Touch Compass

Touch Compass was established in 1997 and has been a registered charity under the name The Touch Compass Dance Trust Board since 2008. They are based in Auckland.

Their mission statement includes:

Our mission is to explore the intersection of disability, Māori and Pasifika culture as our unique contribution to the arts. Our performances reflect disability aesthetics and practices that are culturally informed. They are interdisciplinary but rooted in movement practice and choreographic forms. We explore cultural diversity through authentic and multi-dimensional performance.{{Cite web |title=Touch Compass |url=https://www.thebigidea.nz/profile/touch-compass-1 |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=The Big Idea |language=en}}

Touch Compass recognise principles of Te Tiriti O Waitangi and in 2019 the organisation after a review made an agreement to 'move to a disability-led business model, in which artists with disabilities hold leadership positions'.{{Cite web |last= |title=Touch Compass appoints performance artist as interim Artistic Director |url=https://artsaccess.org.nz/touch-compass-appoints-performance-artist-as-interim-artistic-director |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Arts Access Aotearoa |language=en-NZ}}

Founder of Touch Compass and director for over 20 years is Catherine Chappell MNZM.{{Cite web |date=2016-08-25 |title=Flying High with Touch Compass |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/concert/programmes/upbeat/audio/201813547/flying-high-with-touch-compass |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}} Chappell brought with her a background in contact improvisation and from the first performance the company created work that involved aerial techniques, with performers suspended above the stage. During her directorship many new works were brought to New Zealand and international stages.{{Cite web |title=Catherine Chappell awarded Creative New Zealand Choreographic Fellowship |url=https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/news/catherine-chappell-awarded-creative-new-zealand-choreographic-fellowship |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Creative New Zealand |language=en}}

File:AXIS Dance Company.jpg & Sonsherée Giles performing with AXIS Dance Company]]

Chappell left at the end of 2019 and Pelenakeke Brown was appointed as interim director. Brown had been in the company when she was young from 1997 to 2000.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Get To Know Interdisciplinary Artist Pelenakeke Brown |url=https://www.viva.co.nz/article/culture-travel/pelenakeke-brown-expresses-the-power-of-dance-during-exceptional-times/ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Viva Magazine |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Watlington |first=Emily |date=2021-03-09 |title=Cripping Choreography |url=https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/disability-dance-1234586026/ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=ARTnews.com |language=en-US}} Brown is an interdisciplinary artist with a disability who had been based in New York for six years. Brown is of Samoan and Pākehā heritage. Following Brown, in 2021 Rodney Bell, Suzanne Cowan and Lusi Faiva were appointed to the Artistic Direction Panel.{{Cite web |date=2022-02-13 |title=25 years of the ground-breaking dance company Touch Compass |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/standing-room-only/audio/2018830354/25-years-of-the-ground-breaking-dance-company-touch-compass |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}} Rodney Bell was introduced to dance by Chappell. He was another dancer that left and came back as he was also a founding dancer. After several years with Touch Compass in 2007 he went to California and joined AXIS Dance Company where he created acclaimed work.{{Cite web |last=Howard |first=Rachel |date=2008-11-09 |title=Axis Dance Company takes a daring new turn |url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Axis-Dance-Company-takes-a-daring-new-turn-3186414.php |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=SFGATE |language=en-US}} Lusi Faiva was also a founding dancer of Touch Compass, and has featured in and developed lots of work with the company included her solo Lusi's Eden.

The first work programmed by Bell, Cowan and Faiva on the new Artistic Development Panel was the 25th Anniversary performing arts festival hybrid-event that took place on 15 February 2022 called /rītaha/.{{Cite web |title=/rītaha/ - Touch Compass's 25th Anniversary Celebration, Hosted in-person and online, 15th of February {{!}} Humanitix |url=https://events.humanitix.com/ritaha |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=events.humanitix.com |language=en}}

People the company has collaborated with include BodyCartography Project's Olive Bieringa and Otto Ramstad, composer Claire Cowen,{{Cite web |last=Redmond |first=Adele |date=2015-08-23 |title=Touch Compass - doing things differently in dance |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/71304364/touch-compass---doing-things-differently-in-dance |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Stuff |language=en}} choreographers Carol Brown and Sarah Foster Sproull.{{Cite web |last=Schultz |first=Marianne |title=Contemporary dance - New companies and international work, 1990s to 2000s |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/42597/touch-compass |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |title=Duets celebrate diversity and dance |url=https://artsaccess.org.nz/duets-celebrate-diversity-and-dance |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Arts Access Aotearoa |language=en-NZ}}

Touch Compass dancers over time have included Alex Smithson, Duncan Armstrong, Tess Connell, Rodney Bell, Suzanne Cowan, Lusi Faiva, Daniel King, Eden Mulholland and Julia Milsom.{{Cite web |last= |title=Returning to dance with Touch Compass |url=https://artsaccess.org.nz/returning%20to%20dance%20with%20touch%20compass |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Arts Access Aotearoa |language=en-NZ}}{{Cite journal |last=Horsley |first=Francesca |date=Autumn 2010 |title=The music of dance |journal=DANZ Quarterly |volume=19 |pages=8-9}} The dancer Jesse Johnstone-Steele won the Arts Access PAK’nSAVE Artistic Achievement Award at the Te Putanga Toi Arts Access Awards in 2018. He has been 17 Touch Compass seasons.{{Cite web |last= |title=Changing perceptions about who can dance |url=https://artsaccess.org.nz/changing%20perceptions%20about%20who%20can%20dance |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Arts Access Aotearoa |language=en-NZ}}

Lusi’s Eden{{Cite web |title=Touch Compass farewells Catherine Chappell |url=https://www.touchcompass.org.nz/news-blog/touch-compass-farewells-catherine-chappell |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Touch Compass |language=en-NZ}} first performed 2001, remount 2002 and for Touch Compass’ tenth birthday celebrations 2007{{Cite web |last= |title=Dancer smashes perceptions around disability |url=https://artsaccess.org.nz/dancer-smashes-perceptions-around-disability |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=Arts Access Aotearoa |language=en-NZ}}

Lighthouse

DanceBox - short film series

Triple Bill {{Cite web |date=2010-08-12 |title=TBI Q&A: Catherine Chappell |url=https://www.thebigidea.nz/stories/tbi-q-a-catherine-chappell |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=The Big Idea |language=en}}

Acquisitions (2015) - multi-media contemporary dance

Somatechnics (2017) - with dancers Lusi Faiva, Rodney Bell, Alisha McLennan Marler, Julie Van Renen and Duncan Armstrong.{{Cite web |last= |title=Touch Compass responds to a changing world |url=https://artsaccess.org.nz/touch%20compass%20responds%20to%20a%20changing%20world |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Arts Access Aotearoa |language=en-NZ}}

I’mPaired (2019) - with a programme of work including Clasp!, (co-creators Alisha McLennan Marler & Georgie Goater, performers, Alisha McLennan Marler, Julie Van Renen), Drift (film), (choreographer Sarah Foster Sproull, performers Julie van Renen, Rodney Bell), The Language of Colour, (by dancer Julie van Renen and artist Yung Chen), Rhythms of Sameness, (performers Duncan Armstrong and Mabingo Alfdaniels), and duets by Touch Compass's hip hop crew Integr8.

AIGA (2024)

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Category:1997 establishments in New Zealand

Category:Arts organizations established in 1997

Category:Dance companies in New Zealand

Category:Contemporary dance companies

Category:Physically integrated dance