Extra effort has all been worth while

Rotorua Boys High School Stage Challenge 2013. FILE

Students at Rotorua Boys' High School are stepping out of their comfort zone and preparing to take on new challenges at the 2015 Stage Challenge competition.

This year, the Year 13 leaders made the decision to forgo their usual "raw" performance in favour of "going the whole distance".

One of the student leaders, Tamahauiti Potaka, 17, says the decision is not one taken lightly. "In previous years, we have entered the raw division, which is mainly about the dancing and doesn't have all the props and intense costumes, but this year we thought: why don't we go the whole distance and do the big production?

"This will be the first year we've entered the open division, so there was a bit of pressure. But we decided it was time to push ourselves and go bigger and better."

He says it was difficult to get the boys on board at first but eventually it all came together.

"There have been challenges, and probably some that would have been specific to us being an all-boys school, but the performance we have created has been worth it.

"One of the challenges was trying to recruit the boys but, once they realised what we planned to do and how it would be executed, they got into it," he said.

"Many of the dancers are in the junior years, so it is cool to know they will continue on this tradition and break down the idea that 'boys don't do Stage Challenge'."

Tamahauiti says the theme encompasses the boys' school spirit and young audience members will be able to connect with the meaning of the theme.