Performing Arts

With another lockdown upon us and the uncertainties it often brings, I thought it might be a good time to share with you some wonderful examples of teamwork, creativity and caring from our Warrandyte Primary School students during Performing Arts activities this week. 

On Monday, our dynamic State Schools Spectacular team proudly represented the school by dancing with energy and expertise at the Mass Dance Hub rehearsal at The Basin Primary School.  Although they had little time to prepare for the rehearsal (as a result of the last lockdown), they displayed commitment and professionalism in attending last minute practises and working together to make up for lost time. Their efforts didn’t go unnoticed by the Spec organisers, who happily offered praise and encouragement. While our dancers hope to perform for a large audience at John Cain Arena on September 11, they have shown maturity in remaining positive and flexible in relation to what the final performance might look like.

In “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr” rehearsals, our enthusiastic Preps could be heard as far away as the Staff Room, singing the praises of musical lollypops in the song “Toot Sweets”. The 1/2s have enjoyed working together to create the heart-warming story of a beautiful lullaby, using props and sincere singing voices in the song “Hushabye Mountain”. The 3/4s have literally run to the Bampi at lunchtimes for optional extra rehearsals of the Fun Fair scene, and the Year 5s have embraced their roles as Vulgarian soldiers – laughing and smiling their way through scenes while mastering playful choreography and stage gags. The Year 6s have been learning the importance of working together to support one another - prompting lines, managing props and playing the rehearsal music. There have also been some wonderful examples of senior students helping their younger cast mates learn dance moves and song lyrics.

All this reminds us that in Performing Arts, the creative process of preparing for performances –further developing singing, dancing and acting skills while respecting, helping and caring for one another – is just as important as the final performance.

I look forward to continuing our performance preparations when onsite learning returns, but in the meantime, students can enjoy accessing their class songs and Spec dance routines through their Teams and See Saw platforms. And whether it’s Plan A, B or C that comes into play, our fabulous students can’t wait to share their performances with our supportive Warrandyte community in the near future!

Kirsty Wolters, 

Performing Arts teacher