New Zealand dancer and choreographer Douglas Wright was BOTD in 1956. Born in Auckland, he trained as a gymnast and began dance lessons relatively late at 21. Accepted for the Australian Dance School, he stayed in New Zealand to perform and choreograph for Limbs Dance Company. In 1983, he moved to New York to dance with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and was mentored by Rudolf Nureyev. After the decriminalisation of homosexuality in New Zealand, he returned in 1987 to form the Douglas Wright Dance Company, dancing, choreographing and touring in New Zealand and Australia for the next 20 years. Openly gay since forever, he was diagnosed with HIV in 1990, exploring themes of life, death and sexuality in his work. In 1993, he performed the title role in the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s production of Petrushka, a role originated by his hero Vaslav Nijinsky, with whom he was often compared. In 2008, he announced his retirement from dance, though continued to create dance works, including his last piece The Kiss Inside in 2015. In later life, he published poetry, the much-admired memoir I Am A Dancer and exhibited his paintings and multi-media sculptures. Hailed as the Godfather of New Zealand modern dance, he died in 2018, aged 62.