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Deirdre Tarrant CNZM founded Footnote Dance in 1985, and led it to become the national treasure of choreography and dance exploration it now is. Her own ballet background began in Wellington with Jeane Horne and the Royal New Zealand Ballet. A QE2 study grant took her overseas to dance and on her return she choreographed a number of works for the RNZB. She has developed many works for Footnote and led creative change as the company has evolved over 29 years, including Pick up Sticks (New Zealand Festival), Outside the Square and War in Paradise. Deirdre has recently retired from her role as Artistic Director of Footnote and also from her role as an international examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance. She is  Director of Tarrant Dance Studios and the Deirdre Tarrant Dance Theatre, a youth company with a commitment to integrating dance as a vital part of the Wellington community. Deirdre was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to the community in 2000, a Distinguished Alumni of Victoria University in 2006 and received an Absolutely Positively Wellingtonian award and was Arts Wellingtonian of the year 2012. In 2013 she was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to contemporary dance. She has reviewed dance works for Capital Times, Radio New Zealand and Theatreview for a number of years.

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Theatre and dance reviews since 2006.

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The Ryman Healthcare season of The Sleeping Beauty

Palmerston North, Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland, Invercargill, Napier

29/10/2020 - 06/12/2020

"An evening at the ballet..

"A ballet with lockdown at its centre..

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Ecology in Fifths

Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Hastings

11/11/2010 - 25/10/2020

"Thought provoking and devastatingly stunning..

"Considered, live, wonderful, urgent and disturbing..

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Strasbourg 1518

Wellington, Auckland

12/03/2020 - 28/03/2021

"Mystery and Frenzy..

"Powerful ruminations on the original event and our current situation..

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TROIS GRANDES FUGUES

Wellington

11/03/2020 - 12/03/2020

"Captivating and refreshing..

"Precision and clarity, patterns and pathways..

MAM

Wellington

05/03/2020 - 08/03/2020

"A work of layers..

"All in this together..

NZ School of Dance 2019 Graduation Season

Wellington

20/11/2019 - 30/11/2019

"Aspiring to sprezzatura..

"A great variety of choreographic offerings..

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HANSEL AND GRETEL (RNZB)

Wellington, Palmerston North, Napier, Christchurch, Auckland, Dunedin

06/11/2019 - 29/10/2023

"Serious themes at the heart...

"Vale Jon T. Thank you...

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BOLD MOVES

Palmerston North, Dunedin, Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland, Napier

16/08/2019 - 14/09/2019

"Delish-ish..

"Outrageously good..

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WINDIGO

Wellington

12/06/2019 - 15/06/2019

"Difficult to forget..

PŌHUTU

Wellington, Auckland, Rotorua

06/06/2019 - 15/09/2023

"We are transported to life at Whakarewarewa. Puarenga stream, bubbles and water...

"Tangible and intangible landscapes reimagined..

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ORBICULUS New Zealand School of Dance Choreographic Season

Wellington

22/05/2019 - 28/05/2019

"Watch this space..

"Smart, strong dancers, safe and secure choreography..

SYSTEM

Wellington

20/03/2019 - 23/03/2019

"Life changing..

BLACK DOG

Wellington

10/07/2018 - 17/03/2019

"Relevant, real, responsible..

"An exquisitely crafted live entertainment experience..

TREAT

Wellington

17/03/2019 - 17/03/2019

"Brightly coloured, relentlessly smiling, musically interesting, fun to watch..

Saudade

Wellington, Dunedin

16/03/2018 - 03/03/2019

"The challenge of sharing..

"stream of consciousness expressed through movement...

THURSDAY

Wellington

28/02/2019 - 21/02/2021

"They swing and soar with ever increasing complexity and energy..

"The loveliest thing..

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SHEL WE?

Wellington, Gisborne, Palmerston North, Hastings

12/12/2018 - 19/10/2020

"Gently woven story, precise and fluid dancing..

"Playful, poignant, ambiguous …..

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REAL[ISE]

Wellington

03/11/2018 - 04/11/2018

"Naïve, charming, jaw-dropping, snazzy..

The Nutcracker (2018)

Dunedin, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, Napier, Auckland

31/10/2018 - 09/12/2018

"Conscious magic..

"A coming of age story..

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Born out of Curiosity

Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington

23/11/2017 - 06/10/2018

"Cohesive and committed..

"Beautiful work, engaging performance..

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STRENGTH AND GRACE

Wellington

17/08/2018 - 18/08/2018

"Suffrage Embodied..

"RNZB impresses with Strength & Grace..

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STOA

Wellington

28/06/2018 - 07/07/2018

"Pillars and porticos..

Once Upon A Dance

Palmerston North, Dunedin, Paekākāriki, Wellington

04/03/2018 - 11/10/2018

"A strong, joyous, survivor message..

"Dancing lives brought together..

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Wellingon City Council
Auckland City Council