For as long as Dani Goodrick can remember, she has loved to dance. Now at 13 years old she is embarking on something spectacular. The Year 8 Parkes High School student has been accepted into the NSW Public Schools State Dance Ensemble, which come November, will be making an appearance at the Schools Spectacular at QUDOS Bank Arena. It will be Dani's first time performing in the prestigious production that features 5500 students from more than 370 public schools across NSW. And she couldn't be more excited for the experience. "I'm most excited about learning from new professional tutors and performing on bigger stages," Dani said. "Also dancing as a group - I don't get to dance as a group much here."
Dani is a student of the Parkes School of Dance and it was her dance teacher Cathy Acret who first suggested she apply for the Schools Spectacular. Once she was online, Dani found the school dance ensemble opportunity instead and she was quick to submit her dance competition videos, head shot and paperwork of her dancing experience. "It was a long few weeks, waiting," Dani laughed. "I was in third period at school when mum rang and told me to look at the email. She sounded happy so I thought it meant something good. I was very happy [when I read the email]. I had to go outside because I was crying."
Dani said hundreds of students between Years 7 to 12 applied for the ensemble and the final numbers were narrowed down to 32. There's a metropolitan ensemble and a regional ensemble. Dani is the second youngest of the regional group that also includes dancers from Cowra and Orange. While Dani performs classical ballet, jazz, contemporary and lyrical dance styles, the ensemble is contemporary based.
So far the experience has involved many trips to Sydney for rehearsals, her first stint taking place over a few days during the July school holidays. Students have been busily preparing dance pieces for the NSW Public Schools State Dance Festival that takes place between September 9 -13 at the Seymour Centre in Chippendale and involves 1500 students from kindergarten to Year 12. After this festival, Dani said they will learn new routines for the Schools Spectacular. "Going from a country town to the city where dancing is huge, my first rehearsal experience was different and great," she said. "The older students are very advanced so I learnt a lot from them. Everyone is really talented. It's just an amazing experience... That I get to dance with other students all over NSW."
Dani also said the experience is helping her to understand there are other regional students who have the same passion for dancing as she does. Dani has been dancing since she was three and since moving to Parkes, she's furthered her skills thanks to the experience of Cathy. "I want to be on Broadway or in the musical theatre business," she said. "I'm involved in the Parkes Musical and Dramatic Society, I love all things like that. I love music, I love the flow it brings and how we move to the music. I love that you can tell a story through movement." Dani will be rehearsing for the Schools Spectacular from November 18-21. And this year, the annual spectacle will also feature students from Bogan Gate Public School performing in the combined choir.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank the Parkes Champion Post for the article and Winkipop media for the photos.
