We were amid a throng of girls chorusing the ol' chant, "We wish the boys at our school would dance!!!!" when our boys team walked onto the stage.
Crowd pleasers from the start, the boys put on a great performance. Travis Brown choreographed the routine. His dancers were Wiremu Aitken, Eli Thorenaar, Dallas te Rangi, Anthony Prince and Setty Sammonds. We thought we should share their routine entitled, "Taniwha o te Ao" (Monsters on Earth).
Showing posts with label dancenzmade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dancenzmade. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Dance New Zealand Made
This was the 3rd year that we participated in Dance NZ Made, and again, we had a great time.
The event is held in Palmerston North, and focusses on Dance, unlike Stage Challenge which also includes Drama and set design elements. We entered 4 teams in the competition this year. Ms. de Croy choreographed 2 of the dance routines, both in a contemporary style, the Year 11-12 "Sensations" and the Year 12-13 "Darkness and Light". Travis Brown choreographed the boys' Hip Hop routine, entitled "Monsters of the Earth". Jamie Howatson followed in her Stage Challenge role as choreographer and put together, "Our Toy Story".
All the routines were well receieved by the audience as well as our competitors.
While we were unplaced in a competition of many, many schools and routines, the students all had a fantastic time and performed and behaved admirably.
The event is held in Palmerston North, and focusses on Dance, unlike Stage Challenge which also includes Drama and set design elements. We entered 4 teams in the competition this year. Ms. de Croy choreographed 2 of the dance routines, both in a contemporary style, the Year 11-12 "Sensations" and the Year 12-13 "Darkness and Light". Travis Brown choreographed the boys' Hip Hop routine, entitled "Monsters of the Earth". Jamie Howatson followed in her Stage Challenge role as choreographer and put together, "Our Toy Story".
All the routines were well receieved by the audience as well as our competitors.
While we were unplaced in a competition of many, many schools and routines, the students all had a fantastic time and performed and behaved admirably.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
And it's all been remarkably busy again....
While a theme of this blog has become, "Being too busy to blog", we would love to change it all.
There are photos to follow, which are waiting on a set of genius's's's to recover from a memory card that insisted on dying at the worst-possible-moment. These include some of the magnificent things we have had a chance to do recently.
At the end of last term, the Year 12 Drama class put on their performance of "Mother Courage and her Children". While the Epic theatre form is a complete departure from what our students were used to, it was ultimately quite successful. Mother Courage was played by Dominic Hawke, which was a supreme surprise to us all during the audition phase. He was a beautiful Mother Courage. Zoe Renor performed admirably as the mute Kattrin, and Chaedyn Dukes was a stand-out performer as Yvette. Oliver Healy was particularly proud of his sign, which was particularly nice.
Our Ukulele Orchestra had the chance to perform on TV as part of the Rugby World Cup Roadshow. And the senior Performing Arts class worked on providing facepaint for the crowd. It was a lot of fun, as well as taking random Unicyclers, which became the focus for many a photo. The best aprt was looking like the ultimate "Where's Wally" comic!
The auditions for the school production went ahead, with 38 people auditioning for the 8 key roles! Ms Webster is currently adding roles to her original production.
Term 3 brought in the Education Review Office, and the Year 13 performance of "Once on Chunuk Bair". James Owens was born to play the role of Frank, and Darren Dingle did a fantastic job of playing Colloney. Katie James once again was relegated to a character who dies, this time in the first 2 minutes, then re-appearing as Otaki George.
The Senior Dance classes are gearing up for "Dance New Zealand Made" later this term, and the routines are looking amazing. Ms de Croy will now be hunkering down beneath a pile of costumes. Jamie Howatson is once again choreographing a routine with a dedicated bunch of dancers, assisted by Danielle Kennedy.
Theatresports has suffered a delay, mostly due to snow, but it looks positive for the intercollegiate event for Year 11's tonight. We have 4 Year 11 teams this year, though with the weather, this may drop to 2 teams in the competition tonight. We have to defend our title tomorrow night in the Senior Open grade competition.
The Rockquest again went well, with 2 bands competiting. The Intermediate band did well, and the Junior band was a stand-out. We have a great deal of talent in the Junior College. This year we were unplaced, but had some of the youngest competitors in the division.
Wearable Arts is on Friday night, which is held at Kuranui this year. There are a number of entries from all the schools, which is a delight to see. The Dancers and Circus troupe have been working on entertainments for in the background, and are quite excited about the event.
Watch this space for theatresports results, and to see how Katie James goes at the National Shakespeare in Schools Production in the school holidays. Also, a big hello to Pakuranga College in Auckland, who could become the next big excitement for Senior Drama at Kuranui!
There are photos to follow, which are waiting on a set of genius's's's to recover from a memory card that insisted on dying at the worst-possible-moment. These include some of the magnificent things we have had a chance to do recently.
At the end of last term, the Year 12 Drama class put on their performance of "Mother Courage and her Children". While the Epic theatre form is a complete departure from what our students were used to, it was ultimately quite successful. Mother Courage was played by Dominic Hawke, which was a supreme surprise to us all during the audition phase. He was a beautiful Mother Courage. Zoe Renor performed admirably as the mute Kattrin, and Chaedyn Dukes was a stand-out performer as Yvette. Oliver Healy was particularly proud of his sign, which was particularly nice.
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| Dom Hawke as Mother Courage |
Our Ukulele Orchestra had the chance to perform on TV as part of the Rugby World Cup Roadshow. And the senior Performing Arts class worked on providing facepaint for the crowd. It was a lot of fun, as well as taking random Unicyclers, which became the focus for many a photo. The best aprt was looking like the ultimate "Where's Wally" comic!
 |
| Supporting Georgia |
The auditions for the school production went ahead, with 38 people auditioning for the 8 key roles! Ms Webster is currently adding roles to her original production.
Term 3 brought in the Education Review Office, and the Year 13 performance of "Once on Chunuk Bair". James Owens was born to play the role of Frank, and Darren Dingle did a fantastic job of playing Colloney. Katie James once again was relegated to a character who dies, this time in the first 2 minutes, then re-appearing as Otaki George.
The Senior Dance classes are gearing up for "Dance New Zealand Made" later this term, and the routines are looking amazing. Ms de Croy will now be hunkering down beneath a pile of costumes. Jamie Howatson is once again choreographing a routine with a dedicated bunch of dancers, assisted by Danielle Kennedy.
Theatresports has suffered a delay, mostly due to snow, but it looks positive for the intercollegiate event for Year 11's tonight. We have 4 Year 11 teams this year, though with the weather, this may drop to 2 teams in the competition tonight. We have to defend our title tomorrow night in the Senior Open grade competition.
The Rockquest again went well, with 2 bands competiting. The Intermediate band did well, and the Junior band was a stand-out. We have a great deal of talent in the Junior College. This year we were unplaced, but had some of the youngest competitors in the division.
Wearable Arts is on Friday night, which is held at Kuranui this year. There are a number of entries from all the schools, which is a delight to see. The Dancers and Circus troupe have been working on entertainments for in the background, and are quite excited about the event.
Watch this space for theatresports results, and to see how Katie James goes at the National Shakespeare in Schools Production in the school holidays. Also, a big hello to Pakuranga College in Auckland, who could become the next big excitement for Senior Drama at Kuranui!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Another busy week in the Arts Department
Phew! Sometimes it feels like we are the Physical Education department with all the running around we do.... It has been a long and busy and productive week at Kuranui College.
Visual Art and Photography students are hard at work on their portfolios. Some of the Art students are involved in building the set for the production, which has been taking place in the Art room and in the Auditorium.
Drama students are furiously finishing assessments and learning lines for the production next term. With 3 rehearsals a week, it is a tough ask for anyone, but the show is looking good at this point. The regional champion Theatresports boys (with a hand from Arjun) performed in assembly to their largest crowd yet, getting laughs from all sides again. Thanks Dom, Louis and Barns for that. Then on Friday, Dorothy's house on wheels arrived in it's full glory in the Auditorium.
Dance students have had a tough ask as well, with the Dance NZ Made competition on Wednesday, followed by the Dance Showcase on Thursday night. Talk about busy times! I take my hat off to Ms Pratt who was spectacular and kept the girls all focussed and looking fantastic for 2 shows in a row.
Year 11 Music students had their assessment performance on Thursday evening in the Music room. Congratulations to Finn Harmon who received an excellence for his performance. "Artificial Sun" performed in the assembly on Thursday as well, doing a great job with 2 of their original songs.
But busy is the theme of the Arts department, and we are keeping on keeping on.... :D
Visual Art and Photography students are hard at work on their portfolios. Some of the Art students are involved in building the set for the production, which has been taking place in the Art room and in the Auditorium.
Drama students are furiously finishing assessments and learning lines for the production next term. With 3 rehearsals a week, it is a tough ask for anyone, but the show is looking good at this point. The regional champion Theatresports boys (with a hand from Arjun) performed in assembly to their largest crowd yet, getting laughs from all sides again. Thanks Dom, Louis and Barns for that. Then on Friday, Dorothy's house on wheels arrived in it's full glory in the Auditorium.
Dance students have had a tough ask as well, with the Dance NZ Made competition on Wednesday, followed by the Dance Showcase on Thursday night. Talk about busy times! I take my hat off to Ms Pratt who was spectacular and kept the girls all focussed and looking fantastic for 2 shows in a row.
Year 11 Music students had their assessment performance on Thursday evening in the Music room. Congratulations to Finn Harmon who received an excellence for his performance. "Artificial Sun" performed in the assembly on Thursday as well, doing a great job with 2 of their original songs.
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| "Artificial Sun" performing in Assembly |
But busy is the theme of the Arts department, and we are keeping on keeping on.... :D
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Dance NZ Made
Last year we entered "Dance NZ Made" - a competition for Dance schools to show off their skills and abilities to an audience. This year they created a whole school competition for Dance NZ Made. We entered with a whole stack of other schools from around the North Island, from Hutt Valley High, to Karamu High, to Palmerston North Girls High, to little tiny primary school kids, to really stunning dancers from Taupo. It was a terrific bunch of people, and a lot of talent in the room.
The day began early, heading out from Kuranui at 6:00am. Miss Pratt had already loaded make-up, costumes and props into the cars and bus, and the dancers prepared to nap their way to Palmy. On arrival, and a bit of BK, we headed into the Regent Theatre to watch the rehearsals and participate in workshops on different dance styles. Hip Hop was popular, as was Contemporary Dance and Stylised Dance.
When our rehearsal rolled around, we had watched so many talented dancers and cheerleaders on stage, it was nerve racking. However, the kids held their own, and eliciting cheers from the crowd. Our boys were a total smash hit, with their exceptional dancing and clever musical arrangement and comic moments.
When the competition was about to begin, we were surrounded by a fog of hairspray and bobby pins. Miss Pratt was in full diamante mode, applying make-up and fixing hair non-stop all night. I was put on French braiding and bun holders. The girls were fantastic at getting themselves ready, helping others, swapping shoes and tights, and remaining positive.
The dancing went so well. On the stage the kids just brought their moves alive. They were infectious in their enthusiasm and compelling to watch. While the boys brought the house down with their routine, it was the Open Grade girls' team that brought home a 3rd place for their James Bond 007 routine. All in all, it was a long 18 hour day, but well worth it, and totally a positive experience for everyone involved. Thanks so much to Mrs Bain and to Mrs Curtice who assisted the whole day, and especially to Miss Pratt who put in so much effort to choreographing, costuming and teaching the whole squad.
The day began early, heading out from Kuranui at 6:00am. Miss Pratt had already loaded make-up, costumes and props into the cars and bus, and the dancers prepared to nap their way to Palmy. On arrival, and a bit of BK, we headed into the Regent Theatre to watch the rehearsals and participate in workshops on different dance styles. Hip Hop was popular, as was Contemporary Dance and Stylised Dance.
When our rehearsal rolled around, we had watched so many talented dancers and cheerleaders on stage, it was nerve racking. However, the kids held their own, and eliciting cheers from the crowd. Our boys were a total smash hit, with their exceptional dancing and clever musical arrangement and comic moments.
When the competition was about to begin, we were surrounded by a fog of hairspray and bobby pins. Miss Pratt was in full diamante mode, applying make-up and fixing hair non-stop all night. I was put on French braiding and bun holders. The girls were fantastic at getting themselves ready, helping others, swapping shoes and tights, and remaining positive.
The dancing went so well. On the stage the kids just brought their moves alive. They were infectious in their enthusiasm and compelling to watch. While the boys brought the house down with their routine, it was the Open Grade girls' team that brought home a 3rd place for their James Bond 007 routine. All in all, it was a long 18 hour day, but well worth it, and totally a positive experience for everyone involved. Thanks so much to Mrs Bain and to Mrs Curtice who assisted the whole day, and especially to Miss Pratt who put in so much effort to choreographing, costuming and teaching the whole squad.
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| Miss Pratt helping with Lydia's lift for 007 |
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| Rehearsing the final sequence of the James Bond number |
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| Aleisha Bain in the final moments of the Fame routine |
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| Jasmine putting on her make-up backstage |
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| Alena-Rose helping Cheryl-Kay with her hair |
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Arts and Politics
Well, with the BOT Student Rep nominations and elections beginning tomorrow, the Arts are well supported by our 3 nominees.
Zoe Renor is Year 11- and takes Music, Dance and Drama. She has a role in the production, plays ukulele, sings, dances, and is off to Dance NZ Made tomorrow.
Emily Jamieson is a Year 10 taking senior classes. She also plays the violin, guitar and piano. Last year she was Cleopatra in the Shakespearean production.
Aodhan Stonnell is a Year 9 student, and a strong Drama enthusiast. He directed Louis and Barney in "MacBeth" earlier this year, and has a key role in this year's production.
All 3 are responsible, intelligent and darn great people. No matter who wins, we will be proud.
Dance NZ Made is tomorrow, and all going well, Ms Pratt and her talented dancers, along with parent helpers and myself, will be travelling in the wee small hours up to Palmerston North to enjoy the workshops, the city, and the competition. Good luck to all the dancers! And watch this space for results.
Zoe Renor is Year 11- and takes Music, Dance and Drama. She has a role in the production, plays ukulele, sings, dances, and is off to Dance NZ Made tomorrow.
Emily Jamieson is a Year 10 taking senior classes. She also plays the violin, guitar and piano. Last year she was Cleopatra in the Shakespearean production.
Aodhan Stonnell is a Year 9 student, and a strong Drama enthusiast. He directed Louis and Barney in "MacBeth" earlier this year, and has a key role in this year's production.
All 3 are responsible, intelligent and darn great people. No matter who wins, we will be proud.
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| Mr Shepherd, Mr Hall, Emily, Aodhan and Zoe preparing to deliver their speeches. |
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