We’d like to express our gratitude for the interest students have shown in the programs we have on offer! It was an exciting Term 1 and there’s plenty more to look forward to throughout the year.

Here’s a recap of our first term, as well as what we have coming up!

Open Night

Open Night was incredibly heartening for us, as we had the opportunity to see our Performing Arts students take the lead on welcoming prospective DHSVAD students. Our students set up the stalls showcasing our works and were incredibly supportive and caring of the Year 6 students hoping to come to DHSVAD next year. We were so proud of the way they carried themselves and spoke highly of their experiences at DHSVAD. Students also coordinated and ran a bake sale, raising funds for next Year’s upcoming Adelaide tour.

Music

Our Year 10 and 11 Music students, as well as some Year 12 Entertainment students, went to see the HSC Music Encore showcase at the Sydney Opera house with Mr Fitzgerald and Mr Quaglia. The standard was exceptional and our students left with a clear understanding of what success looks like in HSC Music!

InConcert rehearsals are underway for our vocal ensemble students. Mr Brinker has been working hard every week with the students to work on the pieces for the performance. The showcase will be held at Sydney Town Hall on Monday 27 May for anyone who'd like to come along. A special shout out to Mr Fitzgerald as well (pictured below) who attended the excursion with the students. Here’s the link for InConcert tickets: https://cityrecital.ink/InCon24

Talent Quest - Our music students had the opportunity to showcase their skills at the Talent Quest, with the amazing singer Raven Shields taking out the top prize!

Drama

The Onstage HSC showcase took place in Term One, where forty of our Drama students went to the Seymour Centre to watch some of the best of the best Major works from the 2023 HSC students across the state. Our students left hungry to work on their pieces after seeing the standard!

Year 10 and 11 Performance Appreciation Club went to see Lose to Win at Belvoir St Theatre. An original play written and performed by Mandela Mathia, where he tracks his journey from growing up in worn torn South Sudan to becoming an actor in Sydney, Australia. It was a heart warming and joyous celebration of resilience.

Improvisation Club for years 7-12

In Term 1, we hosted weekly improvisation classes for our Years 9-12 students, where they worked with professional improvisers from Improv Theatre Sydney. Our students learnt the art of Improv and how to take risks in performance. Year 7 Improv Club has kicked off this term!

Drama Ensembles

Thanks to the huge number of students we’ve had sign up for Drama ensembles. These begin in Week Three of this term, where we will be partnering with ATYP as part of their Intersection festival to produce some new Australian plays which will be showcased later this year! Stay tuned for more!

School Play - Lord of the Flies

Auditions are about to start for our school production of Lord of the Flies! Stay tuned for more information.

Assessment Time:

The combination of relief and achievement felt after a Drama performance assessment is a pretty good feeling! Enjoy some of the happy snaps of our students just after their assessment tasks.

Theatre Recommendations:

In case you’re keen to catch some theatre as a family, here’s some recommendations:

Senior Students:

Stolen by Jane Harrison is coming up soon at STC, it is a harrowing look at the impact of the Stolen Generation on First Nations peoples
All Ages:

Dracula adapted and directed by Kip Williams is the third part in Kip Williams Gothic series at STC. You may recall his famous production of ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, which is currently touring London and New York with Sarah Snook from ‘Succession’

Thanks again for a wonderful start to the year and we’re looking forward to what’s to come!