Award-winning performances by singers, dancers and actors made the annual Junior Bytes and Arts Alive concerts highlights of the school year.
Many of the items chosen for the showcase had won prizes at Auckland and New Zealand competitions earlier in 2017, including Year 9 Drama student Ollie Blyth’s performance in a scene from Shakespeare’s The Tempest (left), the Jazz Band’s rendition of Folau A Sii Tamai Ofa, and the Mega Crew’s original hip hop dance.
Junior students presented their show on Tuesday, 26 September and Seniors the following evening, both at the Centennial Theatre at Auckland Grammar School. Each was a showcase of the best performances of the year from subject assessments and public offerings.
They included singer-songwriter Jenna Ackerman, who won the People’s Choice Award in the Auckland Smokefree Rockquest, and was named among the top 10 in New Zealand; the Moon Stars Chamber Group, which won a national award for an original composition; and a modern-day interpretation of a scene from Shakespeare’s King Lear, for which Arien Okan won Best Student Director and Best Set Design at the Auckland Sheilah Winn Festival.
The ever-popular Prefects’ Dance added a fun element to Arts Alive.
Headmaster Mr Patrick Drumm presented our top Performing Arts students with Junior Arts Badges and the Senior Arts Lions at the conclusion of each show.