Talent trip to Palmerston for College

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 531, 12 April 1994, Page 5

Talent trip to Palmerston for College

A team of talented teenagers from Ruapehu College travel to Palmerston North today for the regional heat of the 1994 Smokefree Stage Challenge. Six secondary schools from the Wanganui-Manawatu region are taking part in the heat, with fmalists carrying on to the grand finals later in the year. Ruapehu College' s team of 28 performers, 10 backstage workers and two teachers (plus numerous parents) leave this morning for a day of rehearsals and familiarising themselves with the Palmerston North Opera House's stage facilities, with performances underway at 7pm. Teacher in charge Judy Knight said the group has been practising diligently both after school and every weekend, for the past four weeks. Mrs Knight said taking part in the competition will be a valuable learning experience for the pupils - a number of whom have performed in past college productions. "Their act is looking very slick and quite professional", she said. Each participating school was required to select their own dance theme and pre-recorded music to accompany the number that must be between five and eight minutes in duration. Subsequently it was the music and dance styles of the 20th Century that inspired the college' s entry, with swing, rock 'n' roll, disco and hip-hop dance numbers being performed. The dance numbers were choreographed by the group, with assistance from teacher Kath Campbell. Props and back drops being used in the production were designed by the multi-talented back stage crew. Costumes for the production were either loaned or createdspecially for the occasion. The swing era costumes were loaned from the Queen Elizabeth Army Memorial Museum, while those for the disco era were designed and sewn by teacher Fiona McEwing.