NATIONAL DANCE ARCHIVE OF NEW ZEALAND
NGA KAITIAKI TAONGA KANIKANI O AOTEAROA
 
Report from the Chair
August 2025
 
 
The National Dance Archive was originally formed as a subcommittee of the New Zealand Dance Federation in 1982. And Carolyn McKeefry was there when it took place. So it was with great sadness to say goodbye to Carolyn in December who has been involved with the Dance Archive for all that time. Carolyn, for your service and dedication—most recently (and for the whole time I’ve been on the committee) as treasurer—we thank you from the bottom or our hearts. 
 
So it called for an occasion to farewell Carolyn, which we did over dinner after our February meeting. It was also an occasion to welcome our new treasurer, Nicola O’Neill, who has big shoes to fill, but has risen to the challenge remarkably in the past six months.
 
Trustees and Meetings
As well as the change of treasurer, we also said goodbye to Geordan Wilcox who has stepped down. We will be looking to recruit a new committee member in Auckland to fill this space. Philippa Pidgeon remains our representative in Christchurch, and the rest of the trustees are based in Wellington: Peter Boyes, Kim Crawford, Debra Harris, Katherine Lancaster, Brigitte Knight, Keith McEwing and Sue Nicholls.
 
Two meetings have been held in person this period, with occasion to socialise afterwards—those occasions being the end of year, and then in February for dinner with Carolyn. It is with some irony that our AGM and June meeting, coincidentally scheduled to take place in National Volunteer Week, did not happen due to several trustees’ commitments elsewhere. The old adage is true (attributed to both Benjamin Franklin and Lucille Ball), If you want something done, ask a busy person!
 
Technology Subcommittee 
Having a tributes page on our website was not a purpose we originally envisaged. But with many notable dance personalities passing away recently it has proved a valuable addition to our website. As well as being an obituaries page, it also can serve the purpose of drawing the dance community, and people generally, to what archives exist relating to them and also highlighting the fact of the oral histories that the Dance Archive has recorded. Two notable figures from the past twelve months are Sir Jon Trimmer, and pianist Eli Gray-Smith. Other notable dancers we have lost this year are Rowena Jackson and Val Deakin, who also have oral histories recorded by the Dance Archive. Thank you once again to Brigitte for hosting our website and social media.
 
Archiving Resources Subcommittee
Exploring ways to extend our reach and promote dance archiving has always been part of our constitution, and we have been looking at further ways we can do this. Keep an eye on the website for more details about this.
 
 
Oral Histories Subcommittee
Our oral history project is underway, with the scoping exercise complete and interviewees confirmed. The project has been provisionally endorsed for archiving by the Alexander Turnbull Library and will be added to the NDA’s previous interviews.
 
Sponsorship and Funding Subcommittee
With considerable funds generated from the two film nights in previous years, we did not have a fundraising event this year. It is notable that we have managed to raise enough to fully fund the current oral history project. In the past we have frequently sought funding from either Ministry of Culture and Heritage or Lotteries Commission. 
 
Our continued thanks to the National Library shop, Te Āmiki, for selling NDA cards, generating a small but steady income.
 
The Year Ahead
Now on to the year ahead: this will bring us further oral histories lodged with the Turnbull Library. The website is growing and it is hoped to add more resources to pages for dance researchers as well as providing guidance for the preservation of dance resources and archives.
 
Continuing as I have for the past two annual reports, I will close my report with a whakatauki. This year I look to the collaboration of the committee and our sustained work promoting dance archiving since the Dance Archive’s inception. Ko koe ki tēnā, ko ahau ki tēnei kīwai o te kete; “You take that handle and I’ll take this handle of the basket”. Thank you all for your contribution to the year’s progress, but especially to Carolyn for your 42 years of service to the National Dance Archive.
 
Keith McEwing
Chair
14 August 2025
 
 

National Dance Archive Oral History Project 2025
 
The National Dance Archive of New Zealand is pleased to announce the commencement of our next oral history project. Three dance practitioners have been chosen with diverse backgrounds. We are also thrilled to boast having fully funded this project through our own fundraising efforts. Once completed the project will be deposited with the Alexander Turnbull Library, which holds all of our previous oral history projects as well as many other oral histories of dancers and people from dance-related disciplines.
 
Background
Over the past several decades the National Dance Archive has commissioned some 48 Oral Histories of prominent dance practitioners in New Zealand, to date they have mainly been from ballet and contemporary dance backgrounds. All of these interviews have been deposited with the Alexander Turnbull Library, where they are available to be listened to, pending permission from the National Dance Archive, and possibly further access restrictions the interviewee may have stipulated.
Previously, funding for the various projects has been from a variety of sources. These include grants from the Lotteries Commission, QEII Arts Council in past years and more recently the Ministry of Culture and Heritage. The current project, however, will be paid for from our own funds, which have been realised from fundraising events, such as film nights, and generous donations. If you are one of those who have contributed in recent years, we thank you again for your contributions.
As with many of our recent oral history projects, the project will be carried out by Lyne Pringle. This includes conducting the interviews and abstracting the recordings. Our thanks also to Lyne for her contribution and ongoing support.
 
Interviewees
The National Dance Archive’s current oral history project has selected three prominent dance practitioners in New Zealand. Having made a significant and distinctive contribution to dance in New Zealand, the interviewees are Tanemahuta Gray, Vivek Kinra, and Trish Popperwell.
Each has charted a course within the New Zealand dance community, with various twists and turns, that have kept them involved for long periods of time.
 
Tanemahuta Gray is a trained dancer in Contemporary Dance, Ballet and Kapa Haka (traditional Māori cultural performance). He is highly trained in mau rākau / taiaha, the Māori stick-fighting martial artform. He is also highly trained as a harness-based aerialist, and has worked with world leading aerial physical theatre company De La Guarda for 5 years.
Tanemahuta is also a choreographer & artistic director of numerous live theatre productions including Maui—One Man Against the Gods (2003-2011), Arohanui—The Greatest Love (2011), Tiki Taane Mahuta (2009–2014), and Te KōwhitiFestival of Indigenous Dance that ran for four years (2009-2013).
Tanemahuta has acted in several theatre and physical theatre works over his career & in his first feature film as a werewolf in What We Do in the Shadows directed by Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement (2014).
He is a guest choreographer/Director of the South Pacific Section (and dancer) for the World of Wearable Art Awards (2010–2013). Tanemahuta has also been Director of Whitireia Dance Programme and Taki Rua Productions.

Carolyn McKeefry - National Dance Archive 

​At the end of 2024 Carolyn resigned as Treasurer of the Dance Archive. This ended an association spanning over 40 years. As part of the (then) New Zealand Dance Federation, Carolyn was present at the founding of the Archive at Antrim House, Wellington in 1982. Her involvement included various roles over the years including Secretary, Committee Member and lastly Treasurer. 
A performer, dance teacher (she has her own Academy in Khandallah), choreographer (Crows Feet Dance Collective Hutt), Carolyn has been committed to the continued preservation of New Zealand's Dance History throughout acknowledging it is a continuous challenge, particularly in the area of fund raising for various projects. 
Whilst the initial 'dream' of a dedicated space/museum has faded, the Archive has succeeded in specialising in Oral Histories and the setting up of a data base for referencing material. In addition the archive continues to encourage everyone in the dance community to keep files and records for future generations. 
Carolyn is changing her focus to other aspects of her life, including her Boutique Tours business (mainly to India).