eliza sanders

Eliza is a dancer, choreographer and teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Dance Performance from the New Zealand School of Dance (NZSD) and is a certified Countertechnique teacher and Vinyasa Flow Yoga Teacher. She has studied The Alexander Technique and Viewpoints extensively. Her practice utilises improvisation focusing on anatomical exploration and uninhibited voice work. Eliza’s work involves a prevalence of theatrical absurdity, the integration of text with movement and integrated stage and costume design.

Eliza has created multiple works on Footnote Dance Company, QL2 and The New Zealand School of Dance. She is a key artist on the Make a Move program that works with school teachers for the Australian National Curriculum. Eliza works as a teacher of dance, improvisation and yoga around Australia and New Zealand with students age 5-65.

As a dancer Eliza has worked for, The New Zealand Dance Company - Jo Loydd, The World of Wearable Art, The Australian Dance Party, QL2, Body Cartography, Java Dance Theatre and Battleground Productions. She is a member of the Sound and Fury Ensemble and regularly performs as an independent cabaret & burlesque performer.

Eliza has created six full-length original works for House of Sand; Pedal.Peddle 2015, Knitting While Sleeping 2016, Castles 2016, Feet.Us 2017, Fear of Eggs 2018 and UNDOING 2022. Her solo shows Pedal. Peddle & Castles have toured to Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide Wellington and Auckland with support and awards from The NZ, Adelaide & Sydney Fringe Festivals, Arts Act, CNZ, QL2, and Bats Theatre. Castles received numerous awards and nominations from The NZ Fringe including Best in Fringe and Most Promising Performer. Knitting While Sleeping, Feet.Us & Fear of Eggs have been nominated for awards from the NZ Fringe Festival

Eliza’s dance/ visual art film MGWH premiered at the Festival of Recorded Movement (FORM) in Vancouver, Canada in 2017.

In 2017 Eliza collaborated with photographer Lorna Sim on a series of images. An exhibition of these titled Enigma featured at The Photo Room in Canberra in May/ June 2017.

Eliza received one the last ArtStart grants from the Australia Council for the Arts in 2015 enabling her to undergo extensive professional development in North America and Europe. During this time she trained in Viewpoints and Suzuki with the SITI Company, participated in a residency at PAF in France and studied with numerous movement artists at ImpulsTanz in Vienna.

Prior to her training at NZSD Eliza completed RAD Ballet examinations to Advanced 2 with High Distinctions and was a semi finalist in the RAD’s Genee International Ballet Competition. From 2008 - 2011 Eliza was a member of the Quantum Leap Youth Dance Ensemble (QL2) and in 2011 toured with the company to Thailand. In both 2010 and 2011 Eliza was awarded best female dancer in Short and Sweet Dance Canberra, in 2011 her work Parallels was also awarded best choreography. In 2011 Eliza was nominated in the Australian of the Year Awards in the Youth Arts category.

SELECTED RESUME OF PROJECTS

A Snail Watches Dust Particles in Sunlight - Co-choreograoher with James O'hara - for footnote Dance Companies 'Balancing Point' 2018

Bigger - Choreographer - For QL2's TWO ZERO 2018

Fear of Eggs - Creator 2018

Sham Pain: the Bacon project - Co-creator / Choreographer - Ongoing

The World of Wearable Art 2017 (Choregraohed by Ross McCormack) 2017

Seamless - Dancer - For The Australian Dance Party 2017

Once - Choreographer - For The New Zealand School of Dance - 2017

Not all Who Launder are Washed - Choreographer - For Footnote Dance Companies 'The Rebel Pink' - 2017

This Poisoned Sea - Choreographer - For QL2 Centre for Youth Dance - 2017

Make a Move Education project - Key Artist - The Australian National Curriculum, ACT Education & QL2 - 2017 & 2018

Feet.Us - Creator/ Performer - 2017

Knitting While Sleeping - Creator / Choreographer - 2016

Castles - Choreographer / Performer - 2016

Pedal.Peddle - Choreographer / Performer (Produced with Battleground Productions) - 2015

MGWH - Choreographer - 2015

Your Body Is A Battleground (John Butterfield) - Performer (produced by Battleground Productions) - 2014

NZSD Graduate Season 2014: Trigger II (Malia Johnston) - Dancer (produced by NZSD) - 2014

Pink!sh - Choreographer (Produced by NZSD) - 2014

The Residents - Dancer (produced by NZSD) - 2014

Queen - Choreographer / Performer (produced by QL2) - 2013

The World Of Wearable Arts 2013 - Dancer

NZSD Graduate Season 2013: Pattern Study 2 (Antony Hamilton), To One Another (Raffael Bonacella), Ivory (Elie Tass) - Dancer (produced by NZSD) - 2013

Rhubarb Rhubarb Peas and Carrots - Choreographer (produced by QL2) - 2012

Attenborough: A tribute to Sir David - Choreographer (produced by QL2) - 2011

Parallels - Choreographer / Dancer (produced by QL2 & Short and Sweet) - 2011

QL2 Major Ensemble Pieces- Select Option - 2009, Night.Time - 2010, Identify - 2011, Toes On The Edge - 2011

Laugh - Co-Choreographer (produced by QL2) - 2010