Performing Arts
Dance
Dance Night- Friday May 10th 6:30pm
Dance Night is approaching quickly on Friday May 10th at 6:30pm with over 120 of our amazing students taking the stage. There is a diverse range of choreography and styles being performed including Commercial Jazz, Contemporary, Jazz and Lyrical.
If you'd like to come along and see what our curricular and extra-curricular dancers have been up to this year, reserve yourself a free ticket via this link: https://events.humanitix.com/dance-night-semester-one-2024
VCE Dance Top Class Excursion
On Wednesday the 6th of March, the VCE Dance students had the opportunity to attend Top Class. Top Class is a full day show, filled with the solo dance works of high achieving students who competed VCE and VCE/VET Dance in 2023. We had the opportunity to learn and be inspired both from watching the solos, as well as hearing words of wisdom from Lisa Woolley, Cheryl Kaloger and Shaylee Ashby who formed the Dance selection panel for the 2024 Top Class. All of the VCE students left feeling inspired and motivated for the year to come! - Immy Martin, Dance Vice Captain 2024
Meet the Teacher
Kaitlin Malone- Contemporary at MGC
Why did you start to teach dance?
I actually didn’t think I’d be a teacher, it felt like a lot of pressure. After my full-time training, I was offered to teach, and I thought I’d say yes even feeling scared. Turns out that decision changed the course of my career in the best way. I love being able to meet so many people and share a communal passion for dance. I love that teaching gets to be raw and unrefined as we get to figure movement out together.
What advice would you give someone who has just started to dance or started to teach dance?
My advice would be to say yes even when it’s scary. Even to show up when you don’t want to. I think those moments end up being the best parts in life.
Was there a certain person who inspired you to begin dancing?
I actually watched a documentary about the importance of arts in school when I was a teenager. It had clips of kids dancing in hallways and in that moment I decided. I’ve been dancing ever since!
Kaitlin has been teaching Contemporary to many of our students in the Dance Program at MGC for five years. Kaitlin also teaches at Transit Dance and has performed professionally with Scimm Dance Company and Stephanie Lake Company.
Interview by Mia Haslem, Middle School Dance Captain
Drama
Hi all! Drama club has well and truly kicked off this with a bang!
It’s been really incredible to see the creative works of the year sevens at MGC, we really wish to see even more budding young actors this week!
Come meet us in the drama room at 1:20pm :) we will be giving prizes for those who attend and have the most enthusiasm!!!!!
Thanks! Your 2024 drama team.
VCE Drama
Hi all! My name is Paris, one of your 2024 Drama Captains!
On Friday the 19th of April, the VCE Drama class had the pleasure of attending this year's Top Class Drama.
Top Class Drama is approximately a 100-minute collation of performances, consisting of some of the top scoring 2023 VCE Drama Solo performance exams.
We were able to gain insight into the creation process of one of the performers, Genevieve Grey, who presented a speech providing advice for our class to use when creating our own solos later this year, as well as hearing wise words from the Chief Assessor, Bronwyn Egan, motivating us for the year to come.
It was an incredible opportunity to be able to watch Top Class this year and we are ready to take this inspiration on board for our future performances this year!
Actors Workshop Excursion “GROUNDHOG DAY”
The Year 9 Actors’ Workshop class thoroughly enjoyed our excursion to “Groundhog Day the musical”. Inspired by the film of the same name this performance has music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. It tells the story of Phil Connors, a cynical Pittsburgh TV weatherman who is sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event in the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Caught in a time loop, he's forced to relive the same day again and again… and again. We were amazed by the music, the singing and dancing, the theatre technicalities and tricks, even the amazing puppetry, where a car chase was brough to life in front of our very eyes.
The musical had incredible music and transitions that we all found deeply fascinating and inspiring. We were so grateful to have had the opportunity to have such an amazing experience. We know that many of our classmates loved having the experience of going to the theatre, some of them for the first time. Thank you to Ms. Mummé, Ms. Judge and Ms. Calder, the teachers who took us!
-Olive, Riley, Chi – 9AW
"Garage Girls"
On Wednesday the 24th of April, the year 11/12 VCE Drama class went to see a performance of "Garage Girls" at La Mama. “Garage Girls” explores the paradoxical nature of ambition which can both elevate to success and create dissatisfaction resulting in both isolation and ignorance. The central protagonist Alice Anderson is the trailblazing founder of Australia's first all-girl garage. Alice Anderson was a leader for women in 1920s Melbourne. The entire class immensely enjoyed the performance and learned a lot about Alice Anderson, a pioneer for women in mechanics. Thank you to Ms. Mumme and Ms. Judge for taking us to see such a wonderful performance.
Music
Harmony Day Assembly
Thank you to our Mid Rock Band for their performance of “The Power of Love” and our combined rock bands and Choir for their performance of “Make Your Own Kind of Music” for our Harmony Day Assembly, led by Andy Clarke and Ellyce Calder.
Jazz Band
Our Jazz band, who rehearse on Mondays before school, had their first gig, playing for the opening of the new solar cone in the north car park! Thanks to Tony Hicks for preparing.
A ’Capella Choir At Information Evening
A huge thank you to our A ’Capella choir, led by Susan de Jong, for their beautiful rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” for our 2025 Information evening:
Audrey Ahmed, Wendy Haythornthwaite, Colbi Ortstadt, Irene Pham, Gem Robins-Pittock, Olive Chaston, Sasha Bellsmith, Jinx Taylor-Moore & Mimi de Bono.
Year 11 Music Ableton Incursion.
On Monday, 22nd April, our Year 11 Music students and other interested music students attended a workshop by Soul Sonic where they got to use Ableton sound equipment to record and mix their own “found sound” project.
“I liked learning how to use different equipment like the microphones and sound board. We got to use our creativity to make different beats using sounds we found outside”- Shuzhong.
“Monday’s incursion was really fun and intriguing”- Elena
“It was interesting and 100% worthwhile”- Nina
“really organized and it was great to learn how to use all of the equipment”- Alannah
“I enjoyed the freedom and creativity that this workshop brought to the class”
“enlightening learning how to compose different beats”- Emily
“it was fun to learn how to use the DJ board”- Eli
Donation of Musical Equipment Thankyou
The Music Department would like to acknowledge the generous donation of an upright piano by Dorothy Thyer, grandmother of Adelaide Ahearn, in Year 12, which has now settled into its new home in Studio 7.
A huge thank you also to Katrina Halliday, one of our Piano teachers at MGC, for the loan of her baby grand piano.
Term 2 Upcoming events - Performing Arts
Tuesday, 28th May- VCE Drama Ensemble Evening
Thursday, 30th May- Year 11 Music Performance Evening
Tuesday, 4th June- Year 9 & 10 Showcase
Tuesday, 11th June- year 12 Music Performance Evening