Organisation Colleagues
Anita Hunziker is the Artistic Director of Footnote New Zealand Dance, where she is dedicated to supporting the vision and growth of Aotearoa’s dancers and choreographers. Anita is passionate about working with artists to create transformative performances through bold collaborations, fostering creativity and celebrating diverse dance artists.
Organisation/Company
Name: Footnote New Zealand Dance
My Role: Artistic Director
Footnote New Zealand Dance is a trailblazing contemporary dance company. We are renowned for collaborating with Choreographers to create transformative artistic ventures that captivate and invigorate audiences.
Serving as a platform for audacious artistic risks, Footnote fosters an environment where creativity thrives. Annually, the company embarks on expansive journeys across Aotearoa, weaving communities together through performances and workshops.
Upholding a rich mosaic of dance artists from diverse backgrounds, Footnote stands as a pillar within the creative landscape of Aotearoa. We are proud advocates for dancers and choreographers.
As a Tau iwi organisation, Footnote's dedication to being an excellent Te Tiriti partner underscores our commitment to kotahitanga.
Rohe
Pōneke, Wellington NZ has been my home for the past 23 years. I originally moved from Brisbane, Australia to study at the NZ School of Dance. I fell in love with the land, the people, the art and culture and never left !
How I got where I am today
After training at the New Zealand School of Dance I had a 10 year career performing with companies like Footnote, Dance North and many independent choreographers. I felt satisfied as a performer and was drawn to 'the other side'. My curiosity led me back to Footnote as Artistic Liaison and after 9 years with the company I worked my way up to be Artistic Director. Other roles have been Assistant Show Director for the World of WearableArt Awards Show and a contemporary tutor at the NZ School of Dance.
Modern God
Artform: Dance / Dance Theatre
Development Status: Tour Ready
Media Uploads
Trailer
Synopsis
Stunts will be attempted. Records broken. Memes made. Content consumed. Advertising sold. Lives ruined. Heroes formed.
This high-powered show, straddling the realms of contemporary dance and physical theatre, delves into the intricate web of global internet culture and the evolving complexity of the virtual world. It's a unique opportunity to dissect our interactions with the internet, from its absurdity and speed to its utility and potential dangers.
Presented by Aotearoa’s trailblazing contemporary dance company Footnote New Zealand Dance, created by visionary choreographer Jeremy Beck and AV design team RDYSTDY.
Creative Team and Crew
Director & Choreographer: Jeremy Beck
Cast: Airu Matsuda, Cecilia Wilcox, Levi Siaosi, Veronica ChengEn Lyu
Guest artists: Joshua Faleatua, Tyler Carney-Faleatua
Dramaturgy: Hana Miller
AV Creative Production Studio: RDYSTDY
Sound Design: Benny Jennings (Hominid)
Lighting Design: Tony Black
Costume Design: Gabrielle Stevenson
Set Design: Jeremy Beck & YOOCREW
Stage & Production Management: Charlie Adams
Technical Operation: Tom Smith & Chris Simpson
Photography: Stephen A'Court
Pre-production & development: Genevieve Poppe
Number of People in the Touring Party
11
Previous Seasons
2025
Wellington, 13-15 February - Te Whaea Theatre
Auckland, 20-22 February - Q Theatre
Hamilton Arts Festival, 28 February-1 March - The Meteor
Christchurch, 7-10 March - Papa Hou
Oamaru, 14-15 March - Oamaru Opera House
Reviews and Quotes
MODERN GOD breathtaking tour de force of artistry.
- Lyne Pringle, The Post
A thoroughly engrossing, energetic, visually and aurally exciting, and absorbing performance that has left me feeling disturbed but also exhilarated.
- Dr Debbie Bright, Theatreview
MODERN GOD stuns and enthrals the viewer on so many levels – like the intricate web of content that emanates from the internet – it is a formidable and highly skilled dance/theatre work. One that warrants multiple views.
- Lyne Pringle, The Post
The performers approach to the loose-limbed, quasi free-style vocabulary is one of undiluted enjoyment – so it proves equally enjoyable for the audience also.
- Jenny Stevenson, Theatreview
MODERN GOD is immediate. It’s urgent and overwhelming. Bloody. Its concerns are with the now; the intersections between social media, capitalism, and us.
- Jack McGee, Art Murmors
The animation in the dancers’ faces is superb. When magnified to grotesque proportions on the big screen, it becomes one of the highlights of the work.
- Jenny Stevenson, Theatreview
Thin Paper, Autonomous Synapses, Nomads, Tokyo(ing) 薄い紙、自律のシナプス、遊牧民、トーキョー(する)
Artform: Dance
Development Status: Tour Ready
Media Uploads
Trailer
Synopsis
Thin Paper, Autonomous Synapses, Nomads, Tokyo(ing) 薄い紙、自律のシナプス、遊牧民、トーキョー(する) reveals a new sense of space and time - intersecting people, cultures, landscapes, and moments. With choreography as poetic as its title, this work evokes deep emotion through attention to detail.
Kota Yamazaki and Footnote explore the changing and fluid nature of human identity, freeing it from socially preconditioned notions of self. Throughout the work, words float and scatter, collected from the scenery of Wellington and young people’s hang-out spots in Tokyo. Japanese choreographer Kota Yamazaki returns to Footnote New Zealand Dance, drawing on his previous 2020 piece Fog, Nerves, Future, Ocean, Hello (Echoes) to develop this striking new work.
Creative Team and Crew
Dancers: Veronica ChengEn Lyu, Airu Matsuda, Levi Siaosi, Cecilia Wilcox, Jemima Matsuda, Kota Yamazaki
Choreographers: Kota Yamazaki
Sound Design: Jesse Austin-Stewart
Lighting Design: Takeaki Iwashina
Costume: Kowtow (part 1) & Kota Yamazaki (part 2)
Set Design: Toshikatsu Kiuchi, Megumi Machida
Number of People in the Touring Party
10-11
Previous Seasons
2024
Nagoya, Japan - Aichi Prefectural Arts Center Small Hall
Tokyo, Japan - Theater Tram
Auckland, NZ, Tempo Dance Festival - Q Theatre Loft
Reviews and Quotes
“a gentle eddy, but at times it is also a riptide, or a meteor strike ... I was reminded that, oh yes! I am nothing more or less than the sum of fifty billion cells.” - Amit Noy
“it is a visceral manifestation of neurotic uncertainty.” - Jo Thorpe
“like watching the giant cosmos moving around; each planet, asteroid or piece of junk
exuding its own innate nature” - Tania Kopytko
