The Performing Arts Department have had an extremely busy week, with the annual Dance Night and the Year 12 Graduation Performances.Dance Night

Dance Night 2018 was a celebration of all things dance. Last night’s performance was a culmination of a lot of hard work from our Years 7-12 Dance students. It is clear that we have an abundance of talent here at Santa Maria and it is always wonderful to share this with our College community. Year 12 Graduation Performances

 The Year 12 Graduation Performances are an integral part of the Year 12 assessment for students undertaking Dance and Drama subjects. This week, the girls were assessed as part of their WACE exams, in front of family and friends. Two students share their thoughts below.

 The Year 12 Dance and Drama Graduation Performances were a highlight for the Year 12s undertaking a performing arts subject in their final year at the College. It allowed these students to showcase what they have been working on for the year, and it was truly inspiring to see my peers showcase such incredible and thoughtful pieces. One part of the Dance practical exam is to create an Original Solo Composition, more commonly known as an OSC, that is focused on any intent of our choosing. The process of creating an OSC is quite challenging and requires copious amounts of research, rehearsal time and attention to detail.

While it is a challenge to create an original work, the creation of an OSC allows us to explore a new concept of our interest, without any limitations as to what we can create. While creating the OSC is a solo task, the support I received from my entire class was integral in finishing the task. The creative process often involved group discussions, where we all put forward different ideas and new ways of thinking for everyone’s individual intent. Without this support, I am certain the process would have been much more difficult and I believe the support offered from both, the girls in my class and Miss Rooke, played an important role in the creation of our solos.

Dance and Drama differ quite dramatically to other subjects at the College. These subjects push people out of their comfort zones and require ample amounts of courage and bravery to succeed. The support and encouragement students gave to each other during the Graduation Performance was truly touching. While watching each performance, I was amazed to see how much thought, attention to detail and dedication was put into each piece. The Graduation Performance was an extraordinary showcase of the talent and perseverance that characterises the Dance and Drama students at Santa Maria and was truly a memorable part of Year 12. Monique Moro

For the past seven weeks, the Year 12 Drama students have been working tirelessly on their OSPs. An OSP is an original solo performance.  You must create your own 6-minute production, with characters, a clear storyline, a character journey, design and technological elements. All to successfully fulfil the WACE exam criteria. Ideas started off as weird and wacky as they come, but after weeks of rehearsals and refining our work, we finally had an idea to run with. This week, the extremely nervous Year 12 Dance and Drama students performed to family and friends. Not only did we perform for an audience, but we were also assessed on our performance, this mark will go towards our school grade. Despite many nerves, the night was without a doubt a great success. Everyone performed their piece with confidence and it was amazing to the have the support of not only friends and family but also all the other girls. Ava Pike