The Smart Arts

Playing with Fire

2011-11-30T21:11:00.001+13:00

As part of the Level 2 Dance curriculum, students have to perform an Ethnic or Social dance. This year has seen a huge number of performance options. We have had Chinese Sword Dancing, the Highland Fling, Rarotongan Dance and now Samoan Fire Dancing.

Anthony Fa'afoi and Daniel Carlisle both completed this Dance assessment in front of the main offices, with Oliver Healy on the fire extinguisher. Travis Brown and Dominic Hawke completed a musical performance on the Congas during the performance. It was a terrific way for 3 subject areas to work together to a students strengths in performance. The performance counted as part of assessments for Dance, Performing Arts and Music, which was terrific.

Wordless Wednesday: Lightning Reflexes

2011-11-23T19:38:00.001+13:00

An edited image of Jasmine Turner in full juggle mode. See this earlier post for a video of her routine.

The Model United Nations

2011-11-23T19:32:00.001+13:00

Jasmine Turner, Alena-Rose Burt and Travis Brown welcoming the delegates

On Tuesday we played host to the Wairarapa's first Model United Nations, where Year 9 and 10 students researched and represented different countries, campaigning on global issues. Our students did so well, and held themselves against the others. Being in a room with such intelligent students was a rush, and a good time was had by all.

But why is this on the Arts Blog you say? Well, under the umbrella of Cultural Leaders, our group played host and ushered the delegates, looking after the various 'Cultural' groups in the room. Travis Brown and Alena-Rose Burt welcomed the guests, and Jasmine Turner added our own UN touch by translating the welcome into French.

Jasmine then spent the rest of the day making sure the delegates were watered and looked after.

Thank you so much to the Social Science department, and the Youth UN crew from Wellington for running the day, as well as our wonderful crew for 2012 hosting.

Alena and Jasmine at the end of the day, still smiling.

When Two Wheels is Too Many

2011-11-23T18:14:00.001+13:00

Unicycling has strangely become popular at Kuranui, with now 7 highly talented unicyclists in our midst, with more in the wings. Here are Robert and Brad, both Year 9 Drama students, peddling their stuff around the Arts block.

The music is courtesy of "Artificial Sun", 2010.

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Independent Juggling Routines

2011-11-17T09:23:00.001+13:00

Juggling has become a popular pastime here in the Drama room. (Along with Unicycling and Diabolo). Hopefully over the coming weeks we will be able to present some of the independent routines students have been working on in their spare time.

This is Jasmine Turner, Year 12, and her routine she has developed for a Juggling performance.

Wordless Wednesday: Playing with Fire

2011-11-16T21:08:00.001+13:00

Wordless Wednesday: Summertime in Music

2011-11-10T21:09:00.000+13:00

The Cultural Awards 2011

2011-11-07T22:37:00.000+13:00

Last Thursday night was the culmination of another fine year of the Arts at Kuranui College. We hosted the 21st Annual Arts and Cultural Awards ceremony. As has become the custom, school uniforms were replaced with the glitz and glam of Hollywood for a night.

Charlotte and Katie did a spectacular job setting up the auditorium and creating the atmosphere. As hosts, they were amazing as well. Adam was an excellent assistant in setting the stages and Oliver did a wonderful job on the sound and lighting.

While we gave many awards for outstanding commitment and service within the Arts, and for Academic Excellence, 4 awards are the highlight of the year- the greatest contribution to Art, Music, Dance and Drama.

This year our major award winners were:
Renee Cheesman for Visual Art - particularly with respect to her Photography
Jamie Howatson for Dance - choreographing 2 competition pieces this year with large casts.
Katie James for Drama - for exceptional skill and national representation
Alexandra Fleming for Drama - for service, performing, inspiring and all round participation and
Marlon Moala Knox for Music - Piano Accordian Extraordinaire.

Marlon is quite the find this year. Not only did he win the Instrumental section of the Intercolligiate Music Awards, and Excellences in Music Level 1, he is also a junior student. This is the first time a major award has been given to a junior student.

Congratulations to all the award winners, and a huge thanks to the Arts Department at Kuranui College, Roger Thompson (Art), Trish Webster (Music), Kirsten Price (Art), Gina Beecroft (Art), Annabel Heenan (Drama), Catherine de Croy (Dance), as well as the wonderful people who step up to make sure our awards evenings always run smoothly, Mary Phillips (Arts Co-ordinator) and Hilary Reeve (French).

Thanks and congratulations, from me, I am privileged and honoured to work with such a great department.

The Boys at Dance NZ Made

2011-09-07T06:42:00.000+12:00

We were amid a throng of girls chorusing the ol' chant, "We wish the boys at our school would dance!!!!" when our boys team walked onto the stage.

Crowd pleasers from the start, the boys put on a great performance. Travis Brown choreographed the routine. His dancers were Wiremu Aitken, Eli Thorenaar, Dallas te Rangi, Anthony Prince and Setty Sammonds. We thought we should share their routine entitled, "Taniwha o te Ao" (Monsters on Earth).

Scribe!

2011-09-06T13:32:00.000+12:00

Carrying on with the run of cool people who have been to Kuranui, Scribe came last week. Not only did he speak with the assembly about aspiration and following your dreams, despite challenges from home, from life and from your teachers. He was highly inspirational, and a great speaker. He also performed his latest rap, written for the Rugby World Cup, "All Black Everything".

Following the assembly, a group of students were invited to lunch with Scribe in Masterton. He was particularly taken with the Kuranui students, as they had the confidence to speak with him, one on one. Travis Brown lead the group of students, accompanied by Ms. Rutherford.

Dance New Zealand Made

2011-09-05T08:05:00.000+12:00

This was the 3rd year that we participated in Dance NZ Made, and again, we had a great time.

The event is held in Palmerston North, and focusses on Dance, unlike Stage Challenge which also includes Drama and set design elements. We entered 4 teams in the competition this year. Ms. de Croy choreographed 2 of the dance routines, both in a contemporary style, the Year 11-12 "Sensations" and the Year 12-13 "Darkness and Light". Travis Brown choreographed the boys' Hip Hop routine, entitled "Monsters of the Earth". Jamie Howatson followed in her Stage Challenge role as choreographer and put together, "Our Toy Story".

All the routines were well receieved by the audience as well as our competitors.

While we were unplaced in a competition of many, many schools and routines, the students all had a fantastic time and performed and behaved admirably.

Wearable Arts 2011

2011-09-05T07:54:00.000+12:00

We were thrilled when Mr. Thompson said he was organising the 2011 Intercollegiate Wearable Arts awards. Even more thrilled to find that we were hosting the event at Kuranui College.

Mr. Thompson, Ms. Price and Ms. Beecroft worked tirelessly with Art students to create the Wearable Arts for display. And we were not short of talent!

Mr. Thompson saw the event as a chance to showcase the whole of the Arts. Ms. Webster was cheif D.J. and Maestro, Ms. de Croy supplied and danced on stage, and the Circus troupe from Drama had another opportunity to shine. Oliver Healy and the set crew boys constructed the stage and a series of picture frames that the dancers and performers did their routines in and behind.

Some of our talented students took out major awards, including Renee Cheesman, Marcus Patena, Eilish Hogan and Isabelle Brown. Jess Swan took out an X-Factor prize for her overall look. Several students included prizes for the way they moved on stage in the Artworks.

Ariane, Ms. de Croy and Jashanna preparing to dance onstage

Some of the creations preparing to walk the catwalk

Chaedyn Dukes modeling Jess Swan's "White Rabbit"

Travis Brown on stage

Theatresports 2011

2011-09-05T06:48:00.000+12:00

With the intercollegiate Theatresports competition always a highlight on the Arts calendar, a little snow may have postponed the tournament, but did not cancel it completely. This year we were the most represented College, with 13 teams entered into the competition.

Our junior teams performed admirably, and were stunning to watch. Stand out performances by Civic Cruz - completing the full splits on stage, Cameron Hawke weaving a wonderful storyline in Pop-up Storybook, Walter Barber and Emma Jenkins's Hands Interview. The juniors definitely have raised the bar on what is possible in the next few years.

In the Senior Novice division we had our most nervous groups, the Year 12's and Year 11's. Most of the teams had never performed before, but did a wonderful job. Mikaela Osborne held her team together nicely, Connor Henare will not be forgotten for his dolphin training any time soon, and the spontaneous rap by the Year 12's was insane.

In the Open Division, we had 3 teams, "Oops Crazy baby did it again", "Power Cheese" and "The Boogiemen". While the Boogiemen got off to a fantastic start with their team introduction, and energetic performances in Stunt Doubles, the judges scored them lowly. Choruses of boo's were heard from the crowd. The boys were unperturbed, as they were the reigning champions from 2010. Power Cheese were well prepared and had a great get-on-with-it attitude.

Each of the Open Division teams knew they were likely to have to challenge each other in the competition, so preparations were kept secret. Each team had 2 specialist games that the other teams did not know about. The Year 13 boys played energetic physical games - Stunt Doubles and Human Props. The Girls team played more subtle, highly specialised games - Ballet and Madrigal, and the mixed team worked with their own particular strength with words - playing Hands Interview and Song. They each brought something special to the table, and entertained a crowd, as well as their own classmates.

At the end of the day, only one team can be victorious, and the winners for 2011 were "Oops Crazy Baby did it Again". The team consisted of Zoe Renor, Chaedyn Dukes, Lexie Fleming, Sara Morasurat and Julia Dahlgren. Sadly, only Zoe will remain at Kuranui next year to defend her title.

Dom Hawke and Callum Moore

Jan Meyer, Jasmine Turner, Oliver Healy and Finn Shepherd, in Atlantis

Swedish Julia, Zoe Renor, and Italian Sara in Gibberish Interpreter

Jan Meyer, German Julia, Finn Shepherd and Jasmine Turner in Hands Interview

Italian Sara in Props.

And it's all been remarkably busy again....

2011-08-17T06:47:00.001+12:00

While a theme of this blog has become, "Being too busy to blog", we would love to change it all.

There are photos to follow, which are waiting on a set of genius's's's to recover from a memory card that insisted on dying at the worst-possible-moment. These include some of the magnificent things we have had a chance to do recently.

At the end of last term, the Year 12 Drama class put on their performance of "Mother Courage and her Children". While the Epic theatre form is a complete departure from what our students were used to, it was ultimately quite successful. Mother Courage was played by Dominic Hawke, which was a supreme surprise to us all during the audition phase. He was a beautiful Mother Courage. Zoe Renor performed admirably as the mute Kattrin, and Chaedyn Dukes was a stand-out performer as Yvette. Oliver Healy was particularly proud of his sign, which was particularly nice.

Dom Hawke as Mother Courage

Our Ukulele Orchestra had the chance to perform on TV as part of the Rugby World Cup Roadshow. And the senior Performing Arts class worked on providing facepaint for the crowd. It was a lot of fun, as well as taking random Unicyclers, which became the focus for many a photo. The best aprt was looking like the ultimate "Where's Wally" comic!

Supporting Georgia

The auditions for the school production went ahead, with 38 people auditioning for the 8 key roles! Ms Webster is currently adding roles to her original production.

Term 3 brought in the Education Review Office, and the Year 13 performance of "Once on Chunuk Bair". James Owens was born to play the role of Frank, and Darren Dingle did a fantastic job of playing Colloney. Katie James once again was relegated to a character who dies, this time in the first 2 minutes, then re-appearing as Otaki George.

The Senior Dance classes are gearing up for "Dance New Zealand Made" later this term, and the routines are looking amazing. Ms de Croy will now be hunkering down beneath a pile of costumes. Jamie Howatson is once again choreographing a routine with a dedicated bunch of dancers, assisted by Danielle Kennedy.

Theatresports has suffered a delay, mostly due to snow, but it looks positive for the intercollegiate event for Year 11's tonight. We have 4 Year 11 teams this year, though with the weather, this may drop to 2 teams in the competition tonight. We have to defend our title tomorrow night in the Senior Open grade competition.

The Rockquest again went well, with 2 bands competiting. The Intermediate band did well, and the Junior band was a stand-out. We have a great deal of talent in the Junior College. This year we were unplaced, but had some of the youngest competitors in the division.

Wearable Arts is on Friday night, which is held at Kuranui this year. There are a number of entries from all the schools, which is a delight to see. The Dancers and Circus troupe have been working on entertainments for in the background, and are quite excited about the event.

Watch this space for theatresports results, and to see how Katie James goes at the National Shakespeare in Schools Production in the school holidays. Also, a big hello to Pakuranga College in Auckland, who could become the next big excitement for Senior Drama at Kuranui!

Script Frenzy 2011

2011-07-25T21:39:00.000+12:00

This year we were thrilled to be able to participate in Script Frenzy. Script Frenzy is a challenge run through the Office of Letters and Light in Berkley, California. We signed up to write a 100 page script in 30 days. All in all, we did good. 15 people met their overall goal, with 50 others not far behind.

We even got featured on the Office of Letters and Light blog!

Read the article here:
Office of Letters and Light Blog

You can find out more about Script Frenzy here:
http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/

The Circus Challenge

2011-07-13T22:06:00.000+12:00

Oddly enough, the Circus Challenge team LOVE coming in to Kuranui. This year we had a blast with the boys, working on contact juggling, regular juggling, diabolo and plates. We even had the chance to teach them a few of our cool tricks!

Toyah and Zoe working with the Diabolo Instructor

Zoe plate spinning

Contact Juggling Workshop

Murphy learning Diabolo

Nicky Carlisle learning to juggle Knives

Zoe working with Devil Sticks

Junior Arts Classes

2011-07-12T22:14:00.000+12:00

With the Junior Arts classes due to finish their current rotation, it seems timely to update the blog with a Junior Show Off's update.

The Year 9 Dancers were really awesome, getting down with Justin Beiber. The Year 10's danced and even did a cheerleading routine which was new. Ms de Croy has made her mark in the Dance department, and we are glad to have her. In other news, Ms Pratt came in the other day and is looking totally amazing, and Eloise is incredibly cute.

The Year 9 Drama class performed their Circus routines, which were clever and highly skilled. Brad Dingle and Joe Garratt were stars with their comic routine with juggling and a unicycle. Mereana Hunt and Hannah Dare were the stand-outs with their plate spinning routine which had everyone amazed. And Murphy Cater and Rama Tapp have come such a long way with their diabolo work this term. I was proud of each of them.

The Musicians never fail to amaze. This year the junior band played 2 of their original songs, which were phenomenal. Marlon Moala Knox was a surprise stand-out on piano accordion. And seeing the students who have just learnt to play an instrument get up and perform is heart-warming to see.

It was a great night all round. We have a stack of multi-talented students in our junior school.

Junior Musicians in rehearsal

Toyah Churton prepares to go on stage

Clowning 2011

2011-07-12T18:18:00.000+12:00

Clowning has become such an integral part of the Drama curriculum, and always a highlight of the tour calendar. This year we took 25 clowns down to Greytown Primary School to perform their assessment routines. The clowns were nervous, but did a terrific job, and the kids loved each and every one of them.

Alessandra Giorgioni

Lexie White

Katelyn, Alysha and Lesley

Most of the cast

Dan Carlisle and Oliver Healy

Stage Challenge 2011

2011-07-10T13:33:00.000+12:00

This year Charlotte Taylor and Jamie Howatzon ran Stage Challenge, with Katie James. They devised the concept, choreography and ran rehearsals. It was a MAMMOTH task to undertake, but they did fantastically well. The interpretation was around good parenting told through the story of "Where the Wild Things Are". We picked up 6 awards, including the best use of Drama and the Stage Challenge Spirit Award.

The cast and crew of 92 were amazing, both in rehearsal and on the day of performance.

Thanks also to the South Wairarapa Arts Council and South Wairarapa Rotary Club for their generous donations to our stage challenge performance.

Ilse Botha as Max in the Forest


Charlotte Taylor as Max with Katie James as the mother

Photo's courtesy of Renee Cheesman

Intercolliegiate Shakespeare Competition

2011-07-10T13:25:00.000+12:00

This year we entered "Othello" in the 15 minute scene competition at the Wairarapa Shakespeare in Schools Festival.

Our take was to look at the invasion of Galipoli, and to compare Othello's demise with that of soldiers suffering from shell shock. Othello was a leader of the ANZAC's, and Desdemona, a Red Cross Nurse. We had a cast of 54, which was wonderful, including live trumpet.

The cast worked really well together, and put on a brilliant performance. Though we did not win, neither did Darren Dingle and Lexie Fleming with their "Apprentice: King Lear" 5 minute scene, though both scenes were well recieved and well rehearsed. Katie James, our Desdemona was honoured with the performance of the night, and was nominated to go to the National Shakespeare Production Week in October. She now has a chance of travelling to London to perform at the Globe!

Well done Katie, and well done the rest of Othello cast!

Some of the cast of "Othello" getting their pose on.


Katie James, off to the National Shakespeare Production Week

Desdemona worries about Othello at war (Photo credit: C Hyde)

Daniel Cameron (Iago) and Arjun Pathmanathan (Othello) (Photo Credit C Hyde)

The plans of war (Photo credit C Hyde)

Darren Dingle's Donald Trump with Cordelia from King Lear (Photo credit C Hyde)

Long time, no update!

2011-07-10T13:08:00.000+12:00

It seems like just yesterday that we updated the blog.... however, it was MONTHS ago!

Crazy.

Term 2 has been a whirlwind of successes and brilliant moments. We will endeavour to update the blog with the latest and greatest.... or at least, fill in the gaps from the last few months.

"The Rubber Room"

2011-04-05T19:05:00.001+12:00

Today the Year 12 and 13 Drama students went to Wairarapa College to see "The Rubber Room"

Our reflections on the performance can be found on the Drama homework blog.

Read our Reflections here...

The set of the play:

The Inaugural Concert on the new Piano

2011-03-25T18:09:00.000+13:00

The inaugural concert for the new piano is coming up soon. Monday 11 April this year, we will be holding a variety concert including Dance, Drama and Music, to show off and thank the donors of the funds for the new piano.

An upright grand piano was purchased recently, with funds given from the Wairarapa Choral Society. The funding was gifted to help the growing choir at the school. We chose to purchase a performance piano to accompany our vocalists.

The concert will include invited dignitaries, members of the Symphony Orchestra playing, and all donations given to the Stage Challenge crew of 2011. The show will be fantastic, and all should move heaven and earth to attend.

Shakespeare in Schools: 5 Minute Scene

2011-03-23T16:14:00.000+13:00

Well, with the Regional event in 3 weeks, it is time to announce who will be representing us in the Intercollegiate event. It was a tough decision, and one that we debated for some time. In the end we chose Darren Dingle and Lexie Fleming with their interpretation of "King Lear".

Congratulations.

There scene was selected because it was the most original interpretation of a script, with a concept that would work well for the play as a whole.

Acting performances of note during the school show were Alessandra Giorgioni as Lady MacBeth, Dominic Hawke as the Porter, Finn Shepherd as MacBeth, Liam Nixon as Queen Gertrude and Connor Henare as Romeo. Well done, one and all.

Shakespeare in Schools

2011-03-18T17:35:00.000+13:00

Kaden Saywell and Alessandra Giorgioni in "MacBeth"

This Monday we are holding our school competition to see who will represent Kuranui at the Regional Sheillah Winn Shakespeare in Schools Festival in April. There are so many great scenes to choose from this year.

On Monday night, starting at 7:30, an invitation-only audience will be endulged in Shakespeare with a student-directed flair. However, here are a few images of our dress rehearsals.

Liam Nixon and Oliver Healy in "Hamlet"

Chaedyn Dukes in "Two Gentlemen of Verona"

Katie James and Callum Moore in "Hamlet"

Stage Challenge 2011

2011-03-18T09:39:00.000+13:00

Stage Challenge is well underway at Kuranui College. Charlotte Taylor and Jamie Howatson have taken on the responsibility of creating the Stage Challenge ideas and choreography themselves. They have been doing so well with their large cast of dancers.

Katie James and Isle Botha have been working on the introduction to the sequence and it looks really awesome.

Ms Pratt can be very proud of her dancers this year.

A little bit of Magic

2011-03-10T22:28:00.001+13:00

Today we hosted a wonderful pair of German Magicians at Kuranui. Tuturumuri School came out for a show and a workshop, followed by our students.

We saw some amazing feats, which left the audience spellbound and incapable of clapping.... and then learnt some cool tricks.

A small warning, watch out for disappearing coins, rubber bands and magic string when on Kuranui school grounds. :D

Nicky Carlisle learns the magic string trick

Lexie Fleming making multiple red balls appear

Dylan Johnson making balls disappear

Hirini Tamihana is amazed as he cuts a rope with magic scissors

Ashleigh Banks has her thoughts read

Anthony Faafoi monitors the use of giant bubbles

Lesley Wichman, Ryan James and Dylan Johnson watch the tricks carefully

Rehearsal Schedule

2011-03-06T10:43:00.000+13:00

Now that the year is well underway, the week is filling with rehearsals occupying our students. Lunchtime rehearsals are important. Bring your lunch as most rehearsals begin at 1:20pm.

Mondays - Shakespeare
Othello rehearsals in the auditorium

Tuesdays - Glee Club
Glee rehearsals in the Music Room

Wednesdays - Stage Challenge
Jamie's group in the Dance Studio

Thursdays - Stage Challenge
Charlotte's group in the Dance Studio

Fridays - Shakespeare
Othello rehearsal in the auditorium

Soon we will be adding a schedule for Theatresports and Circus.

Mascotting with Pride

2011-03-06T10:37:00.001+13:00

Well, in another busy week of rehearsals, we managed to slip in something a little different.

A group of students, under 170cm tall, traveled to Masterton to be the Ruggerbeez, a crew from Small Blacks TV, on the Rugby Trophy Tour of New Zealand, in preparation for the World Cup in September. The task was fun, but tiring. In the 4 hours, we were buffeted by wind, rain and insane heat. To add to the challenge, the costumes were thousands of dollars each, so we had to be careful, and were incredibly hot inside. When adding the challenge of 10 year old boys who wanted to tackle the mascots, it became a real challenge.

However, the crew kept their cool, remained in character, held babies, posed for photographs, and even managed some fantastic kicking, rivaling Dan Carter himself.

Thanks to Lexie Fleming and Oliver Healy for helping to mind and dress the mascots, and to the mascots themselves, Nicholas Smith, Zoe Renor, Olivia Wilson, Dylan Johnson, and Hope Sexton.

Meeting and Greeting

The Crew, Mascots, Alternates and Minders

Kicking

Juniors Olivia Wilson, Dylan Johnson and Hope Sexton with Zoe Renor (in Costume)

Zoe with the Bledisloe Cup

And the Juggling takes over....

2011-02-26T14:15:00.000+13:00

Following the Juggling Convention, which was a terrific experience.... borderline life-changing for the crew who attended, the Junior College has begun to learn their own juggling skills.

Year 9 Drama had their first lesson last week on balancing, and on spinning plates. On Friday, they began to juggle. While the task is hard at first, they totally rocked it. By the end of the hour, most of the class had completed at least 3 throws and catches. Well done!

At this rate, we will be ready to really rock out the Juggling Convention in 2012.

Dylan, totally keeping his cool during the process

Harder than Miri and Brad initially thought it would be

Hirini's unique style with scarves

Toyah focussing on 3 scarves

As Appeared in the Times Age Today

2011-02-23T16:59:00.000+13:00

Kuranui clowns...with class

Nathan Crombie | 23rd February 2011

Class Act: Kuranui College drama pupil Dan Carlisle juggles (blunted) knives for news cameras as part of the only secondary school group to join with about 200 circus entertainers. Photo / Supplied

A class of Kuranui College clowns - perfecting their high-wire hoopla, juggling, jostling and other death-defying acts of daring do - stole the show at the 19th New Zealand Juggling Convention in Levin at the weekend.

The 12-strong troupe, led by Kuranui College head of arts Juanita McLellan, travelled to the town last Thursday night and spent the entire weekend storming the big top as the only secondary school group to attend of more than 200, mostly professional, circus and juggling entertainers from New Zealand and abroad.

The students, who began a circus arts unit early last year, leapt before triple-somersaulting at the chance to rub elbows and oversized shoes with seasoned three-ring veterans, Ms McLellan said.
"We're the first class to have gone to the convention as a school trip and were far and away the most inexperienced - so the opportunity to learn from professionals just couldn't be missed."

The focus of the convention, she said, was the capture of new skills, tips and tricks, the enhancement of individual acts through actual performances and peer mentoring.

Ms McLellan said the Wairarapa troupe focused on juggling - balls, clubs, scarves, plates and knives - but also attended workshops involving a slack rope, firestaffs, devil sticks, and the "borderline burlesque of tissu" (aerial contortion using ribbons of parachute silk) among an array of specialist performance skills.

Some members of the group also passed on their basic juggling skills to children at Fairfield Primary School, which "consolidated what our kids were learning as they taught".

A comely Kuranui clownette was chosen to play "beautiful assistant" to a chainsaw juggler and another student honed his knife-juggling skills for network news cameras and viewing audiences throughout the country, Ms McLellan said.

The class had already, as part of their theatre form study, attended a Swedish circus last year, she said, and have also passed a studious eye over carnival legends Cirque du Soleil.

"Levin was very cool.
A privilege, without a doubt, and an immensely rewarding learning experience."

A quick lesson in juggling: Use only high quality balls; preferably weighing 100 grams each. Start with a single ball, and persist. Toss and catch without fault, then transfer the ball smoothly from hand to hand before moving on to two and three balls. Mastery of the basic art should take no more than 20 minutes although bowling balls, sharp knives and putt-putting chainsaws should never be attempted without professional assistance.

One News - Juggling Convention

2011-02-20T22:05:00.000+13:00

Here is the One News report about the Juggling Convention:

One News Link

Watch for Zoe with the Contact Balls and Dan juggling knives.

Juggling Convention Quick Update

2011-02-20T22:00:00.001+13:00

Well, after 4 hectic days of being mad and crazy, we are totally back!

The weather was WONDERFUL, we could not have asked for more. Heading to Levin on Thursday, we arrived at 11:00am and set up the tents. It was as much a comic routine as any other activity we did.

We also headed out to Fairfield School, and ran a Circus workshop, which was wonderful. Jasmine and Oliver were huge hits, as was Dan (who scared the teachers with knives). Our students all performed in the Renegade show, which showcases the performers in the Convention. We heard Ukulele songs, Jasmines scarf routine, and Dan's knives.... later seen on TV1.

We even had the chance to Stage Manage the professional show, which was such a learning curve, but a great experience. In the Fire Show, Anthony Faafoi demonstrated his skill with the flaming staff, similar to Samoan fire dance, impressing a lot of people.

In the Olympics, we took out 2 trophies. Dan and Ryan (from the USA) won the 3 legged juggling race, and Anthony was the wheelbarrow in the winning trio in the Juggling Wheelbarrow race.

We will link some of the ol' links of the weekend as we find them, and as the thousands of photographs appear around the internet.

Dan Carlisle being filmed for One News

Jasmine's Scarf Routine in the Renegade Show

The Toss

Anthony in the Fire Show

In related news, Juanita McLellan has become a member of the New Zealand Juggling Association Committee, and will be helping to organise the 2012 Convention.

School is rolling along....

2011-02-15T10:28:00.002+13:00

Phew! It is Week 3 already! Crazy...

We are underway with the year, and things are progressing nicely.

Stage Challenge

The Year 13 girls are working on Stage Challenge at the moment. They have a terrific concept, and will be choreographing the dance sequences to their chosen music at the moment. They are currently taking names for people wanting to be in the chorus as dancers. Later they will be asking for backstage and lighting crew.

Shakespeare

We are working on our 15 minute Othello scene, and will be calling for extras shortly. The competition is in April, and we will be performing in March at Kuranui. The Senior Drama students are all competing to represent Kuranui at the Regional competition, so Shakespeare is the main focus in Drama at the moment.

Circus Troupe

We are also off on our camp at the National Juggling Championships on Thursday. We will be heading out to Fairfield Primary School and teaching a workshop there as well. On Saturday, we are running a public workshop teaching beginner juggling skills. It should be fantastic. Watch this space for updates.

Bands

The Senior Rockquest boys are seeking a vocalist for their band. See Dom, Jack, James or Tom for details. Ms Webster has also be auditioning for a junior band. She hopes to put a Jazz band together this year as well.

Glee Club

We had over 35 people audition for Glee last week, and the first rehearsal is today at lunch. They look to be amazing. We have some very talented students in the school. It is not too late to sign up for Glee..... in fact, over 50 showed up for the first rehearsal today!

Murals

The Visual Art students are working hard to complete the murals for the Turf area, which should be set up in the coming week.

There will be a lot more coming up, so keep an eye on the school notices or in Korero for details.... or on this blog of course.

2011.... it's here!

2011-01-23T10:10:00.000+13:00

With 2011 fast heading into its second month, it is certainly time to get sorted for the academic year.

School starts back on February 1st for seniors and the 2nd for juniors. Make sure you have a book and a pen on the first day as it will be straight into instruction on day one. Make the most of the stationery store back-to-school sales and stock up now for school. 200 page lined refill will never get cheaper than right now, less than $2 a pad. Buy a few and keep them in your room for study, or for when you run out as the year goes on.

You all need to have a range of pens for the year, and you know how I am about stationery. Have a blue or a black pen for your notes. Red, pink, green or purple pens make great assets to underline or draw attention to specific points in your notes. Coloured pencils jazz up your bookwork and make it easier to show things you have in mind, like costume ideas or lighting plans. Highlighters are essential for NCEA students as you have a lot of information to digest for each assessment.

However, as Arts students there are plenty of things you need. Visual artists are going to need sketching pencils with a soft lead and a good eraser. You will also need sketch pads. Specialist Visual Art subjects as Photography, Print making, Sculpture and Design will need different supplies. Ask Mr Thompson or Ms Price what you should get.

Dancers will need shimmer tights and dance shoes. You will also need a change of clothing for Dance. Music students are going to need blank CD's, manuscript books and instrument specific supplies, such as violin rosin and guitar picks. Drama students need plain black stretchy clothing for assessments, as well as a change of clothes for class, and highlighters. Check with your teachers what you need for the year, but make sure you have the basics for the first day back.

The uniform shop on campus will have extra opening hours before school gets back. Check out the school website for more information. Try on your uniform and check that it is in good repair and still fits. Now is certainly the time to get yourself ready for day 1.

2011 looks to be an absolute stunner! Let's get prepared to make the most of it.

Wordless Wednesday - Swords and Sunshine

2011-01-05T15:47:00.000+13:00

On one of the hottest days of the school year, Salvatore came in to help teach sword fighting to a Year 9 English class, who were studying "Romeo and Juliet".

To those traveling on Air NZ this month

2010-12-14T07:36:00.000+13:00

Those traveling with Air New Zealand this month can enjoy the inflight magazine.... featuring our own Roger Thompson. Mr. Thompson's "Green Car" that has been seen at Kuranui, will be featured on Waiheke Island as part of their sculpture exhibition. Headlining in the magazine you can see his work on the full page and everything! So check out the magazine, and check out the car if you are in Waiheke. It looks amazing.

Mr. Thompson's "Green Car", part of the Waiheke Island Sculpture Exhibit

"Artificial Sun" and "I am Giant"

2010-12-13T07:28:00.000+13:00

"I Am Giant" are starting to announce the bands chosen to open for them. I would like to implore ALL readers of this blog to get over to their facebook page, like it, and vote "Artificial Sun for Tauranga". Just copy and paste that line onto their wall.

Pleasey pleasey.

It would be a fantastic opportunity for the boys. If they get the gig, we will organise a last-minute road trip!

"I Am Giant" on Facebook

"I am Giant" and "Artificial Sun"

2010-12-07T07:29:00.000+13:00

The band "I am Giant" is currently searching for an opening act.

Our boys from "Artificial Sun" are keenly pursuing the gig. Personally, I think they would rock the party, the boat, and your socks off.

The campaign is being run through Facebook.

Please follow the link below and leave a message voting for "Artificial Sun".

Vote "Artificial Sun" to open for "I am Giant".

Scholarship in 2011

2010-12-03T14:29:00.001+13:00

In the Arts Department, we have had success in the past in Scholarship assessments. This year we were thrilled to have both Barney and Christina attempt the Scholarship Drama examination performance. And there is good news for next year as well.

In 2011, Dance and Samoan join the ranks of subjects with Scholarship examinations.

When paying your exam fees, you get 3 Scholarship exams in the package for free. I recommend that everyone take at least 1 Scholarship class, because it is a good experience, improves your skills, and costs you nothing. Scholarship awards are given out in amounts from $500 to $6,000.

The subjects offered in the Arts at Kuranui where you can attempt Scholarship in 2011 are:

Art History
Dance
Drama
French
Music
Te Reo Maori
Visual Arts – Design
Visual Arts – Painting
Visual Arts – Printmaking
Visual Arts – Photography
Visual Arts – Sculpture

The best part about Arts Scholarship examinations is that the exams are prepared. In Dance and Drama, there will be a performance of your choice. The Visual Arts include portfolios prepared as part of a course of study over the year.

Whatever you chose, think seriously about taking a Scholarship subject or two.... the advantages far outweigh the difficulties.

2011 is fast approaching!

2010-11-21T19:58:00.000+13:00

So much is happening already for the New Year. It's Crazy! Here are some dates you all need to be putting aside for the activities we have planned at the moment. Given the rate the school calendar is filling up, 2011 looks like it will be a cracker. Charlotte and Katie will have their work cut out for them.

Thurs 2 Dec - Yr 9 Performing Arts Show-&-Tell
(Period 3 in the Auditorium or Student Centre)

Feb 17-20 - National Juggling Champs and Convention
Senior Drama students competing, performing, camping and learning Circus Arts and Juggling skills in Levin

21 March - "An Evening with the Bard"
Kuranui College Student Directed Shakespeare scenes competing to represent us at the Regionals. Showcase of the 15 minute scene. Start at 7:00pm in the auditorium. Entry by invitation and donation.

12 April - Intercollegiate Shakespeare in Schools Regional Competition
Our 15 minute scene and 5 minute student directed scenes will compete against the rest of the colleges in the Wairarapa for the chance to represent at Nationals. At Wairarapa College. 7:00pm start. Tickets $3 for students, $6 for adults.

14 July - "Mana" performing in the College Auditorium. 9:00-10:30. Professional actor/dancer/musician showcasing an ancestral journey around the Pacific to NZ. Tickets $5. All Drama, Dance, Arts, Music and Te Reo students invited to attend.

August 8-12 - Intercollegiate Theatresports Festival
All the teams will compete to retain the trophy! 7:00pm start each night. Tickets available at the door. Harlequin Theatre, Dixon Street, Masterton. Draw to be advised.

In other news, the College Website has been recently re-furbished thanks to Mr. Buckham. If you have not seen the Arts section, follow the link below and see what you think.

Arts and Languages on the Kuranui College Website

NZ Juggling Convention and Championships 2011

2010-11-19T19:43:00.000+13:00

Well, it is official.

We are going!

Yes.

Personally, I am excited.

The National Juggling Champs and Convention in 2011 is being held in Levin. The event goes from February 17-20. We are going along to be involved in performing, learning, teaching and watching. This is going to be EPIC! On the Thursday we will teach small children, on the Saturday we will teach the rank amateurs coming along to the event. We will be taking part in workshops, showcases and in general helping out around the venue.

We will be camping at the Levin A&P Showgrounds.

So a couple of things people- you will need tents. And, we are only taking about 20 people. Seniors are the first choice because they can already juggle, diabolo, spin plates and hoop. This is a public venue, with other people camping as well, so perfect behaviour is expected.

The whole 4 days should be amazing. This is a major opportunity for us to showcase our skills, as well as helping out the NZ Juggling Association. This will be our Kuranui in the Community project.

There will be a cost attached to the camp, so start putting your pennies away. And there will be a contract. And there will be heaping helpings of fun.

Follow the convention on Facebook for more details over the holidays.

NZ Juggling Convention 2011

And if you want your own juggling supplies, head over to Fling Juggling, supporter of us and the convention. Their gear is really good quality, and they are always happy to lend a hand.

Fling Juggling Website

Booked for 2011 - Mana: The Spirit of Polynesia

2010-11-18T19:41:00.001+13:00

2011 is already shaping up to be a big year in the Arts department. Booked today, we have a show coming to Kuranui on Thursday July 14. Basically the show is going to be a totally awesome story combining dance and drama, outlining the journey of identity. Year 13 students should be thinking.... hmmmm..... that sounds like something we may do in class this coming year......

Either way, all Dancers, Actors, Te Reo Students and anyone else who is mad keen for it, can go and see it. I'm already keen as. The price will be $5 each, and the show will be an hour, followed by some question time. Expect to miss 1 and 1/2 class periods.

Talking to Aurora today on the phone was great, and the show sounds totally amazing!

Here is what the website has to say about it.

"Travelling through Polynesian cultures including Native American Indian, New Zealand Maori, Hawaiian and Samoan, Bernard discovers with each the idea of family, challenges and pride.

Mana The Spirit of Polynesia embodies dance, music, multicultural themes, history, geography, the importance of learning about heritage and the power of self belief and respect.

MANA is the inner strength and confidence that comes from a sense of identity. Bernard Mangakahia inspires everyone to discover their own MANA.

Bernard is very popular as an Artist in Residence, where he can come to your school for a few days or a week and work with the students towards a concert of amazing dances and songs."

Pop over and have a wee looksie for yourself:
Nexus Arts Australia

Clowning 2010

2010-11-14T08:44:00.000+13:00

As has become the custom, the first day the seniors have study leave off, the Drama students are back in class working on their Clowning routines.

Seeing as the whole assessment for Clowning is massive on a time scale- getting costumes and make up on a class full of clowns is tough, it makes sense to use a whole day for the assessment, performance, and traditional "fish 'n' chip" lunch.

So we gathered, rehearsed, dressed, made-up, and got down to Greytown Primary School, ate, and then performed. Charlotte and Katie came down and hosted the event for us.

The clowns were amazing.

We have to thank Daniel Cameron and Adam Lesslie for coming down and joining us again, Mr Buckham for minding my junior classes, Mr Ryan for driving the van, and Ms. Beecroft and Mr. Thompson for building the magic box.

This was by far our best clown performance yet, and the little kiddies went wild for it.

Cultural Leaders 2011

2010-11-14T08:32:00.000+13:00

With the new year fast approaching, we had the privilege of interviewing 6 brilliant candidates for the position of Cultural Leaders 2011.

As announced at the Senior Graduation and Prizegiving, the Cultural Leaders for 2011 are Katie James and Charlotte Taylor.

Katie is a dancer with many years experience in Stage Challenge and Dance NZ Made. In 2010, she also took part in Drama, performing in "Romeo and Juliet", "MacBeth", "The Wizard of Oz" and the theatresports competition. Katie was selected to represent the region at the National Shakespeare Festival in Wellington.

Charlotte is also a dancer, picking up excellence awards left, right and centre. She has been a strong supporter of Stage Challenge and Dance NZ made since its inception. She is also an artist, more recently focussing on Photography.

Both girls will no doubt do an amazing job next year, and it is wonderful to have leaders with multiple strings to their bow.

Charlotte and Katie

Wordless Wednesday - the helpers

2010-11-03T19:45:00.000+13:00

The boys who do anything for Drama. Daniel and Salvatore.

Cultural Awards Winners 2010

2010-10-29T22:09:00.000+13:00

Waimarama and Barney did a fantastic job hosting the Cultural Awards last night. They kept the audience entertained, and caused more than a few tears with their special awards.

The whole event took AGES to set up. Salvatore and Daniel Cameron worked hard setting up the auditorium, Christina alphabetised and checked the certificates, Mary and Ms. Thomson sorted out the supper, and Joshy set up the lighting and sound systems, and the band boys set up the muso section. The afternoon was filled with costumes being re-set, make-up going on, and the glittery gowns coming out.

The evening started with Wai and Barney giving their welcoming speeches and review of the year. Then the Yr 9 dancers showed their stuff with their "Evolution of Dance" routine. Dan Carlisle showed his talent with a cirque routine including juggling knives. "The Collision" performed "Another Brick in the Wall" and Zoe Renor sang "Memory" from Cats. The Senior Dancers did their "Fame" routine, Katie and Wai pulled out the 5 minute scene from "Romeo and Juliet" and Finn, Adam and Aaron renewed their scene from "The Wizard of Oz". Thomas Uatuku performed "Nothing else matters" on guitar, wowing the crowd again with his talent. The theatresports boys did a fantastic rendition of Louis Gray, performing "Survivor", thanks to Darren, Arjun, Daniel and Dominic. The final act of the night was "Artificial Sun" performing "Sunrise" and "Comedown" - brilliant talent shown by Jack, Tom, Barney and Louis.

We were thrilled to have so many Blue award winners this year, especially from those students who gained Blues in 2 areas. We have such a great year to look forward to in 2011, given the talent in the junior school, as well as our top performers.

The big awards were a shock to the winners (but not to their fans) and were as follows:

Greatest contribution to Dance - Zemira Hayvice
Greatest contribution to Visual Arts - Samuel Pepper
Greatest contribution to Music - Barney Johnson
Greatest contribution to Drama - Waimarama Phillips

Congratulations to all the evenings winners, and know that the school is incredibly proud of you all. It was wonderful to see the diversity of talent in the school, and it was a wonderful position to be in to have so many great acts perform.

Sam Pepper - Visual Arts

Waimarama Phillips - Drama

Zemira Hayvice - Dance

Barney Johnson - Music

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-27T22:14:00.000+13:00

Preparing for the examinations... this is not going away people!

2010-10-26T20:17:00.000+13:00

Right. Cultural Awards is on Thursday evening. The night will be AMAZING!

7:00 - 9:00pm in the Auditorium.

All welcome to come along and support your peers.

Awards will be issued for all of the Arts areas- Visual Art and Photography, Dance, Drama, Music and Kapa Haka. There are the 4 top awards going out as well..... let's see who gets those for 2010.

During the evening, expect to see the following performances:

Junior performance Dance troupe
Maaki, Travis and Anthony with their crowd pleasing Dance NZ Made routine
Shakespeare National Performance by Waimarama and Katie
Artificial Sun performing and original song
Theatresports with Dom and his selected team

Waimarama and Barney will finish their Cultural Leadership roles for the year by hosting the night and giving a speech about the Arts and their lives.

Also, with external exams looming, we are offering study advice in the department.

Monday 1 November- Practise questions from past exams
Tuesday 2 November- Useful tools and study tips
Thursday 4 November- Practise questions from past exams
Monday 8 November- Mindmapping
Tuesday 9 November- TBA

Cultural Awards 2010

2010-10-22T17:51:00.000+13:00

With the Cultural Awards next week, here is a little something to expect from the night.

We will be posting out invitations on Tuesday, probably letting the students receiving awards know as well (though they will not know what for). Dress for the evening is formal, or in full school uniform.

The night will involve presentations from the year, from Stage Challenge to the Production to Shakespeare to Rockquest. It is always the highlight of the awards season in my view.

This year, Waimarama Phillips and Barney Johnson will host the event. They will be giving a speech about the Arts at the school and why this has helped them so very much in their lives.

Each student will be issued all of their awards alphabetically.... this could involve one certificate, or a handful of trophies. However, blues and the top 4 awards will be presented by Mr Shepherd at the end of the evening.

Blues are the top award available for students. Some students will receive a "Special Award" for outstanding participation, performance or dedication in a particular area of the Arts. Blue awards come with a badge to be worn on ones blazer, which denotes that the student has reached a high level of performance, dedication and committment to one or more areas within the specified Art. Blues can be gained for Visual Arts, Dance, Drama and Music.

Our top awards are the following:
The Sally Jaine Cup- Greatest Contribution to Music
The Greatest Contribution to Drama
The Roger Thompson Trophy for Contribution to the Visual Arts
The Christie Higginson Trophy for Contribution to Dance

These awards denote the person who has given the most of themselves in this area, and striven to achieve beyond the normal. They have gone on to great and wondrous things. Past recipients have included Melissa Reeve, actor, Shannon Karatiana, singer, and Dawn Bregman, dancer. We are proud of all of the top award winners, past, present and future, and we are sure that those gaining the awards in 2010 will be no less than brilliant.

Wordless Wednesday - There's no place like home....

2010-10-20T16:58:00.000+13:00

It's all over....... bye wizard!

2010-10-19T07:40:00.000+13:00

Well, it's over. Strangely. The costumes are in the wash, the props room is clean, the classroom is returning to normal and the set is in deconstruction. Amazing to think that just last week we were performing for the first time!

Thank you so much to Ms Webster, Mr Thompson and Miss Pratt for their help and support with the set, the music and the dancing. Thanks to Mum and Katrina for help with the costumes and props. Thanks to Joshy and James on Lighting and Sound. Thanks to Zemira for choreographing and Christina for Stage Managing. It would have been impossible without you all.

And a big thanks to the whole cast for giving up so much time, and energy, and doing such a great job on stage. It was amazing to see the diverse group of you pulling together when it counted. Well done.

Here are some images from the last 2 nights in performance....

The Wizard of Oz

2010-10-13T20:44:00.000+13:00

Well, with our Matinee performances officially over, and today's was COMPLETELY packed! We did not have a spare seat in the whole hall! It was an amazing crowd of children, pre-schoolers and folks from Palliser and Abour House.

The cast were nothing less than amazing and astounding. It has been a long long long road from where we were, to where we are now, and I am so proud of everyone.

Some people do need a special mention.....

Adam Lesslie has been at every rehearsal- even the ones that don't involve his scene. He learnt all his lines, has not complained about his costume (and he has many reasons he could complain about it!), but this is not why he needs mentioning. Adam routinely vacuums the drama room, puts other people's costumes away, fills water jugs, minds small children, does heavy lifting and mopping and sweeping, without being asked or without complaining. He has been a total star.

Civic Cruz has been in the same ilk. He has been brilliant on stage, singing, dancing, miming... wearing make-up..... and always helpful. He always picks up a paintbrush and helps the set crew, empties rubbish bins, puts things away, helps people to their seats and is polite and charming in same light.

Christina Hyde has only JUST returned from Switzerland.... before her jet-lag was over, she had a script and created a stage management plan, and worked wonders with the terrific stage crew (Sophie Adams, Steph Wright and Sam Hayes).... and no one has missed a cue, or had the wrong staging or anything. Stage management is never easy, but Christina has totally blown us all away with her willingness and experience in getting things sorted.

Dan Carlisle, Rowan Pemberton, Sarah Hall, all need mentioning for their extra work in the ushing of people and checking they are all ok.

The Yr 11 Dance class have also stepped up, committing to the whole production, even though they are only on stage for a total of 59 seconds! That is total committment. So thank you Aleisha Bain, Danica Kawana, Jess Hollis, Ariane Gleeson, Ivy Skelton and Kristina Curtice. I admire the way you have just taken the challenge and rolled with it brilliantly.

Josh Hoskins, Oliver Healy and Jordan Mackie have all been at school since 7:00am for over a week now getting the set, lighting and sound under control. They have worked tirelessly to finish tasks, design and build, and to give up their own time to do it. The show would be impossible without such people.

So, the show is on in the next 3 nights. Tickets are $5.... be there. Here are some images from performance so far.

Waimarama and Ilse as the Good Witches.... slightly ditzy but good hearted

Arjun, Alena-Rose and Dom get into character

The Scarecrow, Tinman, and Dorothy meet the Lion

Tilly, who is playing Toto.

Wordless Wednesday - Performance!

2010-10-13T17:01:00.000+13:00

The Wizard of Oz

2010-10-10T13:18:00.000+13:00

Well, in 7 days, IT'S ALL OVER!

After a whole year of planning to get the scripts in, 2 terms of preparation, auditions, rehearsals and holidays given up for practises, the performance is finally here! (well.... almost...)

We are performing in the College Auditorium this week....

Monday 11 October - Dress Rehearsals
Tuesday 12 October - Matinee performance at 11:00am
Wednesday 13 October - Matinee performance at 11:00am

Thursday 14 October - Opening night - starting at 7:30pm
Friday 14 October - Dress in theme if you are keen - starting at 7:30pm
Saturday 15 October - Final Performance starting at the slightly earlier time of 7:00pm

Tickets can be purchased from the office, or as door sales from 6:00pm for the evening shows. Prices are $5 per ticket, or $20 for a family pass.

Here are some images from dress rehearsals to give you an idea of the show.......

Alena as Dorothy is threatened by Kendall, the Wicked Witch of the West

Zemira, the choreographer, teaches dance moves in the Emerald City

Finn and Aaron, Munchkin Farmers, talk about the Scarecrow

Dorothy meets Dom, the Tinman

Arjun, the Cowardly Lion, hides in his forest

Martinborough Library Holiday Programme

2010-10-10T13:07:00.001+13:00

Well, we were called up to go and offer our brand of entertainment at the Martinborough Library for their school holiday programme, and we went.

We did 2 sessions this holidays.

The first was a Circus session where we demonstrated how to juggle, spin plates, do diabolo, and Dan even juggled knives!

Sarah shows how to spin a plate

More plate spinning chaos

And then we went back for a Wizard of Oz day, where we performed a couple of scenes from the show, dressed in costume and did some face painting.

Arjun showing his cowardly side

Alena as Dorothy and Chaedyn as Binkie Winkie with Liz from the Library and Avana as a lion

Dan paints a cowboy boot on a face at the Library

Just some pictures to make up for lost time

2010-10-08T20:57:00.000+13:00

It has been CRAZY!

Here are some images from the last week, and I will summarise it all in a blog tomorrow.

The Wizard of Oz

2010-09-24T20:24:00.000+12:00

Well, with the major production just over 2 weeks from performing, this blog will take on a slightly Ozzian theme as we keep you up to date with progress.

The sets and costumes are well into construction, and looking fantastic. We are now just tweaking things to be performance ready.

The performances will be as follows:
Monday 11 October- Dress rehearsals all day
Tuesday 12 October - Matinee performance at 11:00am
Wednesday 13 October - Matinee performance at 11:00am

Thursday 14th October - Opening night at 7:30pm
Friday 15th October - Costume night at 7:30pm
Saturday 16th October - Final performance at 7:00pm

Doors will open at 6:00pm, and seating from 6:30pm on performance nights.

Cast, crew and their families are invited to join us for a light supper after the final nights performance in the staff room.

We are going to encourage audience members to dress in theme for the Friday night if they are so inclined, and offer prizes for the most intriguing outfits. We would love to see the crowd singing along, dressed as lions or Dorothies or flying monkeys or Munchkins.

The cost of the show is $5 per performance, or a $20 family pass. (A family being, well, any number of family members over 4 people really, as a cost effective way of having a great night out).

We would love to see as many people come to the shows as possible, as the show will be a total laugh fest, sing-along fantastical and all round great night out. Tickets can be purchased from the college office or are available as door sales.

Arjun trying on his Lion costume for the first fitting

Louis as the Wizard in rehearsal

Exams and all that jazz

2010-09-23T22:02:00.000+12:00

Well, with Art students creating portfolios, it is a timely reminder of the serious side of the Arts. This week has been all about the academic side of the Performing Arts.

Miss Pratt revises with the Year 11 Dance class

Drama students sitting their Level 2 examination

The Performing Arts have a great deal of academic content, and exams are an integral part of the course. It is not necessarily something people think of when they choose their subjects.

We have also been getting ready for the production in a BIG way. Mr Thompsons set looks amazing. It will be awesome to see Dorothy's house rolling around in the cyclone.... and the spooky trees.... and things on wheels. Great fun.

I am lucky to have a terrifically talented sister who has taken on the challenge of the costumes for the Lion and the Tinman this week. Juggling 2 small children and 2 large costumes has been tough, but she has done a great job. Thanks Katrina, you rock.


Arjun gets measured for his costume on Monday afternoon

Arjuns completed Lion outfit on Tuesday evening!

Business as usual.... and some exams

2010-09-15T06:39:00.000+12:00

With a strike day today, there has not been a better time for students to get into their revision. School will still be open for students, and the library and a skeleton teaching crew will be in place. If you need a quiet place to think and revise, head in to school. Drama, Dance and Music students will all have an exam.

Other than that, it is business as usual. The dancers are in reflection and evaluation mode after working so hard on their performances last week. Music students are gearing up for their last performance assessment opportunity of the term next week. Art and Photography students are working on portfolios. And in Drama.... well..... here are some images from this week so far:

Wai, Zemira and Katie in their devised Drama

Lydia, Civic, Carline and Annalise investigate puppetry

Phoenix and Aaron work on their stage combat fight routine

Another busy week in the Arts Department

2010-09-12T12:49:00.000+12:00

Phew! Sometimes it feels like we are the Physical Education department with all the running around we do.... It has been a long and busy and productive week at Kuranui College.

Visual Art and Photography students are hard at work on their portfolios. Some of the Art students are involved in building the set for the production, which has been taking place in the Art room and in the Auditorium.

Drama students are furiously finishing assessments and learning lines for the production next term. With 3 rehearsals a week, it is a tough ask for anyone, but the show is looking good at this point. The regional champion Theatresports boys (with a hand from Arjun) performed in assembly to their largest crowd yet, getting laughs from all sides again. Thanks Dom, Louis and Barns for that. Then on Friday, Dorothy's house on wheels arrived in it's full glory in the Auditorium.

Dance students have had a tough ask as well, with the Dance NZ Made competition on Wednesday, followed by the Dance Showcase on Thursday night. Talk about busy times! I take my hat off to Ms Pratt who was spectacular and kept the girls all focussed and looking fantastic for 2 shows in a row.

Year 11 Music students had their assessment performance on Thursday evening in the Music room. Congratulations to Finn Harmon who received an excellence for his performance. "Artificial Sun" performed in the assembly on Thursday as well, doing a great job with 2 of their original songs.

"Artificial Sun" performing in Assembly

But busy is the theme of the Arts department, and we are keeping on keeping on.... :D

Dance NZ Made

2010-09-09T20:01:00.001+12:00

Last year we entered "Dance NZ Made" - a competition for Dance schools to show off their skills and abilities to an audience. This year they created a whole school competition for Dance NZ Made. We entered with a whole stack of other schools from around the North Island, from Hutt Valley High, to Karamu High, to Palmerston North Girls High, to little tiny primary school kids, to really stunning dancers from Taupo. It was a terrific bunch of people, and a lot of talent in the room.

The day began early, heading out from Kuranui at 6:00am. Miss Pratt had already loaded make-up, costumes and props into the cars and bus, and the dancers prepared to nap their way to Palmy. On arrival, and a bit of BK, we headed into the Regent Theatre to watch the rehearsals and participate in workshops on different dance styles. Hip Hop was popular, as was Contemporary Dance and Stylised Dance.

When our rehearsal rolled around, we had watched so many talented dancers and cheerleaders on stage, it was nerve racking. However, the kids held their own, and eliciting cheers from the crowd. Our boys were a total smash hit, with their exceptional dancing and clever musical arrangement and comic moments.

When the competition was about to begin, we were surrounded by a fog of hairspray and bobby pins. Miss Pratt was in full diamante mode, applying make-up and fixing hair non-stop all night. I was put on French braiding and bun holders. The girls were fantastic at getting themselves ready, helping others, swapping shoes and tights, and remaining positive.

The dancing went so well. On the stage the kids just brought their moves alive. They were infectious in their enthusiasm and compelling to watch. While the boys brought the house down with their routine, it was the Open Grade girls' team that brought home a 3rd place for their James Bond 007 routine. All in all, it was a long 18 hour day, but well worth it, and totally a positive experience for everyone involved. Thanks so much to Mrs Bain and to Mrs Curtice who assisted the whole day, and especially to Miss Pratt who put in so much effort to choreographing, costuming and teaching the whole squad.

Miss Pratt helping with Lydia's lift for 007

Rehearsing the final sequence of the James Bond number

Aleisha Bain in the final moments of the Fame routine

Jasmine putting on her make-up backstage

Alena-Rose helping Cheryl-Kay with her hair

Arts and Politics

2010-09-07T20:07:00.000+12:00

Well, with the BOT Student Rep nominations and elections beginning tomorrow, the Arts are well supported by our 3 nominees.

Zoe Renor is Year 11- and takes Music, Dance and Drama. She has a role in the production, plays ukulele, sings, dances, and is off to Dance NZ Made tomorrow.

Emily Jamieson is a Year 10 taking senior classes. She also plays the violin, guitar and piano. Last year she was Cleopatra in the Shakespearean production.

Aodhan Stonnell is a Year 9 student, and a strong Drama enthusiast. He directed Louis and Barney in "MacBeth" earlier this year, and has a key role in this year's production.

All 3 are responsible, intelligent and darn great people. No matter who wins, we will be proud.

Mr Shepherd, Mr Hall, Emily, Aodhan and Zoe preparing to deliver their speeches.

Dance NZ Made is tomorrow, and all going well, Ms Pratt and her talented dancers, along with parent helpers and myself, will be travelling in the wee small hours up to Palmerston North to enjoy the workshops, the city, and the competition. Good luck to all the dancers! And watch this space for results.

Ooooooo.... bonus!

2010-09-05T17:46:00.001+12:00

Right, now, remember the Dance Showcase tomorrow night at Kuranui College. 7pm start for a night of awesome entertainment. This is the last chance for the dancers to perform before Dance NZ Made on Wednesday.

In the bonus category, I accidentally found images from Shakespeare Nationals on the internet. The photographer is Amy Schulz. She has some great images of the performers, upclose on stage. Check them out- and those of the other schools as the standard was incredibly high.

Wai and Katie onstage as "Romeo and Juliet"

The website is here:
Amy Schulz Photography

New Zealand Juggling Convention 2011

2010-09-03T14:40:00.000+12:00

Well, we are making plans.... cunning and evil plans..... All going according to plan, and getting our ducks in a row we will be able to go to the 2011 Juggling Convention in Levin, teach a class and participate with the nations best jugglers and performers. We will even get a chance to perform!

Very, very exciting.

To give you an idea of what the event entails and incorporates, here is a youtube video of the 2008 Juggling convention.....

Watch this space for more details.

Preparing for the external exams.

2010-09-02T18:22:00.000+12:00

Now is the time to really get thinking about revision and being sensible about what you have to do.

Harrang and harrass your teachers for information and advice. And seek advice elsewhere. You all know about studyit.... the website with information about English, Maths and Sciences.

Finding help for the Arts can be more challenging. However, we will try to steer you in the right direction with some advice. Today is a shameless plug, and a financial outlay. But it is worth it. Not all of us have great notes from the year..... let's be honest people! Buy some! You have options- ask for the notes of people who were in the class last year. Shamelessly beg for them. Look for revision guides in bookshops and online...

Shameless plug... check out the author..... ;)

ESA is a New Zealand company who specialise in revision books. They have ones for course outlines, and ones focussed on examinations. You can buy them from their website- or bookshops.

The ESA Website- all of their books.

These range between $20-$30 for each title. You can always re-sell your book next year to the following class and get back some of the cash. Or check out Trademe, which always has a range of secondhand titles listed. They have a full range of Drama books, and a visual Art book is due out soon.

The main thing you should be doing is making sure you have your notes in order, that you know what the exam will be about, and making sure your internal assessment work is up to date. Soon we will follow this blog with another spouting about what you should be studying.

It's all about the Dance!

2010-09-02T17:45:00.000+12:00

With the senior Dancers entered as teams in "Dance New Zealand Made" on Wednesday, there are sequins as far as the eye can see in the Arts Department. Jo Pratt has been furiously choreographing, coaching, encouraging, organising, fundraising, ordering and costuming the groups for the competition on Wednesday. It is a long day with technical skills marked, workshops taught, and early mornings all round.

This coming Monday the 6th of September, the Dancers are having their final shot at performing for a crowd before the competition. Dance shows at Kuranui are always spectacular, so this will no doubt be amazing. The cost is $2 at the door, proceeds going towards the cost of Dance NZ Made and the costuming.

Our Wizard of Oz

2010-08-26T21:08:00.000+12:00

With rehearsals well underway and set in construction, now we can share a few images of what things are happening....

Okay, so it is people on stage..... and a bare stage at that!

But they are pretty people...

The show will be performing week 1 of next term, so watch this space!


Waimarama as the Good Witch gives good news to Dom, the Tinman

Alena-Rose as Dorothy clicks her heals together and leaves Oz.

Yr 9 Drama 'First line, last line'

2010-08-13T18:17:00.001+12:00

The new rotation of the junior Arts options is underway. The year 9 groups are once again proving their astounding talent and work ethic to the utter joy of their teachers. Here is the Year 9 Drama class, with their elected "winner" of the 'First line, last line' game. The aim of the game was to compose a scene where the first line was "What's that, over there" and the last line was, "Phew, that was close".

Artificial Sun - Sunrise (live studio demo)

2010-08-11T16:49:00.001+12:00

rOur favourite rock band recently went out to Warren Maxwell's recording studio and recorded 3 demo tracks for the Rockquest judges. They will then submit a DVD of themselves with the aim of being selected for National finals. Here is their first YouTube experience..... fantastical. Enjoy. And best of luck boys.

Entertaining the Little Tykes

2010-08-07T18:23:00.000+12:00

Today we had the opportunity to entertain the children involved in the Martinborough Library's School Holiday Programme. I am so fortunate to have talented students who are willing to give up their time freely on a Saturday to entertain the kids.

We played some theatresports games, all based on fairy stories for the children. They chose Little Red Riding Hood to see in the game "Sit, stand, kneel, lie", Cinderella in "Survivor", a "Hands Interview" with Shrek, and a very speedy Snow White and the 2 Dwalves in "60, 30, 15, 7". They also giggled at slo motion cleaning up bedrooms.

Highlights of the round included the giggles with 2 boys dancing together, people being knocked over, and an impromptu round of "Happy Birthday" to Darren when he arrived.

Then we brought out the circus equipment, did a quick demo.... and showed the kiddies Dan Carlisle juggling knives! It was wonderful to see the girls teaching kids how to spin plates on a stick, and the boys teaching kids how to juggle. They were totally wonderful and patient with the kids, which was a privilege to see.

We were given a wonderful thanks from the Librarian, and headed off to our traditional hot chocolates at the Village Cafe.... with pizza. Thanks so much for all your help, it would be impossible to accept such opportunities without students who were so generous with their time and skills.

The crew today were Dan Carlisle, Daniel Cameron, Moana Brathwaite, Camille Healy, Alena-Rose Burt, James Owens and Darren Dingle.

Dan, Daniel, James and Camille doing "Sit, stand, kneel, lie"- the story of Little Red Riding Hood.

Darren elicits giggles from the kids with some random leg flailing.

The girls teaching the kids how to spin plates.

Dan Carlisle's Juggling group

Our performing group (sans Darren who had to go) and some of the kids from the programme.

Some winning images

2010-08-07T18:02:00.001+12:00

So, previous articles did miss these photos. Due to the flu season, it has been so gosh darn difficult to get everyone at school...... not to mention with all the success, so people have been in the studio!

3 of the boys from "Sammy 'the wonderhorse' Dodges", who won the intercoll theatresports last week. From the left: James Owens, Barney Johnson and Dominic Hawke. Absent: Daniel Cameron and Louis Gray.

Barney Johnson, named "Best Musician" at the Regional Rockquest competition with his epic snare drum.

Artificial Sun: The Demo

2010-08-03T19:54:00.000+12:00

So, the rockband has done so well this year... and tomorrow they are off into a recording session with Warren Maxwell of Fat Freddies Drop. They will be making their video of themselves.... this will be the last step to getting selected for Nationals in Hamilton. I hope they have a total blast and rock out. They have worked hard and deserve this totally awesome break.

Have a great day blokes!

Barney, Tom and Jack in rehearsal.

"Alphabet Soup" Sit, stand, kneel, lie

2010-08-01T14:42:00.001+12:00

First time theatresporters "Alphabet Soup" perform "Sit, stand, kneel, lie" in competition. Starring Waimarama Phillips, Lexie Fleming, Jamie MacPherson and Zemira Hayvice in the intercolls at Harlequin Theatre in Masterton.

Junior Show Offs 2010 Cirque Routine

2010-08-01T12:54:00.001+12:00

This is the routine put together by some of the junior Drama classes, under the supervision of Ms Heming and Dan Carlisle. Enjoy. Music from the Glee soundtrack.

Epic Success!

2010-07-30T18:21:00.000+12:00

This has been a blatantly epic week in the Arts. Not only are Production and Dance NZ Made rehearsals well underway with casting well and truly in place, we have had a spectacular week for awards.

Last Saturday was the regional Rockquest competition. "Artificial Sun", our senior rock band, have been working so hard all year to be ready for the competition. They rocked the house with their original songs. They took out 2nd overall, and the greatest achievement of the night was when Barney Johnson was named as the best musician of the night. Well done Barney! If you want to catch "Artificial Sun" in action, check out gig dates on their Facebook fan page, or check out the last Wednesday of each month at the Ascot Theatre in Upper Hutt, where they have been making routine performances to a packed crowd.

This week was the intercolligiate Theatresports Competition in Masterton. We entered 7 teams in the 3 divisions, and had great success. Monday night we had "The Pineapple Express" performing and coming 2nd in the competition that night. The team was comprised of Kaden, Ale, Sian and Dan. On Tuesday the Yr 9 team "Bad Ass Monster Truckers" also were ranked 2nd, comprised of Kate, Moana, Natalia, Isle, Camille and Aodhan. Wednesday was a big night with 3 teams in the Senior Novice section. "Alphabet Soup" (Wai, Zemira, Lexie, Jamie and Adam) and "Team Group Anonymous" (Alena, Chaedyn, Aaron and Jan) were ranked 3rd equal. "The Costa Rican National Team" (Finn, Vale, Zoe and Jasmine) also competed, and despite giving magnificent performances, were unranked.

The final night was the biggie, with 2 teams in the senior open grade final. "Neopolitan" (Arjun, Darren, Katie, Rowan and Donal) were hilarious and showed their true talent onstage. Their word-at-a-time may not be their favourite game, but they were wonderful. "Sammy 'the wonder-horse" Dodges" (Dom, Louis, Barney, James and Daniel) really pulled out all the stops and worked well as a team taking out the win. This is only the 2nd time Kuranui has ever won this division, and with Makoura College, the only school ever to have beaten Wairarapa College. Wai Coll have been such legends in the past, and really played well last night. It is always a privilege to work with their senior students.

So it was a magnificent week, and no doubt we will all catch our breath shortly! Well done students, and carry on the good work!

Term 3 begins!

2010-07-19T06:32:00.000+12:00

With half the year gone, it is time to herald in the start of Term 3.

This term brings new classes to the junior Arts subjects, as all Year 9 students and the vast majority of Year 10 students change their options. So have a good semester people, and enjoy the change. The term also brings a new teacher to the department, and we would like to welcome Ms Beecroft, who will be teaching Visual Art with Mr Thompson.

Upcoming shortly is both the inter-coll theatresports competition and Rockquest. We have been successful in both competitions in the past, and look forward to having another go this year.

With half the year gone, senior students now have to look towards the exams at the end of the year. Yes, even the performing Arts have a major examination component! So get studying people, make sure you know what it is you have to do. And prepare.

Subject selections for 2011 will be happening soon. Remember Year 9's, you get to pick 1 or 2 Arts options for the year. Year 10's, you will get 3 subjects to pick for NCEA in 2011, and you may take up to 3 Arts lines if you wish. Remember that you need to have taken the chosen Art line in the junior school to participate, and Music requires that you play an instrument. Year 11 students will get a chance to branch out, remembering that entry requirements for Year 12 subjects are usually 12 credits in Level 1. Year 12 students need to think about the possibility of Scholarship subjects in Year 13. Talk with your teachers about it. I would encourage all of you to try at least 1 scholarship subject, as you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The last few weeks of Term 2.

2010-07-17T19:58:00.002+12:00

So, it has been a long time since the last post. Whoops. Things have been THAT busy.

With Stage Challenge over, and well done again girls, and Shakespeare finally over, we have launched into the major Musical Production of the year. We are doing "The Wizard of Oz" and the cast look amazing at this point. The auditions were fraught with difficulty as I stupidly broke my ankle a week before the auditions.... but through the magic of technology, they happened in style. Typical for the school we had auditions from people who knew they would be overseas (Catharina Wickman), have already graduated (Hugh Philip) and did not even go to the school (Owen Winter).... so all was entertaining to say the least.

Well done Alena-Rose Burt who has been cast as Dorothy, Barney Johnson as the Scarecrow, Dominic Hawke as the Tinman and Arjun Pathmanathan as the Cowardly Lion. Other key roles went to Darren Dingle, Louis Gray, Kendall Charles, Ilse Botha, Waimarama Phillips and Katie James. It is a very strong cast, and I am looking forward to working with them. The show will be performed in 9 short weeks over 5 key performances. It will be amazing.

However first we have theatresports in 3 weeks time. This is the hotly contested event of August, pitting our comedy and improvisation skills against the best Wai Coll, Rathkeale, Solway, St Matts and Chanel have to offer. We look forward to seeing what will happen.

Since the last update we had the privilege of holding a Drama workshop with Hollywood legend, and ex-pupil, Vincent Ward. Vince came in and spoke about a life/career in Drama, and the need to be more than just an actor. He was brilliant, and we all developed a little crush on him. Thanks Vince for being so gracious with your time, intelligence, wisdom and experience. He had great stories, fun activities and more than one way of entertaining a crowd.

Vince Ward working with selected Drama students.

And we also were invited to entertain the Lions Club of the Greytown with theatresports... it was a fun night and the first time for the group to perform for an audience. It was nerve wracking, but good fun. Highlights of the night involve Darren Dingle skipping, Arjun grooming a llama, and Kaden Saywell not knowing Paul Henry's name!

And we hosted the Melbourne Circus at school, learning new skills in juggling, diabolo, plate spinning, devil sticking, and problem solving. It was a fun day, and a great opportunity.

The chaos of circus in the auditorium

And we spent 2 days on tour with the College Roadshow. 6 performances over 2 days was a big ask, but the performers did magnificently. Thanks sooooo much to Ms Webster, Mrs Phillips, and Ms Pratt for all of their hard work, and the magnificent performers who were stunning over the 2 days. Dance, Music, Drama, Art and Photography put out a good show, and really proved how talented they all are.

The Roadshow Crew

Busy day!

2010-05-28T06:54:00.000+12:00

Yesterday Jo took the girls (and Sam) over to Wellingtn for the Stage Challenge. We should find out how they did today.... but I am sure they did great- the performance for the school was terrific! The kids will be exhausted today after a really long day yesterday, but some are valiantly coming to school.

Today the Circus Challenge is coming to Kuranui, and the Drama Classes from Solway are joining us for good times and juggling balls. Photos will totally follow.

Then at lunch, there shall be another concert in the auditorium. The last one for the month of May, NZ Music Month. I am hoping to hear the premier of "Primal"- the new song by Artificial Sun.... and Jamie Robertson-Bennett's band performing.

Year 9 Evolution of Dance

2010-05-25T21:19:00.000+12:00

Well, the Year 9 Dance class have been making great progress this year. Catch their "Evolution of Dance" performances here, and on YouTube. Miss Pratt has done such a fantastic job with the kids, and balancing all that and the Stage Challenge! Amazing. She deserves a medal, that's for sure.

Stage Challenge is this Thursday, so be ready to be impressed.

They are performing in Assembly tomorrow, along with our group heading to the National Shakespeare in Schools Festival over the long weekend. I am really proud of all the students involved in both epic undertakings. Well done people, well done!

New Zealand Music Month

2010-05-16T12:51:00.000+12:00

This month we have been celebrating NZ Music with Friday concerts in the Auditorium. We have had the great honour of hearing the likes of the Year 9 Music class performing the theme to "Once were Warriors" and other students on the piano, vocals and original compositions.

The Ukulele Orchestra has been a big hit (especially with the Year 9 Drama class who adore screaming like fans) - performing 3 songs in total now, including this years' hit (for the group) "Hey Soul Sister".

Artificial Sun are the major drawcard however, with the musical stylings of those talented boys. Try to catch next Friday's concert at lunch if you have missed the first 2. They are a blast!

Year 9 Music in full flight during their lunchtime performance!

Phew! Busy term!

2010-05-06T16:24:00.000+12:00

With a REALLY busy term 1, we have hardly had time to update the blog.

The dancers are going hard for stage challenge, and it is looking fantastic. Zemira and Sam have both been putting in so much effort, it's crazy!

Shakespeare was a HOOT! Seriously awesome result. We were highly entertaining in the 15 minute scene doing "MacBeth" and had great reviews. Well done all, especially Daniel, Christina and Darren who kept the idea tied together by being great photographers.

Waimarama Phillips and Katie James were stand out performers as well, being selected to represent the region at Nationals. Soon I will be jetting off with the lovely ladies, and their talented musicians, Barney Johnson, Louis Gray and Dominic Hawke (who wrote an original composition for the scene from Romeo and Juliet).

Now term 2 is underway. Stage Challenge looms. Rockquest looms. And Shakespeare looms further. Watch this space!

Images below: Top: Daniel, Christina and Darren in "MacBeth" with the ensemble cast
Centre: Wai and Katie, rehearsing with Barns and Lou for "Romeo and Juliet"
Bottom: Ms Pratt teaching different lifts to Zemira and Sam for Stage Challenge.

An Evening with the Bard

2010-03-30T18:03:00.001+13:00

This year we set off the Shakespearean Season with an exclusive, invitation-only performance at Kuranui College. Here was the chance for the 9 student directed scenes to battle it out for who would be representing us at the Intercolligiate Shakespeare in Schools festival.

The night was a huge success, with a great deal of imagination shown on stage. The students had to battle their own fears, and their own peers, to get their scenes to performance. There were tears, dramas and tantrums backstage, but quality performances onstage. Zoe Renor was a convincing matron in her interpretation of "A Midsummer Nights Dream" while Alena-Rose Burt showed off her cunning in "Twelfth Night". Swordplay was popular, used by Aodhan Stonnell well with his interpretation of "MacBeth", directing Louis and Barney. Darren Dingle pulled an hillarious number out of the bag with "Hamlet" and his cast of zombies. However, only one scene could be selected for the intercolls, and it went to Waimarama Phillips and Katie James with their scene from "Romeo and Juliet".

The 15 minute scene from "MacBeth" was also debuted to the fantastic crowd. It was thrilling to see the way the students had really grown and dealt with their challenging roles. Arjun Pathmanathan was a sight to behold as Banquo, and Louis was impressive as a romantic MacBeth, while the scene was completely stolen by Barney Johnson as Duncan every time he stepped on stage. The cast worked fantastically well together and it worked well in the end. The Year 11 class who were responsible for costumes, make-up and set design/construction did a magnificent job, and the show could not have been a success without them.

Louis and Aodhan face off as MacBeth and Young Siward.

Barney as MacDuff runs MacBeth through

Darren Dingle's "Hamlet" with Rowan Pemberton, Kevin Jephson, Arjun Pathmanathan & Dominic Hawke

Waimarama Phillips and Katie James in "Romeo and Juliet"

Year 9 Movie

2010-03-23T20:58:00.000+13:00

With only a handful of scenes left to record, the Year 9 Drama class is well into their movie making unit.

We decided for the "Education for Enterprise" topic that we would make a movie for the School Reunion, showing past students how we see the school. It started as a serious epic flick, and rapidly became a roll-in-the-aisles romp! Between the enthusiasm from the Year 9 students themselves, and the help of Christina Hyde, we managed to get the raw footage (mostly).

Now all that remains is a few scenes recorded tomorrow, and editing the movie......... GASP! Hopefully we will have something to see by Friday and a finished epic on Monday............. Hopefully. Here are a couple of shots from our group scenes:

In the Library...... totally acting like readers.

In the Student Centre, creating a scene.

Rehearsal, rehearsal!

2010-03-22T18:27:00.000+13:00

For the Arts Department, now is all go!

With juniors making music videos, movies and plays, and all sorts of students out preparing for intercolligiate events, it is fair to say we are in full swing!

The band "Artificial Sun" is rocking the rock room, with some seriously awesome gigs on the horizon, and some astounding sounds. Music lessons are in full swing with students learning guitar, drums, voice, and violin. I don't know how Ms Webster keeps up with it all.

The Drama classes are busy preparing for the Intercolligiate Shakespeare in Schools performance, and their own show on the 29th. And the Stage Challenge crew are working their feet raw with practises. Kapa Haka is going strong with their weekly rehearsals. It is all go, very busy, and very, very cool to see.

The Stage Challenge crew working on their choreography

Yr 11 students Finn, Aaron and Mikaela working on their scene from "Romeo and Juliet".

According to Dance.....

2010-03-21T09:17:00.000+13:00

Well, the Year 10 Dance class have just finished their unit on "Dancing in Music Videos". The results of their term 1 effort are on Youtube, and looking good. The whole unit takes a mammoth effort, to choreograph the dance, learn the moves, and then to film and edit it all. Miss Pratt certainly goes the extra mile with this one.

So, well done Year 10 Dance, and to Miss Pratt. The video for the song "According to You" created by the talented students is here presented to you:

Regional Fame in Print

2010-03-19T19:05:00.001+13:00

Thanks to Jenna Powell of the Wairarapa Times Age, we have made printed news! Yes, this blog is now mentioned in the paper (or at least was mentioned on Thursday evening).

If the paper brought you here, awesome! And welcome to our Arts portal on the web.

Here we are in the paper, legendarilly mentioned in the first paragraph and referenced again in the ending.....

This article is a great one about the Stage Challenge and the skills that students gain in participating. This is going to be a great year for the Arts, and Stage Challenge is a wonderful experience to kick it off. The cast are working through their lunch hours to choreograph and practise the routines, and they look really professional. The competition is in May, so they will only get better from here on out.

Watch this space for an announcement about the major Musical production this year...... we have secured the production rights, and we are a little excited about it.

Artificial Sun

2010-03-18T18:06:00.001+13:00

We have a rock band. A funk rock band. A psychedelic funk rock band. No one can top the rock band.

The band was formed last year, and after a change of vocalist, have hit their stride and are a thing of beauty. 'Artificial Sun' made their debut in their current form at the end of last year at the Dance assessment show, and have performed numerous gigs since then.

Meet the band:
Barney Johnson: Drummer. Year 13. Barn is the master of beats and dreads on drums. Noted as Cultural leader, actor, musician and all around guru of cool. Has been seen in a dress on drums, and often leads the half-naked installments.

Louis Gray: Vocals. Year 13. Louis is an all-around winner, and speedster on the track. Worthy leader of Aorangi, and exceptional performance skills in Music and Drama. Last seen half-naked in the 'MacBeth' photo shoot.

Tom Simpson: Bass. Year 12. Genius underneath, but dreads on top, Tom is a young Mick Jagger in training (according to his music teacher). He made the bass cool again with his masterful playing with their breakout hit, "House of Funk".

Jack Giles: Guitar. Year 12. Once famous in the Jack Giles Groove, now strumming to a different beat, and aptly professor of the wah pedal. Jack oozes cool.... but lost his dreads in a recent mathematics related disaster (or so the rumour has it).

"Artificial Sun" are mad keen rockers and wonderfully awesome people. They have been working with Whitireia Polytechnic on an Extreme Songwriting course, and doing great. Below are images of songwriting and performance in practice. If you are near the rock room, check them out.

Louis working on lyrics and Jack working on his confused look.

Thinking of a rhyme for 'down', Tom, Barn and Louis.

Blasting out the premier of the new unnamed song, and sounding mighty fine!

Become an official fan on Facebook, run by their loyal manager Richard Tannant:

Artificial Sun Facebook Fanclub

A little bit of Bard Medicine...

2010-03-17T18:20:00.001+13:00

May the bad jokes continue as we prepare for the Intercolligate Shakespeare in Schools festival next month. This year we are one of the 3 Wairarapa Colleges who have selected "MacBeth" as their 15 minute scene performance..... let's hope we all choose different acts and interpretations!

Without disclosing our interpretation of the play, we can disclose the key players. Louis Gray plays the title role of MacBeth, and Barney Johnson as Duncan. Arjun Pathmanathan plays the role of MacBeth's friend Banquo, and Waimarama Phillips is Lady MacBeth. Dominic Hawke is an hillarious Ross, while the evil 'witches' are played by Daniel Cameron, Christina Hyde and Darren Dingle. The cast is bolstered with Katie James, Donal Jephson, Adam Lesslie, Cat Wickman, James Owens, Jamie Rafferty, Jamie MacPherson and Bradley Hati, along with a chorus of Year 9-11 students.

This is the largest cast we have had in Shakespeare for a number of years, and the students are having fun with their interpretation of the script. While the language is a daunting barrier for learning the lines, and for some, working out what is going on, it is a great opportunity to celebrate teh greatest playwright in the English Language.

We will be performing on March 29th at the Kuranui College Performing Arts Centre to an invitation only crowd, and looking forward to the Intercolligate Festival on April 27. The best part will no doubt be seeing how different schools take on the challenge. Wairarapa College have dominated the competition, and Rathkeale Senior College have done incredibly well in recent times. Solway are set to put together a wonderful performance with their talented girls, and the 5 minute student directed scenes are always a sight to behold. Here's hoping we can meet the same high standards.

Louis Gray, Waimarama Phillips and Barney Johnson.

James Owens, Christina Hyde and Adam Lesslie

Inside Out

2010-03-07T20:36:00.000+13:00

To bring a thrilling end to our festival season, I travelled over to Wellington with 20 Drama students to see the Swedish Circus show, "Inside Out". We may've been home incredibly late, but it was one of the best performances we had ever seen. The performers brought heart, soul, excitment, emotion and skill to the stage. The juggling was beyond comparison.

This was a wonderful opportunity to go to see a truly international performance of the highest calibre, and I am sure it has raised the expectations of the students with regard to what quality performances look like.

This will not be the last chance of the year to see some professional theatre, but it will be the last for a while. Hopefully with MacBeth in full swing and Stage Challenge underway, we can take these new standards and raise our game.

Christina, Cat and Katie out at tea

Wai, Juanita and Aaron enjoy a laugh

Louis, Wai and Katie waiting for the show to begin

Dan hides his excitement about the show

Mission Control

2010-03-03T18:37:00.002+13:00

Well, we gottem home!

Today we went into Wellington to see "Apollo 13: Mission Control" as part of the Festival of the Arts. It was AMAZING! Basically we got to be at the control panels trying to bring the Astronauts home from their aborted moon mission.

The script was amazing, it followed so much of what actually was said during the original event, and involved all of us. It was a truly awesome and interactive performance.

The Guidance crew hard at work

The console seats.... mega cool.

Echoa Performance Review

2010-03-01T18:42:00.001+13:00

The French Dance company with their performance of Echoa was today at school- and was totally amazing! Exploring sound and movement, their idea was simple, and elegantly put together. With percussion instruments and dance, they told stories, entertained and were just hysterical.

If you are sitting at home wondering what to do tonight, GO TO ECHOA. They perform tonight at the school auditorium, and the ticket price has been dropped to $25- well and truly worth the price. After the show they are unpacking and heading to Te Papa for the rest of the festival season, and it will be a mammoth undertaking to move the large scale set. (Starts at 7pm, so RUN)

Go..... you will not regret it.

Thanks to Gary, Jo, Wai, Zemira, Barn and Louis for all their hard work today, as well as Carly and the festival crew who put together an amazing performance. Thanks so much for choosing to perform at Kuranui!

Stage Challenge 2010

2010-02-24T07:54:00.002+13:00

After a frantic start to the year, Dance is well and truly underway. Miss Pratt has been working incredibly hard with students, teaching them the audition routine, and running the auditions for Stage Challenge.

This year we will be entering the 'raw' category, which is less about the costumes and set, and more about the choreography. The cast will be smaller, hence the very intense dancers seen around the school.

The theme is around anti-drink-driving, and an incredibly valuable message given the history of teenage drinking in this country. The main cast and dancers have been selected, and we are all incredibly proud of Zemira Hayvice who has scored the lead role in Stage Challenge 2010. Well done, Zemira!

We will keep you posted with updates as time goes by.

Zemira Hayvice (2nd from the left) with some of the other dancers, Jinelle, Sam and Maaki.

NZ Festival of the Arts

2010-02-12T19:57:00.000+13:00

The NZ Festival of the Arts is about to kick off. As well as our students heading west to see some fantastic shows and meet some wonderful authors, we are priviledged to host, "Echoa"- a French Dance troop.

We have a MAGNIFICENT discount for Kuranui Students. $12 a head- and I would recommend as many people as possible get to see it. Performing at Kuranui on the 1st of March, the school performance is at 1pm. This means leaving class before the end of period 4 and missing a bit of lunch.

This is what the Arts Festival has to say about 'Echoa':

"Drums of all descriptions are cleverly organised on scaffolding so that seven distinctly different dance scenes can unfold below. With incredible exuberance the movement and rhythm become flawlessly intertwined as the artists explore the questions: How does a percussionist dance? How does the body of a dancer sound?

Echoa is an unexpected dance experience in which we also see the dance with our ears. Sometimes as gentle as a whisper or as noisy as a carnival, it never lacks in spirit or fantasy. A truly delightful attack on the senses - a show for music and dance lovers of all ages.

Written by: Thomas Guerry and Camille Rocailleux
Sound direction: Olivier Pfeiffer
Lighting director: Laurent Bazire"

Drama newsletter.

2010-02-04T22:04:00.000+13:00

This has gone home to parents via their children..... or at least, it will tomorrow. Here is a preview. Some have already got a copy, others are waiting for one.

Subject Selection 2010

2010-01-25T12:08:00.001+13:00

Well, Friday is re-enrolement for senior students. Bring in your NCEA results and confirm your course selection (or change it if need be). Year 11's should attend too, as you may have forgotten which classes you chose, or wish to change.

For the Arts, you should be aware of the requirements to take each subject.

Year 11:

Drama - Have taken either Yr 9 or 10 Drama
Music - Must be able to play an instrument, reading music is recommended
Dance - Must have taken Yr 10 Dance
Art - Should have taken Yr 9 or 10 Art
Te Reo - Must have completed Yr 10 Te Reo, can be used as literacy credits for NCEA

In Year 12, things get more complex.

Drama - Should have 12 L1 Drama credits (or approval of JM)
Music - Should have gained 12 L1 Music credits (or approval of WT)
Dance - Should have gained 12 L1 Dance credits (or approval of PJ
Art - Should have 12 L1 Art credits.... you can take Art or Photography
Te Reo - Should have 12 L1 Te Reo credits

Year 12 and 13 are much harder than Year 11 courses. You should be fairly proficient to contemplate studying at each level above L1. Committment beyond school hours is compulsory for performances. You will also have to work by yourself and with groups for assessment.

Music, Drama, Dance and Te Reo Maori all have external assessments at the end of the year. To complete the exam for Dance and Drama you have to have seen a live performance and to have studying a genre of performance.

This is the last year that Unit Standards can be used for assessment.

In Year 13 Visual Art breaks up into components. You can take Photography (though you should have completed the L2 course), Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking and Design Art. A number of Design Art students have taken Graphics prior to opting into Design Art.

All of the performing Arts require that you PERFORM in front of an audience. In Te Reo, you should expect to have to speak publically in Te Reo Maori. For all of these courses, expect to be video taped and to watch said tape for analysis.

If you have any queries, talk to the teacher in charge of each subject, or consult the subect selection guidebook that Mr Hall gave out. You can take more than one Art subject each year, and many go well together. Come in on Friday and see me if you have any issues.

Greytown Arts Festival

2010-01-24T18:28:00.003+13:00

As you well know, the Ukulele Orchestra played at the Greytown Arts Festival. The weather was appaulling, but the crowds still came to listen to the groovy tunes. We had an awesome turnout, and a crowd ready to sing along.

We even had an encore! That is truly hitting the big leagues.

Shortly I will post a couple of the songs we played on Youtube and link them to here. In the mean time, think about this..... maybe you too could join the KC Uke Orch? Ukuleles start at about $30, which makes them fantastic value as an instrument. They are also rated as one of the easiest instruments to play. Our orchestra has all kinds of people with levels of interest and talent, from those lacking both, to having both in screeds. As well as learning an instrument, it is a great way of getting to know some awesome people. We had the chance to hang out backstage with the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra- and it was AMAZING--- we too shall be that cool eventually.

So, school is back next week. Seniors, re-enrole on Friday. And do this ESPECIALLY if you are an Arts student. A number of senior Arts subjects are timetabled at the same time, so you will need to check up on your timetable and sweet-talk your teachers if there is a clash.

Ukulele Update!!!

2010-01-21T15:07:00.000+13:00

So, if you read the Wairarapa Times Age, you would have seen some of the Ukulele ensemble on the cover the other day.

If not, you can see the real thing on Saturday.

We will be hitting the main stage at the Greytown Arts Festival at 3pm, for a sing and play along (if you bring your ukulele).

It is not too late to join the band! If you show up to the rehearsal in the School Music room at 11am on Saturday, you will get a chance to play along with us in style. Remember to wear bright colours....

Our playlist includes:
Haere Mai
I'm Yours
Sailing
Slice of Heaven
When I'm 64
Tree Hugger
10 Guitars
Loyal
And the goodnight kiwi song.

We will be playing up to 17 songs.... do not miss this once on Saturday event.... as the price is right (FREE) as a warm-up to the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra performance in the evening which has now sold out.

Ukulele Orchestra-ing

2009-12-21T19:01:00.002+13:00

Right, as you all should know, the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra is the key act of the Greytown Arts Festival this coming year. As you may not know, we are providing a ukulele warm-up act. Excellent!

As you will know if you have seen our Ukulele Orchestra perform, we are all about a full musical experience, with guitars, mandolin, kazoo and even the odd wooden block. Totally awesome, complete with mime. All previous, past and future members of the orchestra are invited to perform with us on January 23 2010 at 3pm in front of the Greytown Town Hall.

We will be holding 2 rehearsals prior to the event, on Saturday 16th at 11am and Wednesday 20th at 7pm at Kuranui. If you have instrument, come along. All instruments welcome! Including ukuleles. We would love to see as many people as possible.

Clown boys

2009-12-11T22:11:00.003+13:00

Clown boys
Originally uploaded by Kuranui Arts

Here are 3 senior Drama students all ready to perform their clowning routines.