Leading New Zealand Dancer Returns To New Zealand

Media Release
Immediate Release

October 5, 2004

Acclaimed New Zealand dancer Sarah-Jayne Howard will return home to dance alongside Michael Parmenter in the Wellington and Auckland seasons of Weather.

Sarah-Jayne Howard trained at the New Zealand School of Dance Graduating in 1995. She then worked with Claire O’Neil and Nicole Bishop in DOUBLE BACK and with Sean Curham. Sarah-Jayne then joined Meryl Tankard’s Australian Dance Theatre where she worked for four years performing throughout Australia, America, Japan and Europe, with the company’s final performance at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in London. While at ADT She choreographed two solo works TONIGHT and VERONIQUE.

In 1999 Sarah-Jayne worked with Garry Stewart’s company Thwack! including a performance on New Years Eve 1999 suspended from the main sail of the Sydney Opera House.

In 2000 Sarah-Jayne joined Chunky Move Dance Company based in Melbourne. With Chunky Move she performed both in Australia and internationally including a performance at The Brooklyn Academy of Music Festival in New York in October 2001. She then returned to New Zealand to perform in Inland with Douglas Wright for the New Zealand International Festival on the Arts.

Picture caption: Sarah-Jayne Howard

While in New Zealand Sarah-Jayne performed in WHITE choreographed by Raewyn Hill and WEATHER by Michael Parmenter.

In 2002 she was selected as one of three finalists chosen worldwide for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.

In 2003/2004 Sarah-Jayne has been a guest dancer with Australian dance Theatre including performing in HELD choreographed by Garry Stewart in collaboration with US Photographer Lois Greenfield.

Most recently she choreographed for Company B’s production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, directed by Benedict Andrews.

Parmenter originally intended Weather as the first half of Tristan & Isolde, but Parmenter is now happy that that work stands alone in itself and invited Howard home to perform the work as a double bill companion work to precede Tristan & Isolde.

Howard will return to Sydney following the conclusion of Weather. She will perform with ADT in its upcoming tour to the US.

Weather plays with Tristan & Isolde in Wellington at Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Theatre from October 16 – October 20 and in Auckland at The Maidment Theatre from October 27 – October 30.

ENDS

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