New Zealand choreographer, Raewyn Hill, will premiere a new contemporary dance work in the inaugural Asia Pacific Dance Platform, as a part of the 37th Hong Kong Arts Festival in February 2009.

For Hill, the inclusion of her work in one of the world's premier Arts Festivals signals a landmark in her career. New Zealand choreographer, Raewyn Hill, will premiere a new contemporary dance work in the inaugural Asia Pacific Dance Platform, as a part of the 37th Hong Kong Arts Festival in February 2009.

For Hill, the inclusion of her work in one of the world's premier Arts Festivals signals a landmark in her career."This fantastic opportunity is exactly what I was hoping for in terms of progressing my international dance career. I was so overwhelmed when Tisa Ho (Executive Director HKAF) approached me with the idea. Tisa has a hugely successful Festival here in Hong Kong and it really is an honour to be selected to be part of it" Hill says.

The Asia Pacific Dance Platform, initiated and curated by the Festival, aims to promote the creativity and dynamism of contemporary dance in the Asia Pacific region.

Hill's work, an excerpt from a longer full-length dance piece Be Still, My Soul, will feature alongside five other contemporary artists from Japan, Korea, Indonesia, China and Hong Kong.

Featuring graduating dancers from the School of Dance at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where Hill is currently Artist-in-Residence, having her piece involved in the Dance Platform achieves a personal goal she set herself in September 2008.

"To be honest, one of my goals when I arrived in Hong Kong last year, was to get my work programmed here at the Hong Kong Arts Festival, we have worked hard to make it happen and I am very much looking forward to next February".

Hill recognises her own achievement as a success for the wider New Zealand dance community. "This sort of exposure can only be a good thing for placing New Zealand on the international dance map, and continues the work that organisations like Creative New Zealand, Footnote Dance Company and the Royal New Zealand Ballet are doing".

The presentation of her work internationally is not new for Hill, with her solo show When Love Comes Calling a sell-out hit at the Sydney Opera House in 2004, and A Dance For the Forgotten commissioned by Australian company, Tasdance premiering at Tasmanian Festival, Ten Days on the Island in 2007.

For the past sixteen years Hill has forged a career in dance in New Zealand as a dancer, choreographer and educator. Since 2001, Hill has run her own project-based dance company, Raewyn Hill and Dancers, and has received funding support from Creative New Zealand, and business guidance from close friend and mentor, Lady Adrienne Stewart. On reflection, Hill states "All the hard work and support from those who have given me their time and energy is beginning to pay off."

Raewyn Hill and Dancers will be back in New Zealand over December and January, based in Christchurch, where they will be creating a new full-length work Finders Keepers, supported by Creative New Zealand. Finders Keepers will tour in New Zealand throughout 2009.

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For more information, please contact:

Richard Longbottom
Associate Director, Raewyn Hill and Dancers
richie@nzdt.co.nz
www.raewynhillanddancers.com