Advancing the future of dance in Aotearoa

The New Zealand Dance Festival Trust supports, strengthens, and elevates the dance ecology of Aotearoa through visionary leadership, artist-centred platforms, and sector-focused initiatives.

Our Purpose

NZDFT exists to ignite, nourish, and sustain the art of dance across Aotearoa. We serve as a connector, an advocate, and a kaitiaki of creative potential — uplifting diverse artists, audiences, and communities through strategic mahi and deep cultural commitment.

We believe that dance is more than performance. It is knowledge, identity, wānanga, and resistance. It holds memory. It creates space for healing, joy, and transformation. Our work supports these deeper functions, both on and off stage.

Our Story

Founded in 2000, NZDFT began as a small collective of artists and producers who believed in the power of dance to tell stories, shift culture, and build community. Over two decades, we have grown into a trusted arts organisation that produces, partners, and leads with integrity.

Tempo Dance Festival — our flagship project — has become a vital platform for the evolution of dance practice in Aotearoa, while our emerging Dance Futures Initiative responds to the broader needs of the sector: sustainability, strategy, and systemic change.

Our journey is ongoing — shaped by the artists we support, the communities we serve, and the futures we imagine.

What We Do

  • Three women in historical dresses in a shopping mall with red paper lantern decorations hanging from the ceiling.

    Presentation & Celebration


    Tempo Dance Festival showcases visionary movement, storytelling, and cultural exchange through its biennial programme.

  • An elderly woman with short gray hair, glasses, and earrings stands at a podium, speaking into a microphone, wearing a black top and a necklace with a large circular pendant.

    Sector Strategy & Advocacy


    The Dance Futures Initiative (DFI) leads long-term development, research, and cross-sector collaboration to ensure dance thrives well beyond the stage.

  • Audience members seated in a theater, watching a performance with many smiling and engaged faces.

    Community & Collaboration


    We engage artists, educators, funders, and communities through kaupapa-driven relationships that centre equity, belonging, and excellence.

Our Values

Whakapapa

Honouring the legacy and lineages of dance in Aotearoa.

Mana Motuhake

Supporting autonomy, self-determination, and diverse voices.

Pukenga

Investing in artistic and professional excellence across the sector.

Kotahitanga

Building collective strength through collaboration.

Auahatanga

Nurturing creativity, courage, and innovation.

Who We Work With

We partner with artists, collectives, institutions, and communities across Aotearoa to deliver work that is meaningful, inclusive, and bold. We’re proud to collaborate with:

  • Independent and established artists

  • Iwi, hapū, and kaupapa Māori organisations

  • Pacific and diverse cultural collectives

  • Venues, festivals, and presenters

  • Creative funders and sector bodies