'Students on their toes' - Central Leader

Students on their toes 

MARNIE HALLAHAN 30.09.2011

BEN CAMPBELL

CHANCE TO DANCE: Hay Park student 

Jazmine Newman gets into character practising for 

her part in  Sacre: The Auckland Dance Project.

After only three weeks of dance lessons, the students from Hay Park School are set to perform alongside the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. 

And they are already dancing like professionals. 

The class of year 5 and 6 students are among 150 children from around Auckland who are taking part in Sacre: The Auckland Dance Project which will see them dance at the Aotea Centre to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring performed live by the orchestra.

Many of the Hay Park School pupils have never danced before but under the skilful guidance of choreographer Royston Maldoom from Berlin they are coming along in leaps and bounds. 

"The concentration the kids have in rehearsals is amazing," teacher Connie Igasan says. 

"We've had some massive gains at practice time and that has spilled over into the classroom." 

Mr Maldoom lives according to the belief that dance has the power to transform people's lives and even asked the children to help choreograph some moves that reflect their culture to put into the dance. 

Ten-year-old Nicholas Kumar, who has been to a few ballet classes before this opportunity, has learned a lot from their "astonishing" teacher. 

"We learn how you use our bodies and the energy that is in the dancing," Nicholas says. 

He put forward a few Maori-inspired moves which have now been added to the dramatic chase scene in the dance. 

For Mrs Igasan the opportunity for her students to feel like an important part of the project has been wonderful to watch.

"The kids are so proud, they have really owned it," she says. 

Last week's energetic rehearsal ended with an encouraging message from Mr Maldoom to his budding ballerinas. 

"You can take what you learn with the dancing and apply it to your life. If you can learn this dance in such a short time then you can do anything." 

For the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Sacre is a chance to celebrate youth and showcase the diversity of cultures in Auckland. 

The one-off performance will take place on October 14 at 7.30pm. 

– Marnie Hallahan is a Wintec journalism student