Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) won the Southland/Central Otago Regional Showquest Competition at the Civic Theatre in Invercargill on Monday (June 9).

The MAC team was also awarded Excellence in Dance, Recognition in Music, and Recognition in Art; and year 13 student Mila Culpitt was named Whetū Rangatahi (Star of the Show). 

MAC's piece - ‘Wahine Toa’ - was a journey through the history, resilience and leadership of four pioneering women representing the past, present and future of Aotearoa. 

“We chose the Wahine Toa theme because we wanted to honour the powerful women in New Zealand’s history who fought for justice and equality,” MAC team co-leader Grace Thomas (year 13) told the Wānaka App.

MAC team co-leaders Grace Thomas (front left) and Mila Culpitt (right).

“Telling the stories of four pioneering wahine (women) was our way of showing that the journey towards equity is something we all share. We wanted to connect the past with the present, and remind everyone that the steps we take today are built on the courage and unity of the women who came before us.” 

Showquest is a nationwide performing arts competition in which students present original stage performances combining art, music, dance, drama, culture and technology. The creation and execution of performance pieces is entirely student-led.

MAC’s cast and crew comprised 58 students from years 7 to 13, and included experienced dancers as well as students performing on stage for the first time. The Showquest team was led by Grace and Mila.

Mila Culpitt, who was named Star of the Show.

The pioneering women were performed by Ruby Keene (Kate Edgar), Olive Sinclair (Dame Whina Cooper), Hannah Gillespie (Dame Jacinda Ardern), and Mila Culpitt (Kate Sheppard); the choreographers were Olive Sinclair, Mila Culpitt, Hannah Gillespie, Mikayla Duncan, and Holly Fitzgerald; and the stage manager was Kate Wilkes. 

Students were supported by MAC drama teacher Lisa Clough and arts coordinator Joanna Hewson-Williams.

The performance included original dance choreography across five types of dance: contemporary, lyrical, neo-classical, hip hop and jazz, as well as student-produced music, voice-overs, visuals and lighting. 

Mila said it was a highlight watching as the performance came together.

“I really enjoyed participating in Showquest because our performance was meaningful and powerful, shining a light on the strong women who have paved the way for us today,” Mila said.

Fifty-eight MAC students were involved in creating and performing the winning show.

“It also brought our school community together, uniting juniors and seniors and creating a new community of people that all share the same love for dance.” 

Grace said the team grew in confidence and together they turned their vision “into a performance we could all be proud of”. 

A video of MAC’s performance will be submitted for judging in the national (online) final. 

PHOTOS: Supplied