Performance Company
SeniorsDANCE Company is a community performance group for seniors 60 and over. It works on a project by project basis and gives opportunities for those who enjoy performing. There is no audition process, all who want to perform and can commit to the classes and rehearsals are welcome to participate.
Susan Jordan is the Artistic Director and Choreographer for SeniorsDANCE Company. Email susan@seniorsdance.nz if you are interested in performing.
Between 2015 and 2024 the SeniorsDANCE Company has created many performances and participated in the ASPiRE Senior Dance Show to celebrate the International Day of the Older Person.
Traffic (2024)
Traffic was originally choreographed in 2023 (see details below) and rechoreographed for the Q stage, performed in the ASPiRE show in Tempo Dance Festival. Performers for this version were Dick Lane, Michael Smyth, Helen Schamroth (in photo) with Christine Sorrell and Jane Waldegrave. Photo by Nina Gastreich.
Dancing On (2024)
Dancing On to Leonard Cohen’s Thanks for the Dance, was in the ASPiRE show, part of Tempo Dance Festival. Danced by Christina Hallett, Deborah Smith and Dianna Northcott. Photo by Nina Gastreich.
Traffic (2023)
Traffic is based on how we learnt to drive a car 40 to 50 years ago. There were no automatic cars then so we had to learn to double declutch to change gears. Cars didn’t have lights to indicate actions so we used hand signals and the traffic was as crazy then as it is now! Traffic was performed at the NZ Gerontology Association conference and other events. We thank NZGA and Create-Ageing Research for use of this photo. The performers in Traffic were Christine Sorrell, Dick Lane, Jane Waldegrave, Christine Hallett and Deborah Smith.
BookEnds (2022)
BookEnds was originally choreographed in 2016 to be performed in libraries. Here it is performed in the ASPiRE show. Photo by Nina Gastreich.
Poppy Dance Film (2021)
Poppy Dance is a poignant dance of remembrance and loss that reflects the life of women left to keep the home front alive during WWII. It is an extract from a longer work called Cry Peace Choreographed by Susan Jordan with music by Norm Fitzgerald originally staged in Wellington in 1984. Thanks for funding from Albert Eden Local Board
Miss Fisher Solves It! (2021)
Miss Fisher, the TV detective story, motivated this fun dance performed in ASPiRE on 23 May at TAPAC. Photo by Nina Gastreich.
Journeys Framed (2019)
Journeys Framed premiered at the ASPiRE show and then for Auckland’s Heritage Festival at Highwic House and later at Alberton House. Based on the stories of Pakeha migration to Aotearoa during the 19th Century, many of whom were middle and working class, came by sailing ship, were without great wealth but managed to established themselves in this new country.
Supported by the Albert-Eden Local Board
BookEnds (2019)
6 performances of BookEnds were presented during 2019 NZ Dance Week
BookEnds was originally choreographed in 2016 to be performed in libraries but can now be performed anywhere. This photo is from Aotea Square during International Dance Week.
Glass Ceilings (2018)
Glass Ceilings was choreographed in commemoration of 125 years of Women’s Suffrage with music by Ruth Crawford Seeger. Seven performances in a variety of venues including libraries and was well received especially in the ASPiRE show. The six performers were Briar Wilson, Dick Lane, Gillian Taylor, Jocelyn Cullen, Mary Inomata and Phyllis Olsen
Glass Ceilings received funding from the Albert-Eden Local Board Neighbourhood Arts
Hunters & Gatherers (2018)
Hunters & Gatherers is a new work that humorously reflects on how we acquire our food in the 21st century often causing environmental chaos, with huge amounts of plastic and what the alternatives are. Eight performances were inside supermarkets during NZ Dance Week and were hugely successful! Performers were Anna John, Dick Lane, Elizabeth Croft, Liz Nicholson, Marin Adams and Renata Dealy.
This work has received funding from the Albert-Eden Local Board
and is made possible by the support of Countdown and Pak ‘n Save supermarkets.
Jumping to Conclusions (2017)
Congratulations to the performers in SeniorsDANCE Company in Short + Sweet Festival. It was the first time they have performed on stage under lights and it went very well. TheatreView commented that “Choreographer Susan Jordan has an ace up her sleeve with the charismatic performers of the SeniorsDANCE Company. Jumping to Conclusions has a powerful message, however, it is unfortunately interpreted as comedy, and needs more rehearsal and tighter unison to really hit home.” Performers were Alan Duncan, Briar Wilson, Diana Kells, Dick Lane, Elizabeth Croft, Gillian Taylor, Jocelyn Cullen, Liz Nicholson.
Bike Ballet (2017)
Bike Ballet was a huge success at the six free performances in Aotea Square as part of NZ Dance Week. The six dance riders are Dick Lane, Liz Nicholson, Michael Adams, Barbara Grace, Sydney Kingi and Marin Adams were wonderful and they had fun performing.
Thanks to Creative Communities for funding towards this work.
Poppy Dance (2016 and 2017)
Poppy Dance was performed again on ANZAC Day Tuesday 25th April on the Dance-O-Mat in Aotea Square and then again in the Cloud after the World Masters Games ANZAC Service. The six dancers in this work are Briar Wilson, Diana McPherson, Kerry-Ann Stanton, Liz Nicholson, Marin Adams and Dick Lane. It is a poignant work about loss and the futility of war.
BookEnds (2016)
BookEnds was performed in six Auckland Libraries for International Day of the Older Person (IDOP) on 1 October 2016, and will be kept in repertoire for other performance opportunities. Dancers in 2016 were Briar Wilson, Margaret Antunovich, Marin Adams, Dick Lane, Liz Nicholson, Gillian Taylor, Jocelyn Cullen.
Poppy Dance (2016)
Poppy Dance was performed at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on ANZAC Day 2016 and will be kept in repertoire for other performance opportunities.
Defy (2015)
Defy was performed as part of the ASPIRE Festival for International Day of the Older Person (IDOP) on 1 October 2015