Rarotongan Dance

This year the 201 Dance class are working on Rarotongan Dance for their unit on Social or Ethnic Dance.  It has been a challenge for the class to get their heads, and bodies, around the subtle movements of the dance form.  However, it has been a really popular dance style.  Setty and the boys are getting right into the difficult male part of the dance.  

Shortly this class will be assessed on their work which will be worth Achievement Standard credits for their NCEA.

Wordless Wednesday: Enjoying the Show

Stage Challenge 2012

We are underway for 2012! 

This year our very talented choreographers are Kieran Tankersley and Ariane Gleeson.  The two have very different styles of dance, but the ideas and the dance are starting to gel together nicely.  Ariane is the master of hip-hop, while Kieran is more of a contemporary dancer. 

Both girls have been running auditions, and getting their choreography ready for the full rehearsals once the chorus has been set.  They have charged Oliver with the task of set construction after his masterful work with the set for 2011.  Danica and Travis have also been taking the lead, helping out with rehearsals and auditions.

The force will be out at the Martinborough Fair in March, fundraising for the cause, as they have a 0 budget to start with, and have to raise the money to get the cast and crew to Wellington, all the costumes and set, and to cover all the other production expenses.

Ariane (in the front) teaching one section for the auditions in the Dance Studio

Performing Arts in Focus

One of our new areas of education is in Performing Arts Technology.  Here senior students choose what they want to focus their time and energies into, looking at the technical aspects of performance.  We have students looking into hair and make-up for the stage, costume design, stage design and construction, directing, script writing and lighting and sound technologies.

The courses are predominantly student driven.  Most students have areas of focus within the Performing Arts (Dance, Drama and Music) and then choose their standards to align with their interests.  Ariane will be linking her studies with her work in Dance, planning and implementing Stage Challenge this year.  Oliver works tirelessly on set and stage construction, linking to his interest in Sculpture, while Zoe and Alena focus on Drama with script and concept development for the stage.

Here are a group of Performing Arts students working on a construction challenge for our 15 minute scene for Shakespeare this year.

Out of the chaos will come something wonderful

Chaedyn and Kylie model their headpieces

Wordless Wednesday: Dance

Twelfth Night in 2012

Well, 2012 has begun in earnest, and we are off and racing.

The Stage Challenge team have started planning, and shortly will be calling for dance auditions.  Shakespeare is off the ground with rehearsals underway for Sheilah Winn.  Arts classes are brimming with talent, and looking spectacular in the possibilities.

We have so many fun activities planned, especially with the International Arts Festival.  "Private Peaceful" will be playing at Kuranui, which is looking amazing, and we are really lucky to be offered tickets at a highly discounted rate.  We are also taking Drama students to "A Winters Tale", Dance students to "Birds with Skymirrors" and a whole van load to the Maori version of "Troilus and Cressida".

Last night the Drama classes were given the chance to go to "Twelfth Night" at Gladstone Vineyard.  It was amazing.  Dan Carlisle was quoted saying, "Shakespeare was a bloody genius".  The kids laughed hysterically at the antics of Sir Toby Belch and Malvolio, and a good time was had by all.  We will definitely be going back to see whatever is performed at next years' Summer Shakespeare.

Natalia, Moana and Sarah enjoy the show

Chaedyn and Oliver laugh at Sir Toby Belch

The amazing cast of "Twelfth Night"

Jan and Jordan sit enraptured by the performance