AvÐÔ°® Dance at Catholic Performing Arts
On Wednesday the 16th of August, 91 AvÐÔ°® students performed in the Dance section of the Catholic Performing Arts Festival. The students have been working on these dance items since the beginning of Term 2 and have dedicated their time and talents to various early morning, weekend and holiday rehearsals.
AvÐÔ°® Dance Company
After winning the coveted Shield for Secondary Dance at last year’s festival, we have high hopes for this year’s Dance Company. The 82 dancers performed the original dance work ‘Let Them Eat Cake’, choreographed by Caroline Fuhr and Lauchlan Bain. The dance work is a narrative which explores the fickle nature of fame and was inspired by Marie Antoinette, Lady Gaga and Madonna. Clad in neon stockings, Gaga inspired dresses and white ruffled shirts, the dancers created a visual spectacle that was well received by the adjudicators: ‘What a dramatic impact your huge cast had. Clear storytelling through your opening song. Lady Marie (Vivianne Moreno-Sanchez) was very commanding.’
AvÐÔ°® Collective
Our elite group of talented dancers from Years 7-12 performed the original dance work ‘Move’ choreographed by Lauchlan Bain and Nicki Tarling. ‘Move’ is an abstract exploration of our very human need to keep moving in order to ‘strive, thrive and survive.’ It was a physically demanding work that challenged the dancer’s endurance as well as technique. The adjudicators were very impressed by the piece: ‘The flow of your movement was highly effective and choreographically clever. Great use of space and using the stage to its full potential. Overall, you really held our attention.’
Boyz Dance Crew
This was the first year that our Boyz Dance Crew has performed as part of the Catholic Performing Arts Festival and congratulations must go to the boys for their enthusiasm and courage in the face of what was a new experience for most of them. They performed the original dance work ‘Be A Man!’ choreographed by Lauchlan Bain. This work explores the questions: What does it take to be a man, why do you have to be a man and why does no-one want to tell you how to do it? The boys were a crowd favourite, getting many cheers from both the audience and the other dancers backstage. The adjudicators were similarly heartened by their performance: ‘Lovely commitment and enthusiasm and great to see such a sense of support and teamwork – morale looks high. It’s truly heart-warming to see your enjoyment of dance.’
Well done to all dancers involved. Your commitment and talent is a continual inspiration to us all. Thanks must also go to the parents and families of the dancers for their ongoing support of Dance at the College.
Caroline Fuhr
Dance Co-Ordinator
