We are proud to announce that this year we have three Hagley Dance Company members who have been successfully accepted into Unitec’s Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts, majoring in Contemporary Dance for 2018.

Wesley Sayers, Charvel Matiu and Dana Moore-Mudgway are just three of the many success stories from the Hagley Dance Company over the past 16 years.

I first heard of the Hagley Dance Company 15 years ago in 2002 when I started my dance training at Unitec's School of Performing and Screen Arts in Auckland. There were a number of students in my year group and the year above me who had come from Hagley Dance Company, including Julia Harvie (who is highly regarded in the New Zealand Dance industry and is one of the Company’s current regular tutors and choreographers).

At the time I was envious of those that had come from Hagley as I noticed they were a step ahead of me, having already had a clear foundation in technique and choreographic skills. I felt as though I was having to continually try and play catch-up over the three years of the Bachelor degree, and wished I had known about the course ever since. I wonder how many other young people out there are searching for our unique course?

Wesley Sayers is one of those people. He had heard about the Hagley Dance Company through a random conversation with a retail assistant. Wesley has been over the moon to be a part of the course ever since. When he auditioned and was accepted he was overwhelmed and commented: "I have been looking for a course like this for years!" He couldn't believe his luck.

You can come and see these three demonstrate their exceptional talent at their upcoming graduation show:

VEINS - Hagley Dance Company Graduation show 2017 – Save the date!

When: Friday 8th and Saturday 9th December 2017, 7:30pm

Where: Hagley Open Stage

Bookings essential: hagleydance@gmail.com 

This month from 16th-19th November is the Unitec end of year Dance Showcase in which five Hagley graduates will be performing. Ex-Hagley Dance Company member Paul Young, currently one of the main lecturers of dance at Unitec, is choreographing for the first-years.

Jwawan Raika-Morgan, Hollie Thompson (3rd year), Abbey Rogers (2nd year, Sheryl Robinson Scholarship recipient 2015) and last year’s successful applicants Olivia O'Brien (Sheryl Robinson Scholarship recipient 2016) and Phoebe Manders will be featured in the show. Both myself and Fleur are looking forward to celebrating our Hagley Dance Company graduates' success.

The Hagley Dance Company course is a unique course within the Dance industry in New Zealand and is the only one of its kind in the South Island. The course is pivotal in providing a platform for those wanting to prepare for tertiary studies in Dance, as a pathway into the Dance industry to develop and nurture talent; whether that be choreographically, technically, or as a performer.

The course provides a transition towards a university degree, and an opportunity to experience life as a full-time dancer without paying excessive fees. It is an opportunity to work with some of New Zealand’s best choreographers and to learn more about teamwork, commitment, professionalism and performance. Students get a chance to make new friends, get fit, flexible, strong, and become a creative choreographer while also gaining teaching experience on the Canterbury High Schools tour.

This year the Company have had some fantastic opportunities to learn from international, national and ex-Hagley Dance Company professionals and companies including Kim Jae Duk (Korea), Maddy Krenek, Jodi Archer, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, The New Zealand Dance Company and Footnote New Zealand Dance. A highlight for the Company was meeting Anu Khapung (who kick-started her dance career with Hagley Dance Company in 2013 and is a current Footnote dancer) who taught material from Footnote's touring show “Rebel Pink”.

Some performance and choreographic highlights this year have been “The Insitu Project” at Hagley College based on Te Puna Wai o Waipapa, the place of the living spring. Hagley's Year 12 Dean Jenny O’Sullivan still talks about how fantastic the show was. Several highlights were performing on the stage at the Isaac Theatre Royal for Dancing Like The Stars in July, at Middleton Grange for An Evening of Dance for the Christchurch Ballet Society in August, and recently Aleasha Seaward (one of HDC's regular contemporary dance tutors) choreographed a dance on the HDC for the Hagley NCEA Dance Showcase - to name a few. The company also enjoyed teaching and inspiring students over two weeks in August at seven different Canterbury high schools.

Your final chance to see the choreographic and performance talents of this year’s Company is in their upcoming graduating show on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th December at the Open Stage at Hagley College 7:30pm. Bookings are essential: hagleydance@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you there!