Secondary students shine in performing arts awards

Stars of the future have been found at the 2003 Manukau Secondary Schools Performing Arts Awards.

More than 600 people watched the finalists compete at the Lakeside Convention Centre on Saturday 30 August and were blown away by the exceptional talent displayed.

Judges Christine Bevan a Trinity Tutor, guest lecturer at Unitech and children’s choir director for Christmas in the Park, and Phil Adams from Artist Liaison International Management, manager of teenage singing sensation K’Lee, faced tough decisions in awarding over $4800 in prize money in eight categories.

Manukau City Council’s Arts Events Co-ordinator Leisa Siteine says, “The Awards promote both classic and contemporary music in individual and group categories. We have a huge amount of musical talent in Manukau and we are thrilled to give our youth the opportunity to be recognised for that and to develop their talents further.”

The winner of the Overall School category was Tamaki College who won the Classical Group Instrument with their group Bold as Brass. They also took out both the winner and runner-up places in the Classical Individual Instrumental category with superb performances from students Tasha Hohaia and Halatoa. They were also runners-up in the Dance category with their Tamaki Dance Crew.

Other schools to impress were Papatoetoe High, with Victor and Alice in the Classical Group Vocal section, Mangere College in the Contemporary Individual category, James Cook High’s Essential in the Dance category and Kingsmen from Hillary College won best Contemporary Group.

“Special thanks must go to all the tutors who assisted their students in performing to their best and to the schools who encouraged and allowed their students to enter. With talent like this in our secondary schools I can’t wait till 2004”, says Ms Siteine.

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