Kaikoura High School has had another successful year at the Stage Challenge show this year, with the group of dancing students bringing home five separate awards.

The show was held on Thursday, May 10, in Christchurch at the CBS Arena and 61 Kaikoura students took part across all year groups.

They were involved in every aspect of putting on the show, from performing to lighting, hair and makeup.

Kate Summerton was the student producer this year, and Joanna Stevenson, Jordan Boot and Catherine Adair took on the role of student choreographers.

The theme, chosen by the students, explored sexuality, drawing inspiration from the It Gets Better Project, an internet-based project founded in the United States by Dan Savage and Terry Miller, in 2010.

The project was started in response to the suicides of teenagers who were bullied because they were gay or because peers suspected that they were gay, and its goal is to prevent suicide among troubled youth.

Kaikoura's performance impressed the judges in five areas, and the school was awarded certificates of excellence in visual enhancement, soundtrack, concept, environmental or social awareness, and health, life skills and creative thinking.

Teacher Sarah McLeod said the school's involvement had been made possible through funding from Whale Watch Kaikoura, Kaikoura Charitable Trust, Kaikoura Creative Communities, and the Lions Club of Seaward Kaikoura.

The support of dance teacher Piera Fromm, from Soul Studio, was also invaluable, she said, as she gave a lot of her time to assist with the production as well as letting the performers use her studio in the buildup to the competition.

The Stage Challenge competition is held in 13 venues nationwide, and involves 200 schools, 17,000 participants and an audience of 25,000 people.

It is part of a global event involving dance, design and drama, reflecting the personalities, concerns, hopes, dreams and interests of students. Each performance must run for between five and eight minutes and is set to music tracks.

Avonside Girls came first overall on the night, with Lincoln High coming a close second.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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