Dance Company

Highland Dance Company of NZ - 2024 members
Abby Smith
Annabel Watts
Ariana Watkins
Britney Moore
Bailey Smith
Brooke Smith
Chloe Kyle
Danielle Joy
Ella Wilson
Estelle Buchanan
Hannah Roche
Imogen Grayson
Isla MacFarlane
Kate Millington
Keighley Feilding-Woodmass
Mhairi McLarin
Milly Christie
Neryda Duncan
Olivai Mavor
Olivia Buchanan-Letts
Rachel Checketts
Siara Clarke
Sophie Popham
Sophie Borsboom
Tyra Heng
Zara Glover
Zoe Francis


Highland Dance Company of New Zealand Solo Seal Performance 2024

A huge thank you to our Dance Company members who toured to Melbourne, Australia to perform in the National Celtic Festival in Port Arlington, 7^th-9^th June 2024:
 
Olivia Buchanan Letts, Estelle Buchanan, Rachel Checketts, Siara Clarke, Neryda Duncan, Keighley Fielding-Woodmass, Tyra Heng, Chloe Kyle, Isla McFarlane, Hannah Roche, Ariana Watkins, Annabel Watts, Ella Wilson.
 
Our dancers represented the New Zealand Academy of Highland & National Dancing and their dancing schools and families with professionalism and outstanding performances in two “Heart of the Highlands” Shows, plus several short dance programmes each day, along with a very interactive “Have a Go” workshop to a large gathering of local families of all ages!
 
We sincerely thank our two guest performers, Sara Bishell as our narrator and singer and wee dancer Annabelle Hook, who both performed wonderfully and added an extra special dimension weaving our Heart of the Highlands Show together
 
The Festival offers a dynamic showcase of Celtic culture, Dance and Folk music from across Australia and Internationally, and our Dance Company received many accolades and compliments from very enthusiastic audiences.
 
Over the 3 days our girls each performed at least 50 dances, not including rehearsals on all day Thursday and Friday morning! An outstanding effort and the many accolades and compliments by the festival directors, other performing artists and large crowds were very much deserved.

A very grateful thanks to the parents and family who travelled to support us, we loved having them there to cheer us on and a special thanks to Jenna Hook who was a wonderful support and an amazing “Quick Costume Change”  help for all the girls behind the scenes.
 
Thank you so much to our Academy Executive, Dance Company Management Team and Raewyn for your assistance, organisation and support in making these opportunities available to our dancers.
 
Julie Hawke & Robyn Simmons
 
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE HIGHLAND DANCE COMPAMY OF NEW ZEALAND

The Highland Dance Company of New Zealand evolved in late 2010, from discussions with members of The Academy of Highland & National Dancing’s Executive and Technical Committees. We wanted to create opportunities for our senior dancers throughout New Zealand, in a non–competitive environment, with innovative and inspiring choreography, for the purpose of promoting Highland Dancing both in New Zealand and overseas.

The initial auditions for positions within the company created considerable interest throughout New Zealand. Live auditions were held for the company in January 2011, in Auckland and Christchurch for Highland Dancers aged 14 years and over. DVD auditions were also available.

The Company dancers, both male and female, have been challenged by expanding their movement repertoire, and working collaboratively at workshops in a team environment with the Dance Company Directors/Choreographers (Julie Hawke, Christchurch and Robyn Simmons, Blenheim).

Highland Dancing is an individual competitive art form, and the dance company challenges and works outside these parameters.

Regional Dance Groups have also been formed under the umbrella of the national company, with a Regional Co-ordinator being appointed for each region. This has generated exciting opportunities for both students and teachers. The regional members have been able to perform with members of the dance company and also worked with the dance company directors. This has resulted in increased exposure and enabled dancers to work with others outside their normal studio.

The effect of the dance company has had a positive effect for not only those directly involved, it has also created a pathway for our younger members to aspire to, and for our older members to enjoy the results.

While traditions and techniques of the academy are maintained, the dance company allows the development of a contemporary presentation of our art form to appeal to a a broader audience outside the competitive platform.

In the first year, 2011, the dance company’s inaugural performance was in Palmerston North, at our National Conference. What was achieved in the first year was inspiring. The Regional Groups were also given opportunities and many performed at the Rugby World cup Events. This gave highland dancing a whole new opportunity for exposure of our art.

Key achievements in 2012 were two overseas trips by special invitation. April 2012, following an invitation to perform in the USA at the Virginia International Tattoo. The tattoo was a breath-taking extravaganza of military pageantry, ceremony and soul stirring music, presented in the tradition of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. This was an amazing experience for the 18 dance company members. It is the largest tattoo in the United States, with nearly 900 artists from around the world performing to approximately 30,000 patrons, including 12,000 children, during the three public performances and two school performances.


The second international tour by the company was to China in September 2012, where they were invited guests at The Shanghai Tourism Festival. It was a once in a lifetime experience for the 22 company members, to present our culture with specially choreographed dances onto the world stage, while at the same time discovering the fascination of the Chinese history and culture.

Key achievements have been experienced by not only the dancers, who challenged themselves to extend their movement repertoire and technical skills, it also enabled the Dance Company Directors to expand their choreographic content to a more advanced level.

The members of the group provided a daily blog of their trips and posted daily photos on our website to keep all our members, family and friends who had supported them. They also created a video of each trip which identified the positive team environment.

The evaluation of the first two years indicated that we as an organisation, needed to create more awareness of the dance company activities on a national level, and a proposed concert tour in August, commencing in Blenheim for one show on Thursday 29 August, and Christchurch on Saturday 31 august for two shows.

The theme of these shows will be a development of one of their choreographed items “The thistle and the Fern”. It will portray through dance, the story of the Celts immigrating to New Zealand and will reflect the preservation and development of the Celtic culture in New Zealand. The production will be linked with a narrative and audio-visuals and feature guest performances by a Celtic singer and a bagpiper.

To view performances, follow these links:
2013
https://youtu.be/rpNW3EHrcVE
2015 – Journey of the Celts Trailer - https://youtu.be/2iBGD0T-6ow
2015 – BLOOD ON THE LOCH - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csMZyadqg74
2015 – HARDSHIP - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkVbmikTvao
2015 – RED HOT HIGHLAND - https://youtu.be/flvO6x1aAeE

The dance company’s aim is to build their reputation both nationally and internationally.