Lack of Govt support ‘stunts’ N.Z. dance

Press, 4 February 1982, Page 12

Lack of Govt support ‘stunts’ N.Z. dance

p,\ Wellington Inadequate Government support has stunted the growth of a dance profession in New Zealand, says a report on New Zealand dance released. In. the report. Mr Peter Brinson, director of the Lon-don-based Gulbenkian

Foundation, says the top priority of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council is to develop a New Zealand dance profession of profes- : sional dancers qnd dance teachers of several stales. There needed to be more ■ funds, changed public tastes i and an emphasis on New Zealand's own dance resources if dance was to develop in this country, he said. I The present policy of send- | ing dancers overseas for fur- | trier training should be I reversed in favour of bringing expertise to New Zealand. Mr Brinson looked at the . work ot four dance comr panies — the New Zealand s Ballet. Southern Ballet e Theatre, Impulse, and Limbs Dance Comoanv and conL eluded that apart from the New Zealand Ballet, Auck-

land's Limbs was the onlycompany of immediate professional quality in New Zealand. He commended their unique combination of jazzstyle with classical ballet arid said the company should try to establish closer links with American or British modern dance teaching. The New Zealand Ballet needed to recognise that excellence required good teachers, good choreographers and an educated audience, as well as good dancers. Mr Brinson said. He welcomed the company's recent policy of including some new or experimental work in its major productions, and concluded that "creativity plus standards need to be the policybase for the company not box office earnings."