THEATRE ARTS TOI WHAKAARI
EXPLORING A PASSION FOR PERFORMANCE
Kia ora and welcome to Theatre Arts at Rangi Ruru.
We offer the opportunity for your daughter to explore her passion, whether it’s in dance, drama or a technical and production aspect of performance. Our staff offer support and guidance to those at any stage of their theatre arts journey; from those who may be looking for a little more social confidence, to those aiming to complete Scholarship at Year 13.
Our strong curricular platform is the foundation of our highly-regarded programme, which is bolstered by our in-house expertise, extensive co-curriculum and incredible facilities including the custom-built Merivale Lane Theatre.
Theatre arts at Rangi Ruru is an outstanding opportunity for the growth and development of your daughter.
KIRSTY BELL Director of Theatre Arts
RECENT THEATRE ARTS ACHIEVEMENTS
• DanceNZ Made 2024: Rimu placed 2nd in the regional open competition; Karo placed 2nd in the Years 9 and 10 category; many students selected to perform solos at the national event and golden ticket recipients; Ava Fitzsimmons was the Year 13 Regional Champion.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
• Senior production with Christ’s College, Anything Goes
• Junior production, Madagascar JR
- A Musical Adventure
• ShowQuest Canterbury
• Dance Showcase
• 2024 Rangi Ruru PrizegivingSandstorm
THEATRE ARTS AT RANGI RURU
Dance and drama courses at Rangi Ruru are focused on building our students’ knowledge and practical skills, as well as developing an understanding of the historical context of dance styles and theatre forms.
We focus on the student as a leader of their own learning by offering standards that cater to individual needs. Working alongside ākonga to build their confidence and guide their
progress, our focus on contemporary dance styles and theatre from New Zealand and around the world provides a solid skill base and opportunities for creative expression.
With industry experience in the performing arts, our staff focus on realworld skills and have an understanding of tertiary training prospects and how the industry works.
OUR ALUMNAE
GEORGINA SCOTT
MINISTRY OF DANCE, MELBOURNE
Georgina (2016-2020) started her time at Rangi Ruru with dreams of being a CSI-style forensic scientist who did a little bit of performance on the side. In the intervening years Georgina flourished in all aspects of the performing arts, was Head of Arts in 2020 and excelled as Eva Peron in our senior production musical Evita the same year.
Being able to choose a wide range of activities is what Georgina sees as a strength of the programmes at Rangi Ruru. The way staff work collaboratively to ensure that students are able to participate in activities that have clashing practices and events has also been a huge plus. Georgina also cites the teamwork aspect in the dance companies and production cast and crew, which promotes not only the collaborative onstage aspect of performance, but the opportunities to direct, choreograph, stagemanage, design and operate sound and light for performances.
The thrill of performance balanced with the enjoyment of the process have inspired Georgina to focus on a career in performing arts, with a move to Melbourne in 2021 to study Musical Theatre at Ministry of Dance with a full-ride scholarship, based on her impressive work in her first year.
THEATRE ARTS AT RANGI RURU
CURRICULUM
Drama is a timetabled subject in Year 7 and Years 9 to 13, with a focus at the senior levels on performance standards which assist students in preparing for external assessments. Our dance programme is a timetabled subject from Years 8 to 10.
Several dance companies and clubs offer students opportunities in dance, drama and production outside of the timetabled classes from Years 7 to 13.
Students can audition for the Rimu Dance Company, Kōuka Dance Company (seniors), and Makomako Dance Company (juniors). There is also the Kawakawa Dance Company for Years 7 and 8 (no auditions required).
Other theatre arts clubs include Drama Club, Theatresports, and Stage Angels who learn about and actively contribute to backstage and production elements of performance.
PRODUCTIONS
Each year we do a senior production and a junior production. Cast, crew and orchestra are made up of students, guided by our performing arts departments. For the senior production we rehearse and cast in early February and perform mid-year for five nights to sell-out crowds. The senior production for 2025, a collaboration with Christ’s College, is Shakespeare in Love, it will be the New Zealand premier. The junior production takes place in November with auditions at the beginning of
DANCE AND DRAMA EVENTS
We strongly encourage our groups to get involved with local, regional and national events. Together with our curriculum and school-based activities, these events combine to provide a robust array of opportunities and experiences for our students.
These events all have excellent adjudicators who provide specific feedback to performers.
Some examples of events include:
• Dance companies perform in the DanceNZ Made festival held in Christchurch. Dancers can choose to do solos or duo pieces, and much of the choreography is done by students themselves, with support from Kirsty Bell.
• Year 8 students perform a piece devised by the students and Chelsea Cope in Showquest, which they work on as a part of the Year 8 dance course.
• Shakespeare Festival
• Theatre Festival
• Theatre Sports competition
OUR ALUMNAE
EDEN COTTER-LONGWORTH
STAGE MANAGER AND CREW MEMBER
Eden Cotter-Longworth was an active member of the Rangi Ruru production team, even as a student. Their highlight Our House, our 2016 co-production with Christ’s College, inspired them to continue production work as a career. Eden says that ‘the senior production environment is the most wonderful family of staff and students.’
In their final year of school, they stage managed our senior production Revenge of the Amazons, assessing their work on that against the NCEA standards in Performing Arts Technology. Eden has returned to Christchurch to work as crew on events such as the buskers festival Bread and Circus.
Having completed their Bachelor of Fine Arts in Production at Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, Eden graduated into a Stage Management role with Michael Cassel Group on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and then moved into Deputy Company Manager on Hamilton for the Australia & Aotearoa Tour in 2022-2023. Once that tour wrapped up, Eden was offered the Deputy Company Manager role for the International Tour of Hamilton, travelling to Manila, Abu
IMPORTANT DATES
FEBRUARY
Auditions for the senior production and dance companies. Sign-ups for dance and drama clubs.
APRIL
Otago University Sheilah Winn Regional Shakespeare Festival
MAY
Senior Production, Shakespeare in Love (A New Zealand premier) performed with Christ’s College
Victorian Dance Festival
JUNE
Otago University Sheilah Winn National Shakespeare Festival
Dance Showcase
JULY
DanceNZMade Regional Festival
Local TheatreFest
Regional TheatreFest
AUGUST
Auditions for the junior production
SEPTEMBER
DanceNZMade National Festival
National TheatreFest
NOVEMBER
Junior Production performed
OUR EXPERTISE
Kirsty Bell
Trained in dance in New Zealand and internationally, Bachelor of Arts in History from The University of Canterbury with a minor in Theatre and Film Director of Theatre Arts
Chelsea Cope
BPA - Bachelor of Performing Arts, majoring in musical theatre, Grad.Dip.Tchng
Head of Learning Area - Performing Arts
c.cope@rangiruru.school.nz
Rachael Schönberger
B.Mus (Hons), Grad.Dip.Tchng Teacher of Drama
r.schonberger@rangiruru.school.nz
59 Hewitts Road
Christchurch 8014
New Zealand
For further information contact
T +64 3 983 3700
E enrolments@rangiruru.school.nz