Renee Phillips is a keen and talented Fencer and Dancer.

She came second in the Women’s Epee Teams event at the Australian Junior Fencing Championships in Melbourne earlier this year and is ranked 8th in New Zealand for Women’s under 20 Epee in Fencing overall. She was close to being selected in the Commonwealth games - watch this space!

Renee studied NCEA Level 1, 2 and 3 Dance at Hagley gaining high grades, and graduated from Hagley College with a Certificate of Completion with the Hagley Dance Project in 2021.

Vincent Brannigan and I caught up with Renee when she came to Hagley to lead a Fencing demonstration last term and asked her a few questions. Here’s what she had to say:

“I got into fencing at the start of high school; my sister was part of our school’s fencing team and forced me to join. When I moved schools, I then joined Hagley’s fencing team when Vincent started it up.

I have been fencing for 5 years, 2 years in Northland, 2 years at the Fencing Institute for Hagley’s team with the 2nd year also fencing University of Canterbury’s Fencing Club and then this year just at University and the Institute.

I get coached primarily by Kate and her husband Martin Brill, they are French trained Maitre d’Armes (coach, Martin is a two-time Olympian, with Kate as his coach during that time, and Kate was former 12th at World Cup in 1989).

Dance was definitely something that helped with my fencing, it helped with my co-ordination. Fencing is a sport that feels unnatural to the body and can feel uncomfortable to start with. It also helped with my understanding of tempo, as dance and fencing both use tempos to move, and they both change and vary so having that understanding of movement helped. Secondly, fitness from dancing was a great start, though having such fitness isn’t necessary to start, but having flexibility and stamina can be very helpful, and funny when you go to lunge and end up in the splits.

Currently I am studying at University of Canterbury. I do a BA in Classics and Anthropology along with a second degree of BSpC in Sport Science. I have also been working hard in my fencing training, training up to 9 times a week, travelling the country with my clubmates to competitions, and had my first international competition in May, coming 18th in the individuals and 2nd in teams. I have recently been working on my fencing coaching qualifications and am a fencing coach, coaching at The Fencing Institute and head coach at University Fencing.

My goals for the future aren’t anything specific at the moment, going to see where I end up, but I am going to keep working on my degrees, coaching qualifications and training. Hopefully attend more international competitions and possible work overseas somewhere I can train and learn more about fencing.”

If you are interested to learn more about Fencing at Hagley please contact: vincent.brannigan@staff.hagley.school.nz

If you would like to know more about the Hagley Dance Project or Dance at Hagley please contact:

Naressa.gamble@staff.hagley.school.nz

Applications are open for 2023 please click here to apply: https://www.hagley.school.nz/enrolment-form-hagley-theatre-and-dance-company/

Coming Soon

You are invited to the annual Hagley Community Dance Show – In Motion 2022 – Wednesday 26th October, 7pm, The Phillip Carter Family Concert Hall, The Piano, Tickets $10 on the door or through the Hagley Enrolment Centre.

In September Hagley Dance Project 2022 were invited to perform at “An Evening Of Dance”, showcasing the talented young dancers of Christchurch, organised by the Christchurch Ballet Society. Please see images below of HDP performing “Reverberation” choreographed by Naressa Gamble in collaboration with HDP members.