In One Act
Entertainment Reporter BOB LE BILLDEUX
So You Think You Can Dance, Australian Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Australia’s Got Talent and even Red Faces have been able to attract huge audiences on TV but that is Free. Would we pay to see the same thing live? Apparently not going by the dismally small – off the street – audience at Her Majesty’s over the last three months.
When did you last go to a Live Performance and I don’t mean going to see a bar brawl or a pub band. Where you have performers coming from afar as Launceston, Perth, Sydney and even Mt.Gambier.
Nearly every day during August, September and October at various venues but principally Her Majesty’s Theatre the Royal South Street Society hold their Annual Talent Quest.
Admittedly the word ‘Eisteddfod’ conjures up the thought of amateur performances. However in amongst the 40,000 participants performing in 10,000 individual acts there were, and I’m afraid I missed about 9,800 of them, some extraordinarily talented seniors, children and young people.
I’d missed the August performances by the time I even found out about RSSS (for some strange reason they stick Bagpipes out in February) so I wasn’t able to get to the Brass Bands, Pianoforte and Instrumentals. All that was left was Stage Bands, Dance and Calisthenics.
I was certainly not interested in the under 10 performers such as the under 6 Tap Solo or Song and Dance Solo. I think I’d rather be ‘mulesed’ by Maxine than to be forced to cohabitate with a crowd of Stage Mums egging their offspring to perform well beyond their capacity.
The first performances I was able to see were the Intermediate Concert Bands from High Schools and Colleges from all over the State. I wasn’t disappointed by their performances considering their age but it would have been nice to hear some counter melody or harmony.
The next I got to was the ‘Young Prize’ for Choral works old and new. There were no groups from this District that I’m aware of which was a bit sad considering we have a Choral Group in Woady Yaloak who would have given those performing a run for their money.
A week later I sat through Modern Solo 10 under 12. I was impressed by the ability of the dancers to put some life into the dreariest music I have ever had the misfortune to have to sit through. Think worse than Celine Dionne or Barry Manilow. Thankfully the music was nearly drowned out by the constant clicking of knitting needles coming from the stalls. I was later to find out it was actually the clashing of Talons between the Mothers in the front row.
Why is it that dancers have to have their hair pulled back so tight in a bun that you can almost hear the creaking of the roots? A few girls could only have been described as anorexic and should really have interpreted Saint Saens ‘Danse Macabre’.
Stage presentation could have been better, the choreographers are to be blamed for this not the kids’. This varied from just walking on and off through to gliding sideways into the wings somewhat like a showground duck in a shooting gallery. One girl literally flew off into the wings so fast I don’t she would have stopped until she hit Sturt Street.
What nearly brought me to tears of joy was a performance by one of the smallest competitors when she interpreted ‘Memories’ and almost brought to my feet by a ‘barely out of nappies’ brother and sister act flawlessly impersonating Fred Astaire and Shirley Temple.
In the Solo Tap and Dance for 10 but under 12 one wonders why a boy, built like a Rugby Forward chose to perform ‘I Like To Wear A Dress’ (and did). Was the number his choice or some disappointed Mother? Now that’s G.U.T.S for you.
Congratulations to Emma Rix of Ross Creek who achieved 1st Place in Country Music Solo and an Honourable Mention in Contemporary Vocal Solo.
I’m now looking forward to the competition entitled ‘Impromptu Telephone Conversation’
I’d like to go on about the ‘Nijinsky’ but that will have to wait until after the Christmas break.. Godfrey has been off his trolley this month. Hopefully he will come to his senses for the Christmas Issue. There will now be a short Interval.
Entertainment Reporter BOB LE BILLDEUX
So You Think You Can Dance, Australian Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Australia’s Got Talent and even Red Faces have been able to attract huge audiences on TV but that is Free. Would we pay to see the same thing live? Apparently not going by the dismally small – off the street – audience at Her Majesty’s over the last three months.
When did you last go to a Live Performance and I don’t mean going to see a bar brawl or a pub band. Where you have performers coming from afar as Launceston, Perth, Sydney and even Mt.Gambier.
Nearly every day during August, September and October at various venues but principally Her Majesty’s Theatre the Royal South Street Society hold their Annual Talent Quest.
Admittedly the word ‘Eisteddfod’ conjures up the thought of amateur performances. However in amongst the 40,000 participants performing in 10,000 individual acts there were, and I’m afraid I missed about 9,800 of them, some extraordinarily talented seniors, children and young people.
I’d missed the August performances by the time I even found out about RSSS (for some strange reason they stick Bagpipes out in February) so I wasn’t able to get to the Brass Bands, Pianoforte and Instrumentals. All that was left was Stage Bands, Dance and Calisthenics.
I was certainly not interested in the under 10 performers such as the under 6 Tap Solo or Song and Dance Solo. I think I’d rather be ‘mulesed’ by Maxine than to be forced to cohabitate with a crowd of Stage Mums egging their offspring to perform well beyond their capacity.
The first performances I was able to see were the Intermediate Concert Bands from High Schools and Colleges from all over the State. I wasn’t disappointed by their performances considering their age but it would have been nice to hear some counter melody or harmony.
The next I got to was the ‘Young Prize’ for Choral works old and new. There were no groups from this District that I’m aware of which was a bit sad considering we have a Choral Group in Woady Yaloak who would have given those performing a run for their money.
A week later I sat through Modern Solo 10 under 12. I was impressed by the ability of the dancers to put some life into the dreariest music I have ever had the misfortune to have to sit through. Think worse than Celine Dionne or Barry Manilow. Thankfully the music was nearly drowned out by the constant clicking of knitting needles coming from the stalls. I was later to find out it was actually the clashing of Talons between the Mothers in the front row.
Why is it that dancers have to have their hair pulled back so tight in a bun that you can almost hear the creaking of the roots? A few girls could only have been described as anorexic and should really have interpreted Saint Saens ‘Danse Macabre’.
Stage presentation could have been better, the choreographers are to be blamed for this not the kids’. This varied from just walking on and off through to gliding sideways into the wings somewhat like a showground duck in a shooting gallery. One girl literally flew off into the wings so fast I don’t she would have stopped until she hit Sturt Street.
What nearly brought me to tears of joy was a performance by one of the smallest competitors when she interpreted ‘Memories’ and almost brought to my feet by a ‘barely out of nappies’ brother and sister act flawlessly impersonating Fred Astaire and Shirley Temple.
In the Solo Tap and Dance for 10 but under 12 one wonders why a boy, built like a Rugby Forward chose to perform ‘I Like To Wear A Dress’ (and did). Was the number his choice or some disappointed Mother? Now that’s G.U.T.S for you.
Congratulations to Emma Rix of Ross Creek who achieved 1st Place in Country Music Solo and an Honourable Mention in Contemporary Vocal Solo.
I’m now looking forward to the competition entitled ‘Impromptu Telephone Conversation’
I’d like to go on about the ‘Nijinsky’ but that will have to wait until after the Christmas break.. Godfrey has been off his trolley this month. Hopefully he will come to his senses for the Christmas Issue. There will now be a short Interval.
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