucy
Marinkovich and Robbie Curtis.
Contact: Nina Baeyertz, Administration Coordinator, 04 3847285. footnote@footnote.org.nz