Beyond the Studio – Year 10 Dancers Bring Art to Life
Our Year 10 dancers have been hard at work choreographing captivating performances in unique spaces across the College – from staircases and hallways to outdoor verandas. Each student selected a spot within our stunning campus, crafting a dance piece that drew inspiration from the surrounding architecture or natural scenery. On the day of the performance, the audience moved from one location to the next, experiencing our familiar surroundings in a whole new light. This project encourages the students to collaborate and push their creative boundaries. We can’t wait to see the fresh and innovative ideas they bring to life in next year’s Site-Specific Dance Tour!
From the Dancers
Rise and fall
“My group chose the Cawston Road gate pick-up area to perform our piece because we decided it had an interesting viewing point. The audience got to watch from the oval, and we were also able to use the benches and other elements to enhance the dance.
It was challenging to ensure that the audience could see our dance and what we were doing, as we had to stand quite close to the front, and they had to stand a certain distance back on the oval.
I enjoyed that the dance was unique to anything I had done before. It was based around our site. It was interesting to incorporate the site into our dance to make it more distinctive.” Annibel
Interconnection
“My group chose the first, second and third floor railings of the Mercy Building opposite the McAuley building. We chose this space because of the contrast and perspective it gave the audience as they viewed our dance facing each of the three floors.
Our piece was called ‘Interconnection’ because of the connections we made throughout our dance on each floor, using canon and unison to fully express the theme of our performance. I found the timing and location of our dance challenging because I couldn’t see the other dancers, as they were on the other floors, so I had to be accurate with canons, or else it wouldn’t look effective. I enjoyed the Dance Site Specific Tour because it created a greater perspective of the College, with each dance space and performance being unique and innovative.” SophieÂ
Caged
“My group’s dance, ‘Caged’, was performed in the downstairs hallway of the Doyle building. After many different ideas, we finally settled on a performance about being trapped and finally finding the ability to escape. We used the gates at either end of the hall to enclose the space, dancing up and through the gaps to express the desire to break free. Being in a confined and restricted space, explosive movements and fluid transitions were key to ensuring our meaning was clearly conveyed to the audience.
The challenge of dancing in different areas of the school was the unpredictability of what could happen during the piece and also the fact that we couldn’t see each other. Listening to the music was very important to stay in time with those behind me when at the front of the group. I loved how this project made me look at all the different areas of the school in a new way. Every time I walk through the school, I see different spaces that would look great in a performance.” Serena
Escape
“Our group chose the stairs leading to nothing as the site for our performance piece, Escape. The space felt symbolic, representing trying to get away but having no clear end. One challenge we faced was working in an unconventional space without the usual stage setup, so we had to think creatively about moving and using the area.
I enjoyed how performing in a real environment made the piece feel more real, and I learned how much the space affects the mood of the performance.” Sophia
- CreativeChoreography, Featured, Site-SpecificPerformances, Year10dance
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
