New Zealand School of Dance Director, Garry Trinder has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2013, in recognition of his services to dance.
Garry trained at the Royal Ballet School, Rambert School of Ballet and Maurice Béjart’s MUDRA. His extensive career includes six years as artistic director of the Hong Kong Ballet and two years as director of dance at South Africa’s NAPAC Dance Company.
He has been associated with many international ballet competitions including the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, and the Youth America Grand Prix in New York City. Since 2011 he has assumed the role of President of the Jury for the Asian Grand Prix ballet competition in Hong Kong and has been an artistic adviser to West Australian Ballet.
Garry was appointed director of the New Zealand School of Dance in 1998, and has made an extremely valuable contribution to the school in his fifteen years at the School.