Performing Arts
DANCE
Dance Academy
Our Dance Academy students recently represented the school at the RVSSC Open day! Students completed an intense technical session, practicing existing skills and challenging themselves with new ones. It was great to see many of our community viewing this rehearsal and we hope to see you at our upcoming trial day on the 22nd of March! If you have any questions about trialling for the 2025 Dance Academy, please contact Miss Doorley at ddoor4@eq.edu.au
7 Dance
Students have been busy learning technical and expressive skills for their upcoming performance task!
This task requires students to learn popular dance movements to fun, upbeat music. As students navigate moving their body to the rhythm there are also working on their spatial awareness, coordination and expressive skills.
With their assessment coming up early term 2, students have gradually started performing in front of their peers. Witnessing fellow Year 7 students command the stage fosters a sense of unity, encouragement, and shared enthusiasm. The performances serve as a reminder that the journey through high school is not just about academic growth but also about developing one's passions and nurturing a well-rounded personality.
10 Dance
Year 10 Dance have completed their draft for their hip hop choreography task, displaying exceptional teamwork and creativity throughout the process. They have faced and overcome numerous hurdles from adapting to the style and the fast pace as well as adjusting to the stage space but they have persevered. Their final performance task is due at the end of week 8 and all are excited to display their new skills. In the following week students will be finishing up this unit and moving towards completing their theory unit.
Cert II Dance
Certificate II in Dance students are well into learning their Jazz performance. Students have been learning stylised movement as this routine introduces them to the Fosse Style infused with the upbeat Jazz they are used to. They have at times, gave Miss Doorley questionable looks as she choreographs funny new moves but now see the vision and are loving the challenge!
11 Dance
Year 11 Dance students will be submitting their Jazz performance next week! Students have been challenged learning large amounts of choreography in a short amount of time, in a style they haven't explored before. Despite this, students have successfully learnt all the choreography and are now eagerly rehearsing for success in their assessment.
12 Dance
Year 12 Dance students are investigating how choreographers use dance to communicate a viewpoint, in a social, political or cultural context, to an audience. Students will develop and extend their application of dance concepts and skills to create and perform their own dance that communicates meaning. By examining Australian and international dance works and choreographers, students will expand their knowledge and understanding of how a choreographer’s life experiences influence the subject matter of their dance works and their choreographic processes. Through exploring current and historical Australian and world issues and the viewpoints of the people involved, students will deepen their understanding of how social, political and cultural concerns around the world affect dance.
DRAMA
8 Drama
Well done to Year 8 Drama students, who created realistic and dynamic characters in their Indigenous Theatre performances of the play "Honey Spot". Now, they tackle a new challenge – critical reflection. Students will analyse and evaluate their own performances, considering how the Elements of Drama were used to communicate a key message for the audience. These reflections will help the students improve their acting skills in preparation for creating and performing their own original Children's Theatre script. Term 2 will see students working in groups, using Children's stories as stimulus to create a new and engaging script for performance. The collaborative nature of drama fosters teamwork, empathy, and adaptability as students work together to bring stories to life, mirroring the interconnected and rapidly evolving dynamics of the contemporary world. Drama skills also cultivate effective communication by encouraging students to express ideas, emotions, and perspectives through dialogue and body language, essential for navigating the complex communication landscape of the 21st century.
9 Drama
Congratulations to our Year 9 Drama students who have completed Part A of their Melodrama unit. Exploring the conventions of this theatre style, students successfully devised and created an improvised performance which engaged an audience of their peers. Improvisation is such a highly creative and collaborative form, it has been amazing to see the ensemble and communication skills developing in the class so far. Moving forward, Part B of their assessment requires students to analyse a Melodramatic work and successfully analyse the use of elements of drama and stylistic conventions in communicating dramatic meaning. Critical thinking, analysis and evaluation are skills that are required in so many different pathways and our Drama students are honing these skills with the added dimension of examining pieces through a creative lens. It will be excellent to see how their skill sets continue to develop throughout the semester.
12 Drama
Our Year 12s have questioned the meaning of life, considered our role within humanity and examined theories of existentialism, all while laughing and collaborating in their Absurdist production of Samuel Beckett's famous play, Waiting for Godot. After the thrill of their first incredible performance of the year, students will be diving further into the realm of Theatre for Social Change. They will explore Political Theatre works from heritage pieces by playwrights like Bertolt Brecht, through to contemporary comments on society from practitioners like Angela Betzien. Students will analyse and evaluate how these playwrights share their socio-political messages, before embarking on their own creation of a concept for a Political Theatre performance piece. With many thought-provoking topics being discussed by our mature students, it has never been more evident how Drama has the ability to provide a voice to those who may normally remain marginalised. It will be very exciting to see the ideas that stem from this next unit of work.
MUSIC
9 Music
Our performers are starting to hit their straps as they prepare for their first performance task. This term, students have been studying and engaging with virtuosic performers, including rock greats like Slash, classical specialists such as Luciano Pavarotti, and modern powerhouses like Adele. Our study of these greats has inspired our Year 9 musicians in their rehearsals, and they have worked hard to develop their skills to create a short performance. Watch this space as our Year 9's strive to achieve greatness in their art.
10 Music
Well done to the Year 10 music students completing their first task creating their own radio production. Students have done extremely well showcasing the characteristics of their genre and the wonderful examples that can be heard globally. The classroom is noisier than ever with the grade 10s now moving towards their performance task! Students will be applying their knowledge of genre characteristics to create a unique cover version of an existing song.
12 Music
The recording light is on and the senior in practice students are finalising their first project of grade 12! Students have been deconstructing the constituent components that make up modern performances and creating their own multi-track: They are performing each part of an existing song and making it their own. This has highlighted the tech skills needed in modern music performance while also showcasing some unique opportunities for harmony and creativity. It has been fantastic hearing the development throughout the last few weeks and we look forward to the final submission.
Instrumental Music
Instrumental ensembles have a few rehearsals under their belt for 2024 and are now working towards performances in term 2. With many new students stepping into the program for the first time and existing students taking up leadership responsibilities, it is wonderful to see the respect, responsibility and perseverance of our students.
How often should my child practice?
I cannot stress enough the benefits of home practice. Instrumental at RVSSC applies the ‘no zero days’ approach to practice; whereas students should pick up their instrument and do some form of practice once per day. Initially students may pick up briefly (2 minutes) per day but over time this becomes habit! In short – the more a student plays – the better they get and I ask you to encourage your child to practice at home as a regular part of their routine.
EXTRA CURRICULAR
Dance Squad
Dance Squad have now finished choreographing all their routines! We now begin the task of cleaning and perfecting these dances ready for the stage early next term. We are so proud of the team's effort in learning these routines as we have stepped up the difficulty due to the high standard and technical improvement of our amazing dancers!
Cheer
The Cheer Bow! In 2023, the RVSSC cheer team received a generous donation of cheerleading bows for each of our team members. These bows made their debut at The Performing Arts Showcase in November, 2023. The cheer bow is a symbol of stewardship and represents the unison of a team. As a staple piece of the cheerleading uniform, The Raptors, will proudly wear their bows and represent our school in four performances across the year.
Drama Troupe
Drama Troupe are gearing up for RVSSC's inaugural Drama Night, taking place in Week 10 of Term 1. The Troupe have been rehearsing with precision as the ensemble navigate different roles, scenes and situations to acquaint themselves with. One thing is for sure though, with comedic sketches based in moments from the classroom, through to the awkwardness of blind dates, there are sure to be laughs all around! Keep an eye on social media posts for the link to book tickets to RVSSC's newest event. There will be complimentary light refreshments, enthusiastic performers and entertainment for the whole family!
Creative Generation
Creative Generation - State Schools Onstage (CGEN) gives students, teachers and school communities the opportunity to be involved in a professionally produced, award-winning arena spectacular. Since its inception in 2005, the large-scale event has grown from a cast of 550 students to more than 1800 and is nationally renowned for its outstanding and vibrant display of state school talent.
This year, we have students auditioning across Dance, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop and Featured Choir, which is fantastic for our school. Once auditions are done, rehearsals begin in early Term 2, and continue on weekends until ‘Show Week’ in July. As our third year of participating in CGEN, it is very exciting to have a number of students involved, and we look forward to seeing the awesome performances in July.
Jessica Starkey
Head of Department - Performing Arts - Year 8E - 8H