Dance of the Instant

The New Dance Group pioneered modern dance in the period 1945-1947. The Group was controversial, years ahead of its time but a forgotten chapter in New Zealand dance history. Filmmaker Horrocks and dance historian, Marianne Schultz evoke New Zealand’s post-war mood – a time of optimism and excitement, with a new sophistication emerging in a previously old-fashioned and provincial society. They capture how a young group, without money or institutional support, succeeded in creating something new in the arts, by sheer determination and innovative thinking.

Members included: Czech refugee Edith Lennart who learnt modern dance in Europe, Philip Smithells then head of the Physical Education programme in schools and considered a visionary, His wife Olive together with Rona Bailey, a Physical Education instructor who studied modern dance in the USA with dance pioneers such as Martha Graham were the other members. They collaborated with other prominent artists including dramatist Bruce Mason and Brian Brake, a brilliant photographer.