Ava Te Huki with her Grade 4 Ballet friends sings and dances Castle on a Cloud in Origin Studios’ production of Les Miserables, performed at Dannevirke Town Hall.
Ava Te Huki with her Grade 4 Ballet friends sings and dances Castle on a Cloud in Origin Studios’ production of Les Miserables, performed at Dannevirke Town Hall.
Review
By Dave Murdoch
What a show to mess with your emotions! Those who helped fill the Dannevirke Town Hall for the Origin Studios Production ’24 were transported by dance to periods of great joy and equally great misery as the two parts of the show - Wonka and Les Miserables - were performed twice.
Ballet dancers representing Candy Floss in Origin Studios' production Wonka, performed at Dannevirke Town Hall.
The choice of these two reflected the wish of director Amy Macdonald-Te Huki to highlight her huge number of junior dancers and also to acknowledge the enormous depth of dance experience built up over 10+ years by her seniors, 10 of whom are about to move on to careers throughout the world.
Cute beginning ballet students are guided through Oompa Loompa in Origin Studios' production of Wonka performed at Dannevirke Town Hall.
Grade 3 and Pre-elementary Jazz dance Sweet Tooth in Origin Studios' production Wonka, performed at Dannevirke Town Hall.
Wonka was a very cheerful show telling of the success of Willy Wonka through the sale of delicious chocolate and other confectionaries “one delectable bite at a time”.
Each group of dancers, beautifully attired to illustrate a particular sweet, took their turn under the watchful eye of Wonka, played beautifully by Tessa Higginson to perform tap, jazz, hip hop, ballet and acro to the delight of everyone. There were lollipops, marshmallows, snowflakes, candyfloss and even a whole chocolate fountain.
The audience went to half-time charmed and encouraged to partake of something sweet to prepare for the second half.
Open Jazz students perform At the End of the Day in Origin Studios’ production of Les Miserables, performed at Dannevirke Town Hall.
Senior Tap belts out rhythm to Master of the House in Origin Studios’ production of Les Miserables, performed at Dannevirke Town Hall.
Les Miserables is a story of great pathos as individuals face lives full of challenges and even tragedy. Amy chose the story to challenge her most senior dancers to portray in dance their experiences and, backed by a soundtrack comprising some of the most moving and powerful songs written for musical theatre, she pulled it off.
A mixture of individual roles and group items had the audience on an emotional rollercoaster from lament (At the End of the Day) to wishful dreams (Castle on a Cloud) to defiance (Do You Hear The People Sing) to tragic loss (Empty Chairs and Empty Tables) to disillusionment (One Day More).
Luckily the show also included some lighter numbers carefully placed to lift the mood like Lovely Ladies and Master of the House.
