Swag of awards for Tullawong at eisteddfod

Tullawong State High School earned a top-placing as well as a series of runner-up and other top-four placings in the recent Sunshine Coast Dance Eisteddfod at The Events Centre in Caloundra.

Tullawong State High School involved in Be a 212, which earned a third placing at the Sunshine Coast Dance Eisteddfod. Photo credit: Move Photography.

Competing in the secondary schools category, Tullawong featured about 50 students from years 8 to 12 as the Caboolture-based school was among more than 70 public and private schools at the two-day event.

The school-based dance troupes came from south-east Queensland as well as interstate for the annual dance competition which has become one of the largest in the nation.

Tullawong achieved first place for ‘Handmaids Tale’, a contemporary dance work based on the Margaret Atwood novel.

The Caboolture-based school achieved second place for ‘Tennis’, ‘Hip Hop’ and ‘Moulin Rouge’, as well as third for ‘Be a 212’ and fourth for ‘That Beautiful Sound’.

‘Tennis’ was a novelty dance featuring a fun look at the game of tennis; ‘Hip Hop’ was choreographed by former Tullawong student Jason Weiland; ‘Moulin Rouge’ was a broadway dance work about the iconic Parisian theatre; ‘Be a 212’ was commercial jazz dance work; ‘That Beautiful Sound’ was musical theatre dance work from Beetle Juice, the movie and musical.

Tullawong’s dance staff comprised Zoe Wells, Monique Kennedy, Natasha King and Chantelle Currie while the dance captains were Zac, Charlee, Ciana and Lizzie.

The head of the arts department at Tullawong State High School, Ms Wells said the students were very supportive of one another and ensured that they worked as a team to achieve their shared goal.

“The dance captains led the teams to victory through their strong leadership skills,” she said.

Ms Wells said the students began training in January and rehearsed for about 10 hours each week; before and after school, on weekends and during school holidays.

“The dance performance team is an elite competition team that works at a high level to prepare for eisteddfods,” she said.

“Students train with the expectations of pre-professional dancers including attendance, commitment and level of competency and ability.

“All students are passionate about performing on stage and sharing their dance works with the audience and community.

“Students enjoy the process of both preparing for the eisteddfods and performing.”

Ms Wells said receiving the awards was “a huge testament to the students’ hard work and all of the sacrifices” which the Tullawong students and staff made to ensure they were performance-ready for the eisteddfod.

“Staff were incredibly proud of the students when they received their results,” Ms Wells said.

“The students in the dance performance team are incredibly hard-working, dedicated, committed and supportive of one another.

“The performance team is accepted by audition only, so students in the team are working at a very high level of ability in their dance technique and performance skills.”