Deirdre Tarrant

Deirdre Elizabeth Anne Tarrant CNZM (born 1946) is a New Zealand dancer, dance teacher and choreographer. She was the founding director of Footnote Dance and is principal of the Tarrant Dance Studios.^[1][2]

Deirdre Tarrant CNZM
Tarrant in 2013
Born	Deirdre Elizabeth Anne Tarrant 1946 (age 78–79)
Occupation(s)	Choreographer, contemporary dance teacher
Spouse	Peter McKenzie ​ (m. 1971)​
Children	Bret McKenzie

Tarrant was born in 1946, the daughter of Alfred Edward Tarrant, a Wellington manufacturer.^[3][4] She danced with the New Zealand Ballet Company while studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree at Victoria University of Wellington in 1967.^[1][2]

Tarrant founded Footnote Dance in 1985. She led that company until 2012, when she handed over to Malia Johnston.^[5] She has been a vocational examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance.^[6] She is principal of the Tarrant Dance Studios.^[1][2]

Awards and honours

Tarrant was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2000 New Year Honours for "services to dance and the community".^[7] She was promoted to Companion in the 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours for "services to contemporary dance".^[8]

In 2006 she was one of the first distinguished alumni to be appointed by the Victoria University of Wellington.^[9]

Personal

Tarrant married actor Peter Leo McKenzie in 1971.^[3] Their son Bret McKenzie is a comedian, actor, musician and producer, best known as one of musical comedy duo, Flight of the Conchords.^[10]