Joanna Cook

Jnr Ballet | Int Ballet | Pointe | NZAMD Grade 2 Jazz | Jnr Technique | Senior Contemporary

Joanna is a dance artist, researcher and teacher that has lived, trained and worked nationally and internationally for 13years. She worked with dance-makers such as Jason Winters (JWCT), Rafael Bonachela (SDC), Erica Sobol, Danielle Ohn (KCDC), Yamit Kalef (Cullberg, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, Jiiri Kylian, and Itzik Galili), Iran Sharabi, Eyal Dadon, Oded Graff, Andy and Diane Noble (Noble Motion), Nina Fajdiga (Flying Low/ Passing Through) and Chisato Ohno (Batsheva). She collaborated with Emma Cosgrave and Abi Jones (Tempo), Amber Liberte (Akl-Babel, The Basement Theatre), Jay Bailey (Off the Cusp), Corinne Urquhart (Dance Spot/Earth Hour).

Joanna returned to New Zealand at the end of 2018 in order to undertake a Post Graduate Diploma in Dance Studies at The University of Auckland. She graduated in 2020 with distinction.

She has just completed her Masters year and is about to begin her PhD in choreography and multimodal dance practice.

Between 2019-2021 Joanna engaged in four dance research works entitled: Line Age (2019), Them:Me:Us (2019), 3R (2020 - Co-created with Janaina Moraes) and Fragments of Silent Skin (2020-2021). Joanna is currently working as a dance research assistant on Dr. Becca Webber’s Project 62: Exploring Embodiment in Immersive XR and Dr. Alys Longley’s, Mapping Porous Borders.

Joanna taught within New Zealand and internationally and now primarily at Red Studios and The University of Auckland. She has found grounding and joy in her teaching practice and believes in training artists as well as technicians. She values the reality that no two students are the same and loves getting to know, encourage and extend each student individually.