Cobar High School students will be joining more than 5,000 stars at the 2018 Schools Spectacular to be staged at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney later this month.
This year’s Schools Spectacular ensemble includes 40 Featured Performers, an incredible 100-piece symphony orchestra, a stage band, 2,700-voice choir, 2,300 amazing dancers, the D’Arts Ensemble disability program, the Aboriginal Dance Company, puppets and an indispensable behind-the-scenes team.
Cobar High School teacher Alex Hernando is Cobar High’s Schools Spectacular coordinator and said everyone is very excited about this year’s event.
“We have 10 students involved this year and two students are participating for the first time,” Ms Hernando said.
“Nine students are a part of the Combined High Schools Dance Ensemble and will be Dancing in a segment dedicated to famous Australian singers and five of these students will also be performing in the Aboriginal Dance Ensemble.
“Bella Coughlan was selected in the Aboriginal Company that is compromised of the top Aboriginal dancers in the state,” she said.
“This year the combined dancers have been learning their routine over video conferencing (VC), which is extremely different and challenging in a positive way for them all!” Ms Hernando said.
Cobar High was one of four schools in the state to live VC into Qudos Bank Arena last Monday, and joined in the media launch of Schools Spec 2018 with Channel 7 and Telstra, the event’s major sponsor.
“The students are working very hard at school to practice their movements as they only have one rehearsal with the rest of the students in their segment which is almost 500 kids on the dance floor at the same time!” Ms Hernando said.
“They will dance with them all only twice before performing to the live audiences, compared to metro schools who have already had two or more rehearsals with all the other students involved.
“The show this year will be ‘The Greatest’ by far,” she said.
Schools Spectacular Creative Director, Sonja Sjolander agrees this year’s Schools Spectacular is sure to live up to its theme: The Greatest.
“This year’s show has moment after moment of greatness,” Ms Sjolander said.
“From incredible solo moments to powerful massed forces, the Schools Spectacular will sweep you off your feet.
“You cannot help but be inspired by these incredible young artists each giving their all.”
In addition to the show, the tens of thousands who will go to Qudos Bank Arena for this year’s four performances, will also be entertained by SpecFest which presents a carnival of displays, food and talented performances in the area outside the arena.
