the show ! n o o g t s mu
As COVID-19 shut down activities across St Aidan’s and the broader community, all dance performances for our STAGE Dance Troupe were cancelled. Our dancers, who had spent weeks preparing and rehearsing, were suddenly unable to continue to develop and share their work. For the girls in the STAGE team, dance is about expression and communicating ideas in a way that is totally different to the rest of the activities they take part in at school. Through their participation in STAGE, students continue to develop their skills in teamwork, focus and persistence and STAGE provides an opportunity to connect with all year levels in the Senior School. During home learning in Term 2, STAGE went online. Once a week, they met online to continue to develop their performances, work on elements of new choreography and generally stay active. The team was able to connect with each other and their coach via Teams. These continuing connections were essential for personal wellbeing during isolation. As restrictions were slowly lifted, rehearsals gradually returned, and the girls have been readying their performances for the virtual world. This year STAGE has entered online dance competitions. This has given the girls the chance to perform and receive professional feedback from judges and adjudicators in a physically protected manner. Feedback and results are due later in the year and we look forward to the opportunity to continue to develop from these valuable experiences. Samantha Lee STAGE Dance Coordinator
16
huddle I spring 2020
