Dannevirke’s Origin Studio’s spring showcase delights huge crowd

Senior advanced and open Jazz dancers in full flight during the Origin Studios Spring Showcase at Dannevirke Town Hall.

Dannevirke’s Town Hall was overflowing with over 400 patrons when Origin Studios put on its annual Spring Showcase, maintaining a Dannevirke tradition going back several decades.

For many years Dannevirke’s doyenne of dance Miss Joan Irvine presented her pupils to the public as a “demonstration of their work” following their examinations.

In the early years this demonstration took place in the St Joseph’s Hall with the young dancers seated on rugs around the main body of the hall and the audience looking down on them from the stage. Irvine would present each class and talk about the syllabus covered.

With fond memories of performing at St Joseph’s themselves in 2011, sisters Sarah and Amy Macdonald instituted a similar showcase in memory of Irvine. The first Spring Showcase took place in the Fountain Theatre with demonstrations of ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and contemporary dance.

September 1 ( Irvine’s birthday) was chosen as the performance date and a scholarship was awarded in her memory.

The tiniest pre-ballet performers presented the Parachute Dance.

Senior ballet star Sarah Milham soars in a solo.

Fast forward to 2024 and the Spring Showcase has long since outgrown the Fountain Theatre and moved to the Town Hall. This year a total of 34 classes and groups took the stage with spaces given to the tiniest dancers as well as senior soloists.

Origin Studios Musical Theatre group presented 'You’re Welcome' from last year’s production of 'Moana' featuring Benson Te Huki.

This year has also seen the addition of “acro(batic) dance” and “musical theatre classes at Origin Studios and the musical theatre number You’re Welcome from last year’s production of Moana was the highlight of the show.

In 2024, examination attire and classical ballet “buns” have given way to tracksuits, tutus and tiaras with a programme encompassing six dance genres.

This level one group reflected their love of hip hop.

Colourful costumes, clever choreography and some excellent lighting effects meant this show has become more than “a demonstration of work”.

Irvine envisaged a chance for every young dancer to have a moment in the spotlight. On the day, a huge crowd of whānau, swelled by the fact it was also Father’s Day, were thoroughly thrilled by the show which ran from 3pm until 5pm. One grandparent was heard to say as he left the town hall he “could have stayed for another two hours”.

At the end of the show, scholarships were presented to Amelia McKavanagh, Tatyana Field-Allan and Zoe Kite with the prestigious Joan Irvine Memorial Scholarship going to Montana Moses.

The ballet students from Origin Studios went on over the next two days to be examined by legendary Royal Academy of Dancing judge Lynne Hareson and performed very well.