The last couple of weeks have been a ‘creative whirl’ of preparation and performances both collaboratively and individually. We have enjoyed performances from students at the Bazaar Talent Quest Assembly, the School Expo and celebrated our fabulous Year 6 students at their Graduation. As ever, the ‘behind the scenes’ support of parents and teachers helps to make the students’ visions happen, and we say a deeply appreciative thank you. Please read on via the link for further news.
In the 34 Ngh2 we have enjoyed working with Tony Yap to explore freedom of movement by using music as a catalyst. By reviewing videos of their sessions, students observed how systems of movements between students emerge as independent or connected communications inspired by internal or responsive stimulation. Students reflected that that it was like being ‘on the outside looking in’. As their activity was not always ‘camera focussed’ or posed, they observed how some familiar patterns of interaction impacted other’s actions to augment or change activities in predictable or new ways.
It was a flourish of activity to enact 34 Ngh 1 students’ ideas from their research about the life and times of Henry VIII and Tudor England. There were so many more seeds of exploration which could have been pursued but in the end, we were proud to share two ‘vignettes’ which brought together aspects of the Performing Arts that we have been exploring. Our time with Tony Yap included whole Ngh workshops with everyone learning about stage craft, character adaption and working with the breath to prepare and release gestures. Tony also introduced the wild creative world of paper costumes. In our first session, the students became manakins who directed and designed their garments while layers of paper or recycled plastic were taped onto them. Transformed into animated sculptures, the students realised how costumes impact and inspire movement, and the ‘power’ of costumes to transform identity! The next step was to examine dress patterns for noble ladies of the Tudor court. Skirts were voluminous, and luckily the ‘resource room’ had huge rolls of brown and white paper that enabled our vision for Henry VIII’s six wives, and three white ghosts of the wives who died! The students researched their wives with fascination and detail, and during a simple choreography that Tony designed by observing how the students moved when in costume, each wife told their story.
The Tudor Kitchen Vignette was inspired by the kitchens of Hampton Court Palace. These kitchens are still operational today and are one of the few Renaissance kitchens that has remained intact for 500 years. The students in the kitchen scene researched menus, cooking styles and the ingredients available in 16th Century England. Noah was a convincing chicken being prepared for roasting, surrounded by veges of the day, parsnips, turnips, carrots and onions, whilst Lincoln acted the wild boar roasted in the great fireplace. Chefs strode about keeping the action rolling in a semi improvised scene which combined fact and humour. A rogue chicken running underfoot, a hopping bucket of water, a hungry monk, a judge finding elements of the the kitchen’s operations guilty for not being efficient and a calm head chef creating a cake for Henry all combined to make a chaotic scene of action. And chaos accurately describes the kitchen of Henry VIII’s day as the chefs prepared food around the clock to feed a court of up to one thousand people. Bravo 34s!
In addition to the wonderful displays in the Neighbourhoods of the students’ work, we were delighted invite students to add to the atmosphere of celebration by performing, or free jamming, on the keyboard set up in the passive play area. A big thank you and bravo to the students who played, some of who have been learning for several years, and to others who love to explore and combine their ideas. Many thanks to Esmé, Dan and Emily for the inspiration and help to make this happen, and inspiring another seed to grow.
More performance opportunities were shared at our Bazaar Talent Quest Assembly. This second round of performances highlighted items that benefited from the action being relayed to screen for better visibility. Dexter and Andy impressed with their speed Rubik’s Cube solving and Aslan with his paper plane folding. Gymnastics inspired dancing, singing, comedy and magic tricks were also exciting to to see and inspiring for our younger students. Bravo and thank you to everyone, to Larree for these photos, and to the performers and loyal fans whose dedication to budding talent rose above the drizzly conditions of the first Talent Show at the Bazaar!
For our Year 6 community, last Thursday was a night to remember. Congratulations to the Year 6s on your Graduation, an evening that celebrates them as wonderful people on the threshold of a new sage of development. Year after year the Yr 6s describe their ‘roller coaster’ feelings of leaving primary school and venturing on, with excitement, to new places of learning. They were at their best on Graduation night and everyone was beaming with pride, gratitude and emotion. We have a great tradition of celebrating and expressing our school’s appreciation of graduating students and families. This event has grown over years with the vision and support of Leadership and community and it’s a privilege to witness this tradition evolve each year. Bravo and thank you to everyone for their carefully considered speeches, for the performance of a Graduation Song, a medley of ‘hits and memories’ that spanned generations (we all had a sing!), for a delicious meal and bonza fun disco! The gym looked fabulous thanks to Kathy and Yr 6 parents, and my thanks to the students for excellent singing, and to the Yr 6s, Yr 5s, parents and friends who performed in the band, and to Robert and Pink Noise for tech support… and yay… we get to roll the song again at the Final Assembly next Friday! Please do come along 🙂
Best wishes and thank you. Deb.
