Performing Arts

Communicating with the Specialist Team

We look forward to partnering with you in 2022, and welcome your input:

Penelope Lang (Performing Arts) penelope.lang@education.vic.gov.au 

Thank you so much for your support this term and for allowing me to teach your talented children. They have shown great respect, resilience and responsibility whilst navigating new learning and have remained interested and motivated when some tasks have needed to be repeated....over and over again. The process of preparing a show to be 'performance ready' can involve much drill and practice which can be challenging for some. It will, however, be wonderful to witness the culmination of their hard work on stage at Burrinja in Term 3 when the curtain finally goes up!

All grades have been continuing to learn new choreography for their class dances and the 5/6 students are beginning to get a feel for how all of the different scenes fit together. When we return to school in Term 3, the actors from grades 5 and 6 will be acting without their scripts in their hands (so get learning those lines). We will have a prompt at each rehearsal to support all of our budding actors. Please see below for some important dates and costume requirements.

School Production Important Dates - Costumes and Tickets

Our school production, 'The Wizard of Oz' will be performed over two nights and tickets will go on sale at the beginning of Term 3 (after I have informed you what night your child will be performing). Siblings will perform on the same night as each other, and it is an expectation that Year Five/Six students attend on both evenings.

Performance and rehearsal dates

• Wednesday 24th August- 6.30pm Evening performance Cast 1- at Burrinja Cultural Centre, 351 Glenfern Rd, Upwey. 
• Thursday 25th August- 6.30pm Evening performance Cast 2- at Burrinja Cultural Centre, 351 Glenfern Rd, Upwey. 
• Friday 19th August - Whole school dress rehearsal - costumes required. The dress rehearsal will be held within the school gymnasium during school hours. More information will follow.
• Tuesday 23rd August - Whole school technical rehearsal. The technical rehearsal will be held at Burrinja Cultural Centre, 351 Glenfern Rd, Upwey. This rehearsal will be held during school hours, with students being transported to and from the venue by bus. No costumes are required. Permission to travel forms will be sent home in Term 3.

Production Costumes

We have been very fortunate to have the creative mind and sewing skills of Kelly Ingram who has managed the costume creations for our show both last year and again this year. We will be providing most of the students’ costumes but we do need your assistance with some basic items. During the holidays it would be great if you could source the following items for your child:

Foundation: 

Girls will need a short sleeve plain white t-shirt and YELLOW leggings (Big W have the leggings). Plain white canvas shoes.

Boys will need a short sleeve plain white t-shirt and RED leggings (Big W have the leggings). Plain white canvas shoes.

Year One: 

All students will need black leggings or jeans, black short sleeve t-shirt, black shoes and socks.

Year Two: 

There are two costume options:

1. Blue denim shorts or skirt and a pair of STRIPED (horizontal) knee high socks or tights in any of these colours: black and white, hot-pink and white, blue and white, orange and white or any fluro colour and white.  

2. Blue ripped denim jeans.

WE ARE PROVIDING THE TOPS FOR ALL STUDENTS.

We would love the students to wear bright coloured high-top shoes (fluro would be great) or trainers. You might like to get creative in the holidays and paint your own! If you cannot find bright shoes then white canvas shoes are fine.

Year Three/Four: 

We have created over 35 different costumes and most are completed. Some students will need to source a few props to go with their costume. I will contact people individually.

Year Five/Six: 

I will be speaking to each actor individually, but most of the costumes have been sourced. On the night your child is not in their ‘acting role’ they will be cast as an ‘extra’ in various scenes. They will require a few costume items for these scenes and I will confirm this early next term.  Backstage crew will need to wear all black. Our school production t-shirt is also suitable for crew to wear.

Parent Helpers

I will be looking for parent helpers (one from each class) to help at school with costumes and makeup on our dress rehearsal (19th August) and then again backstage on both performance nights. Please let your child’s classroom teacher know if you are interested in helping.

I am still looking for a photographer and a graphic designer to help with our program and anyone who might have experience managing a sound/lighting desk. Please let me know as soon as possible if you have any of these skills to share with us.

Victorian State Schools Spectacular

Tickets are now on sale for the 2022 VSSS. We are very excited to have the BIGGEST number of participants that we have EVER had. We have 30 singers and 16 dancers and we would love you to come along and support each and every one of them. Tickets are available through Ticketek: www.ticketek.com.au/spectacular or 132 849. Adult: $40 Concession: $30 Child (U15): $20 (a $5.95 per transaction fee applies on all purchases) 

For those students who are participating please take note of the following rehearsal dates below. We will attend all rehearsals by bus, leaving school at a time to be confirmed. 

Mass Choir Rehearsal - Melbourne Town Hall 

Wednesday 20 July & Wednesday 17 August

Rehearsal: 10am - 3pm

Mass Dance Rehearsal – H.E. Parker Recreation Centre, Heathmont

Friday 5th August

Rehearsal: 10am -2pm

VSSS – Dance AND Choir Rehearsal - John Cain Arena 

Thursday 08 September

Rehearsal: 10am - 6pm 

Friday 09 September 

Rehearsal: 9am - 5pm 

Performance Day

Saturday 10th September

11am - 10pm (approximate times only tbc)

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or wonderings.

Happy holidays to you and your family.