Performing Arts

DANCE

Dance Academy

The studio has been buzzing with energy as students from 8 Dance Academy recently completed their choreography task, showcasing their skills in the dynamic and expressive commercial jazz style. The project, designed to challenge both creativity and collaboration, required students to work in small groups to choreograph their own routines. This task was not just about dance steps—it was also about teamwork. Students navigated the process of creative decision-making, leadership, and compromise, developing their communication and time-management skills along the way. Each group was responsible for selecting music, developing motifs, and rehearsing independently in preparation for their final performance.

Our talented Year 9 Dance Academy students have been diving deep into the world of choreography, using movement as a powerful tool to explore the theme of personal identity. Each student has created a solo dance work that reflects who they are – their experiences, passions, and unique perspectives. This creative process has encouraged students to think critically and artistically, experimenting with movement choices, dynamics, and structure to communicate their ideas. The result has been a series of thought-provoking and emotionally engaging performances.

Next, students will shift their focus to their written task, where they will analyse and evaluate their choreography. This reflective process allows them to unpack the creative decisions they made, discuss how effectively they communicated their intent, and consider areas for improvement.

We’re incredibly proud of the maturity and creativity our Year 9's have shown, and we look forward to seeing how their understanding of dance deepens through both practical and written work.

7 Dance

Our Year 7 dancers have just wowed us with their performance task, hitting the stage with confidence, energy, and incredible expression! Now, they’re diving into their final and most exciting challenge yet—choreography.

In groups, students are “dancing through the ages,” exploring iconic dance moves from the ‘70s, ‘80s/‘90s, 2000s, and today’s hottest trends. Each dancer will take the lead in choreographing their chosen era and teaching their group, working together to create one epic routine that celebrates the evolution of popular dance!

Certificate II Dance

Congratulations to our Cert II Dance students who have just completed their second routine for the year—a beautifully expressive contemporary piece. This choreography challenges dancers to explore fluid movement, emotional connection, and strong technique.

11 Dance

Our Year 11 Dance students have launched into their next exciting assessment—creating meaningful Contemporary dance works inspired by iconic historical figures. They’ll explore how purpose and context shape movement by selecting and manipulating the Elements of Dance, structure, and production elements to communicate powerful stories.

Each student will research a significant figure, using their life, impact on society, and personal experiences as inspiration. Not only will they choreograph an original piece, but they’ll also take on the role of leader, teaching their choreography to fellow dancers. This task builds both creative expression and leadership skills—and we can’t wait to see the compelling stories they bring to life on stage!

12 Dance

Year 12 Dance Students have been engaging in the creative process of choreographing a contemporary dance piece that explores a range of social, political, and cultural themes. Each student has selected an issue meaningful to them, aiming to provoke audience reflection and inspire change. Through complex choreography and expressive movement, students are using dance as a powerful medium to communicate their intent and raise awareness.

DRAMA

8 Drama

This term, Year 8 Drama students are exploring the art of exaggeration, characterisation, and storytelling as they create original performances for Children’s Theatre. Drawing inspiration from well-known children’s stories and folktales, students are developing their pieces through improvised role play, focusing on engaging younger audiences with humour, physical comedy, and energetic performance.

In addition to performing, students will design two costumes and a set piece that reflect the style and themes of their chosen story. The project offers a hands-on opportunity to build performance, design, and collaboration skills—while creating theatre that’s both entertaining and thoughtful.

9 Drama

This term, Year 9 Drama students are diving into the powerful world of Realism Theatre—a style that brings raw, honest human experiences to the stage. At the heart of this exploration is Juice by Australian playwright Stephen Davis, a gripping play that resonates deeply with teenage audiences.

Juice tackles the pressures and expectations young people face as they navigate high school and identity. Through this text, students are not only sharpening their acting skills, but also building empathy and a deeper understanding of themselves and those around them. It’s been inspiring to see students connect so personally with the material—this journey into Realism promises to be both challenging and rewarding.

11 Drama

After a successful first assessment and reliving this in an excellent encore performance at Drama Night, Year 11 Drama students are now flexing their devising muscles. This term, they are continuing to explore how Verbatim Theatre – real words, from real people, sharing their real stories – helps communicate the shared human experience. However, instead of relying on a playwright who has already gathered interviews and created a Verbatim play, our students will be devising their own original dramatic concept about an issue they believe would be powerful to share in our community. By using transcribed dialogue from interviews and news articles, the language used in their pieces will truly reflect stories that they are passionate about. With their initial plans, scripts and storyboarding taking shape, it will be exciting to see how this intelligent and creative group share their passion for societal empowerment in this upcoming project!

MUSIC

7 Music

Our Grade 7 music students have been making exciting progress as they move into their next unit, engaging with pop music in a hands-on and creative way. Whether performing existing songs or creating their own, students are building important musical skills while exploring the fun and energy of pop. From rhythmic strumming patterns to confident vocal melodies, each student is finding a unique way to connect with music.

One of the most important aspects of this journey is the growing confidence students are developing in their own singing voice. In music class, we're learning that you don’t have to sound perfect to enjoy singing — it’s about expression, courage, and finding joy in sound. We’re proud of the respect, responsibility, and perseverance our students continue to show, and we look forward to seeing their musical growth flourish even further

9 Music

Our Grade 9 music students have embarked on an exciting creative project — composing their own original pieces inspired by a focused study of an artist connected to their chosen instrument. This approach allows students to explore musical identity through both imitation and innovation, drawing on the techniques of professional musicians while shaping a sound that is uniquely their own.

Throughout the process, students have been building a strong foundation in the fundamentals of music, including melodic shape, harmonic movement, and overall structure. They are learning how to craft pieces that sit comfortably within a chosen genre, while also discovering ways to stand out and express something personal. The creativity, thoughtfulness, and musical growth on display have been impressive, and we look forward to hearing these original works come to life.

11 Music

Our senior music students have been delving into the classical technique of Air and Variation, a foundational compositional style that rose to popularity during the Renaissance era around the 1400s. Through this unit, students are learning how to take a simple musical motif and thoughtfully develop it into a more complex and expressive piece. This hands-on approach offers insight into the structure and creativity behind historical music-making, while also encouraging analytical listening and compositional planning.

More than just a technical exercise, this project is helping students discover and refine their own musical voice. As they shape each variation, students are learning to balance traditional methods with their personal style — an important step in becoming confident, independent musicians. Their work reflects a growing understanding not only of music theory, but also of themselves as young artists.

Instrumental Music

Our Instrumental Music program is excited to welcome Ms. Murray to the team as our new woodwind specialist. Her arrival brings valuable expertise to our growing program and new opportunities for our woodwind students. With her addition, lesson timetables have been adjusted and will settle into their new rhythm next week, following the recent run of public holidays. We appreciate everyone’s flexibility and understanding during this transition.

We’re also excited to announce our very first Music Night — a brand-new event where students will showcase both their classroom learning and extra-curricular achievements. Unlike our traditional showcase, this evening will offer space for solo performances and small ensembles, giving students the chance to shine in more intimate and creative ways. It promises to be a memorable celebration of the hard work and musical growth happening across the school. Keep an eye out for further details and dates coming soon!

Drama Night 2025

This year’s Drama Night was a huge success, celebrating the talent, creativity, and hard work of our Drama students across a range of styles and performances. Students from the Drama Troupe, as well as Years 8, 9, 10, and 11 curriculum classes, took to the stage with confidence and energy, delivering engaging and diverse performances that showcased their growth as young artists.

The atmosphere was electric, and we were thrilled to see our audience double in size compared to last year—a clear sign of growing support for the Arts in our school community. The success of the night was made possible by the dedication and collaboration of our passionate Drama teaching team, with a special shout out to our Performing Arts staff who provided support behind the scenes.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to such a memorable evening! We’re already looking forward to the next one.

Musical

Rehearsals for Legally Blonde: The Musical are powering ahead, with students showing incredible dedication as they memorise lines, learn choreography, and develop their vocal performances. Act One has now been fully blocked, and the energy in the rehearsal room is high as we begin working through Act Two.

Behind the scenes, our production teams have also been making fantastic progress. The Costume Team has been busy researching styles and sourcing pieces that perfectly reflect each character’s personality and journey. Meanwhile, the Set Design Team has done an amazing job constructing the larger set pieces—now ready for the next stage of painting and finishing touches.

It’s all coming together, and we’re looking forward to bringing this vibrant production to life!