Wakakirri

As previously mentioned I attended a concert on Wednesday night at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre to watch my niece perform. Wakakirri is a national festival that celebrates learning via the creation and sharing of stories. To enter the Wakakirri challenge schools create stories using dance, creative movement, acting, song and film to be performed, screened and displayed to audiences across Australia.

The show I watched on Wednesday was a part of this festival, but basically it was a glorified school concert. Not to be derogatory, but my expectations of school concerts are fairly low. I expect to be entertained, and for there to be some talented performers, but overall I know it's going to be a bit lame. They are just children after all. There are exceptions of course but generally, one knows what they are going to get at a school concert, and really, attendance is more about providing support and encouragement for the children, especially those to whom you are related.

Nine schools performed on Wednesday night and most of them were quite fun to watch. I couldn't help admire the amount of work that had gone in to the creation of these dance stories: the costumes, props, choreography and music. A few of the performances stood out, but one of them actually made me cry. It was very dramatic and moving. Overall, I was surprised by the quality and I left on a high, before heading to McDonalds for a sundae with my daughter.

Some of the young performers I watched at Wakakirri may go on to careers in the entertainment industry. I wish them well, and I thank them all for entertaining me, especially Macquarie Fields Public School for moving me.

What has been the best 'school concert' you've seen?

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