MOVING FORWARD 2026 Curriculum Dance Showcase FRIDAY 28 AUGUST 6.30pm to 8.10pm
Gillian Moore Centre for Performing Arts
2026
HSC DANCE SHOWCASE A great dancer educator once told us to “shudder the ordinary” (Dr. John Mullins) and in tonight’s showcase you will witness some extraordinary movement.
magnificence of the birds that surround us, raising questions about what the world would be like if they disappeared.
Along with the movement itself will be the individuals performing it for you, many of whom have choreographed and conceptualised their solos and sections of ensemble works. It is so wonderful to have the opportunity to bring Dance back to the north end of the Pymble campus in our beautiful GMCPA theatre for the first time since moving to our new Dance Centre in the Hunter and Vicars Building.
Year 11 has created an exuberant work about the emotional rollercoaster of being invited to and attending a party as they head into their final year of school and prepare to attend many 18th birthdays, formals and other events. Through their skilled embodiment of these concepts, these extraordinary dancers will captivate.
At this showcase we will celebrate our Curriculum Dance cohort from Years 8 to 12 by experiencing a variety of fascinating works that present deep themes and intentions through the language of movement. Our Year 8 classes have created a combined piece in their unit on contemporary dance inspired by the often overlooked
Year 10 Dance has explored the use of muscular tension in Martha Graham’s iconic movement style which has led to a striking work about the never-ending to-do lists that must be completed in life.
The highlight of tonight’s showcase will undeniably be the exceptional works of our HSC Dance cohort for 2026. These students have worked tirelessly to ensure every weight shift, extension, articulation and elevation is precise and purposeful. They have used free periods, early mornings, lunchtimes and weekends in between their regular dance lessons to step into the studio and work.
They have researched and explored a variety of issues and concepts in their sophisticated compositions from the development of neoplasticism in Mondrian’s artwork to the quest for valuable materials on the Silk Road. The excitement, passion and dedication from these students shows that they not only adore dancing but believe in its unique potential to communicate complex notions about the world they inhabit. Their intelligence, engagement and generosity exemplify the vibrant Pymble community of which they are part. We are deeply grateful to their incredible teacher, Mrs Keya Pettigrew; our Head of Dance, Miss Katrina Cluff; and our Head of Learning Area – Performing Arts, Mr Marcus Stafford, whose guidance and support have helped nurture these exceptional, one-of-akind dancers. Tonight’s showcase is a celebration not only of extraordinary movement, but of the extraordinary people and community that make it possible.
MR MARCUS STAFFORD HEAD OF LEARNING AREA, PERFORMING ARTS
ELECTIVE DANCE TEACHERS
MISS KATRINA CLUFF HEAD OF DANCE
MS MELISSA COOPER-FINDLAY DANCE CURRICULUM COORDINATOR
MRS KEYA PETTIGREW ACADEMIC DANCE TEACHER
MS MELISSA COOPER-FINDLAY DANCE AND DRAMA TEACHER DANCE CURRICULUM CO-ORDINATOR
MRS SAMANTHA HIBBURT VET IN DANCE TEACHER
PERFORMERS YEAR 8
YEAR 8
YEAR 10
Teacher: Mrs Keya Pettigrew Zoe Barnett Maggie Brown Greta Campbell Hope Cousins Charlotte Dai Ava Doake Jasmin Hany Xinye (Evelyn) Shi Millie Tian Arianna Wang Chloe Yeap Yihan (Elena) Zhang
Teacher : Ms Melissa Cooper-Findlay Hayley Fan Taylor Green Emily Mcdonald Florence (Flossie) Murphy Hyun Kyung (Sophia) Na Madison Norton Izabella Prokop Alexandra Qiu Amélie Rahme Aaradhya Singh Ava Wang Yuling (Anna) Wang Abigail Wu Zara Younger Peaches Zhang Zoey Zhang
Teacher : Miss Katrina Cluff Alicia Bi Claire Dong* Abbey Hammond Imogen Jones* Sophie Kidd* Savannah Masya* Isabel Mcknight Indigo Meldrum* Hilary Pang Rose Purcell Emma Scott* Annika Sethuram* Stella Walsh Sarah Wong*
YEAR 11
YEAR 12
Teacher: Ms Melissa Cooper-Findlay Jessica Bao Zoe Carroll Cienna Harvie Hongyu (Cindy) Jin** Skye Macleod Emily Mah** Cindy Wang** Stella Xu
Teacher: Mrs Keya Pettigrew Stella Boyle Hai Ying (Hayley) Cheung Carine Kong Teagan Ning Ruby Scarf Adela Zhang
CORE COMPOSITION PERFORMERS
*Certificate II in Dance (CUA 20120) ** Certificate III in Assistant Dance Teaching (CUA30320)
HSC Performer Supervisor: Mrs Keya Pettigrew Caitlin Kim Hongyu (Cindy) Jin Emily Mah Skye Macleod Cindy Wang Stella Xu
“Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul’s weather to all who can read it.” MARTHA GRAHAM
PROGRAM 1.
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG YEAR 12 DANCE, PERFORMANCE Mrs Keya Pettigrew Year 12 Dance Core Performance Mini - Interview
2.
INSIDE OUT YEAR 12 DANCE, CORE COMPOSITION Hayley Cheung Stella Xu
3.
ADDICTION YEAR 12 DANCE, CORE COMPOSITION Adela Zhang Cindy Wang
4.
INFINITY MIRROR ROOM YEAR 12 DANCE, CORE COMPOSITION Carine Kong Cindy Jin
5.
BEFORE WHEN THERE WAS BIRDSONG YEAR 8 DANCE Ms Melissa Cooper-Findlay and Mrs Keya Pettigrew Year 8 Dancers Core Composition Mini Interview
6.
THE TRANSFORMATION OF MONDRIAN’S ART YEAR 12 DANCE, CORE COMPOSITION Stella Boyle Caitlin Kim
7.
A FRAGMENTED IDENTITY YEAR 12 DANCE, CORE COMPOSITION Ruby Scarf Skye Macleod
8.
EXPLORATION OF THE SILK ROAD YEAR 12 DANCE, CORE COMPOSITION Teagan Ning Emily Mah
9.
THE ‘TO-DO LIST’ YEAR 10 DANCE, COMPOSITION AND PERFORMANCE - CREATING A DANCE WORK Miss Katrina Cluff and Year 10 Dancers Year 10 Dancers
10. WALLFLOWER YEAR 12 DANCE, MAJOR STUDY PERFORMANCE Adela Zhang
11. TRANSFORMATION YEAR 12 DANCE, MAJOR STUDY PERFORMANCE Carine Kong
12. MARIONETTE YEAR 12 DANCE, MAJOR STUDY PERFORMANCE Stella Boyle Major Study Mini Interview
13. HUNGER GAMES YEAR 12 DANCE, MAJOR STUDY PERFORMANCE Hayley Cheung
14. CONFORMITY YEAR 12 DANCE, MAJOR STUDY PERFORMANCE Ruby Scarf
15. CELLOPHANE YEAR 12 DANCE, MAJOR STUDY PERFORMANCE Teagan Ning
16. THE DAY OF THE PARTY YEAR 11 DANCE, COMPOSITION, PERFORMANCE, APPRECIATION Ms Melissa Cooper-Findlay and Year 11 Dancers Finale - Year 12 Acknowledgement
17. GRIT AND GRACE Conceptual Choreographer and Script Writer: Katrina Cluff Video and Visual Content Designer: Carlo Monaghan Photography: Daniel Boud Dance trio: Hope Cousins, Savannah Masya and Millie Tian Voice over: Emma Scott
CREDITS HEAD OF LEARNING AREA, PERFORMING ARTS MR MARCUS STAFFORD HEAD OF DANCE MISS KATRINA CLUFF SUBJECT CO-ORDINATOR MS MELISSA COOPER-FINDLAY ACADEMIC DANCE TEACHERS MS MELISSA COOPER-FINDLAY, MISS KATRINA CLUFF AND MRS KEYA PETTIGREW VET DANCE TEACHERS MS MELISSA COOPER-FINDLAY, MISS KATRINA CLUFF AND MS SAMANTHA HIBBURT CURRICULUM DANCE CAPTAIN CINDY JIN DANCE ADMINISTRATOR AND VENUE CO-ORDINATOR MRS ALYSHA MARSDEN DANCE CO-ORDINATOR – PRODUCTIONS AND PERFORMANCES MR JACKSON REEDMAN THEATRE MANAGER TONYA GRELIS THEATRE TECHNICIANS JAMES BONGERS AND ELLA DRINKWALTER LIGHTING DESIGNER MATTHEW OSBORNE
And thank you to: Pymble’s Allied Health Services for their exceptional care, support and expertise in prioritising our dancers’ physical and emotional wellbeing. Dance Parent Support Group Pymble Co-curricular Dance Teachers for inspiring our dancers and nurturing their performance and choreography skills through our Co-curricular Program. Pymble Ladies’ College Curriculum Team Pymble Foundation and Donors for the Dance Centre Support