BACKRangitoto College was delighted to be back on stage again in Term 2. After over a year of no live events, performances, and competitions, our co-curricular dance students finally took to the stage at the National Dance Challenge. Held at Westlake Girls High School, this fantastic event housed schools from all over Auckland and further afield. Students from our Overture Ballet Troupe, Magnum Company, Magnum Combined Troupe, and Hip Hop Mega Crew all competed at the competition. Our students represented their school, and community, with pride and integrity and also managed to come away with outstanding results.
Magnum Combined Troupe placed third in the Jazz Division, Magnum Company placed second in the contemporary division, Hip Hop Mega Crew placed second in the hip hop division, and Overture Ballet Troupe placed first in the lyrical division.
Overture Ballet Troupe won the Student Choreography award—led by Nicole Aley and Suao Asada, and Overture Ballet Troupe won the highest scoring dance team and were the overall winners of the school division for 2022.
A very big congratulations to all students involved in the event and it was wonderful to see our dancers back on stage, in costume, and doing what they love. A special thank you to our student leaders for their creativity, energy, and hard work; Nicole Aley, Suao Asada, Hannah Finley, Olive Mortimer, Sophia Snelgrove, Jennifer Liu, Kiera Hawkins, and Amelia Ullrich.
“Having been a part of Overture Ballet Troupe our whole college experience, it has been amazing to watch how much it has developed over the years. Not only has the number of auditionees doubled in size since 2018, but the talent across the board also continues to inspire us. Furthermore, leading the Overture Ballet Troupe in both 2021 and 2022 has taught us so much as leaders and as dancers. We have learnt so many valuable and applicable skills through our time in leading ballet—from time management to choreography skills and teamwork. We were beyond proud to see our choreography and vision come to life on the National Dance Challenge stage, especially after a very rough couple of years due to Covid-19. We are so grateful to be able to create such an accommodating environment for the dancers and to watch the students thrive. We feel very lucky to be a part of such a strong dance department that offers such incredible opportunities for students within Rangitoto College.”
Nicole Aley and Suao Asada, Year 13
