Term 4 has seen the Dance department leaping from one show to the next! It all started in week one with the Hagley Dance Company performing at the opening blessing of the new “Kahikatea Common” area in the South Bank on Wednesday 17th October.

Labour Weekend saw the Hagley Dance Company perform at a horse event called “Equidays” on Friday 19th and Sunday 21st October. This was their first time performing on sand, in a 64m2  arena in front of a 300+ audience between horse acts strutting their stuff (see below for a photo of the performance venue).

Labour Day was not a day of rest, but a day of action! Students rehearsed all day in the Open Stage in preparation for “In Motion” NCEA and Community Dance Showcase on Tuesday 23rd, Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th October. I say "community dance showcase" because not only did the NCEA Dance students perform, but also the After 3 evening class, with special guest performances by the Hagley Theatre Company and Hagley Dance Company.

All three shows were a great success with the dancers performing with vitality, enthusiasm and grace. All involved had a lot of fun! As Cameron Mattox (HOD Performing Arts) said, “It is such a pleasure to see the NCEA Dance students, the Dance Company and Theatre Company step up and showcase their talent.” Thank you to the guest tutors who contributed to the show's success. (See the attached photos taken from the dress rehearsal by Darin Young Photography).

Hagley Dance Company members Dana Dawson, Kereana Mosen, Callie Hitchcock and Madi Tumataroa then flew directly to Auckland on Friday 26th October to the Unitec Performing and Screen Arts auditions for two days of intensive auditioning in Contemporary Dance. We are pleased to announce that both Kereana and Madi have been offered places for 2019 and Dana is on the waiting list. Kereana, Madi and Callie were also offered places on Dance courses in Melbourne.

Most recently the Year 11 and Year 13 students performed at the “Pō Whakanui - a night of celebration” and the Senior Prize Giving, both at St Margaret's College, Charles Luney Auditorium on Thursday 1st November and Tuesday 6th November to supportive whānau and friends. Both were fantastic celebrations of achievement, with the Year 13’s audience clapping along to their ‘Footloose’ finale. As Mike Fowler commented, the performers were “stunning” and “outstanding”.

Congratulations to Shannon Carlyle (Year 11 Dance), Selina Maslen (Year 12 Dance), Amy Kedzlie (Year 13 Dance), and Kereana Mosen (Hagley Dance Company) for receiving Excellence Awards in Dance 2019.

Special congratulations to all of the Dance students for all their hard work, commitment and creativity this year. You’ve all performed wonderfully and should be proud of your achievements! Great work.

We wish all of our Year 13 students all the best in their future endeavors. I have taught some of this Year 13 class since Year 10 in October 2015 when I started at Hagley. So for me this is a more personal farewell and thank you for your generosity, persistence and commitment to the Dance programme. You will be missed.

We wish all of the NCEA students all the best of luck with the coming exams and look forward to another exciting and creative year next year.

If you are thinking about a career in Dance then the Hagley Dance Company is a great platform to prepare you for tertiary studies. Applications are now open for 2019. Please email naressa.gamble@hagley.school.nz or follow this link and press the ‘click here to apply’ button after the “7 great reasons to join Hagley Dance Company”. 

But wait - there’s more! The Hagley Dance Company have their final end of year graduating show on Friday 30th November and Saturday 1st December 2018 with special guest choreography by Fleur de Thier, Aleasha Seaward and Julia Harvie. Click on this  event link and book your tickets at: hagleydance2018@gmail.com Tickets are limited, so don’t miss out!

Click on this link and see more photos below.