Creating magic at Schools Spectacular

Held at Qudos Bank Arena, the students joined 4700 other students from across NSW in four huge shows. This year’s event theme was ‘Creating the Magic’, and the students did just that.

The group consisted of Ella and Bailey Wykes, Tully Andrews, Jaylem, Levi, Peter and Cooper Peters, Jack and Riley Warrington, Connor Smith, Shakira Hammond, and Maddie McEwen. Gulargambone’s segment was titled ‘Miminga’, and they performed a dance piece choreographed by the Bangarra Dance Theatre.

They were required to learn the segment piece and the finale online prior to show week, and then met the choreographers and other students in the group a few days before. Rehearsals ran for three days at the Fairfield RSL, before the team travelled to Qudos Bank Arena at Homebush for the dress rehearsal and shows. Gulargambone performed in an ensemble dance segment with students from the Bangarra Rekindling Youth Program and 184 other students from NSW schools.

“The Schools Spectacular truly is a world class production which is incredible because the majority of the cast and crew are school students,” said proud teacher Renee Ryan.

“It brings together students from a wide range of communities across NSW. This is an incredible opportunity for rural students to meet and interact with other students from diverse backgrounds.”

Being a part of the Schools Spectacular builds students’ self-esteem and confidence, while developing their dance and performance skills.

“It was wonderful to watch our students work as part of a team, creating a magical performance and forging lifelong friendships. The buzz of the students while they were waiting backstage was electrifying and when they finished their performances, the smiles on their faces and their energy was incredible. A wonderful moment to witness and be a part of. It’s an unforgettable experience,” said Ms Ryan.