Westminster Dancers Shine at the Adelaide Festival
Mass Movement
Twelve talented students from Westminster’s acclaimed dance program took to the stage this month, performing in MASS MOVEMENT, a large-scale production that was part of the Adelaide Festival’s opening weekend.
Co-commissioned by The Australian Ballet and the Adelaide Festival, MASS MOVEMENT saw 1,000 volunteer and professional dancers, between the ages of 12 to 88 years, take to Elder Park’s natural amphitheatre for a performance, captivating thousands of spectators.
Led by renowned choreographer Stephanie Lake and performed to an original score by composer Robin Fox, the performance gave students from Westminster’s Dance Collective an extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with Australian industry artists and members of the vibrant South Australian dance community.
Westminster Dance Captain, Gabby Pitt, described the experience as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"I have never danced alongside 1,000 people before. It was truly incredible to work with such a diverse range of performers, each bringing their own unique style and energy to the stage,” she said.
“I feel incredibly privileged to have danced alongside so many talented performers, all from very different backgrounds.”
For Stage 2 Dance student Isla Begg, the challenge of performing for 25-minutes pushed her artistic limits.
"Staying in sync with so many dancers for such a long period of time, required deep focus and connection to the music—it was an experience unlike any other."
Westminster School's Head of Dance, Sophie Wilson, and Secondary Dance Teacher, Emma Leggett, also took to the stage.
"It has been some time since either of us have performed in an industry work, but to be part of a production of this scale, performing alongside our students and reuniting with members of the wider dance community, was an extraordinary experience—one we will remember for a long time."
“This performance not only highlights Westminster’s exceptional dance talent but also reinforced the School’s commitment to providing students with world-class artistic opportunities beyond the classroom.”
Westminster’s audition-based Dance Collective is made up of performers from a variety of artistic backgrounds, including contemporary, ballet, jazz, tap, rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, aerial silks and acrobatics.
For further information on Dance at Westminster, please visit our website.
Event photography: ABS Creative & Morgan Sette
Rehearsal photography: Roy Vandervegt