An excited group of staff and students has recently returned from Iona Presentation College’s inaugural New York Tour.
Director of Performing Arts, Matthew Aris, said 11 drama and six dance students were accompanied by two staff members on a trip that was 12 months in the planning.
“The idea of the tour was not only to absorb the New York culture but to gain exposure to workshops, auditions and make contact with people who are currently working in productions and to gain an insight on what it takes to make it in the business,” Mr Aris said.
“Our students had the privilege of working with Donna Marie-Ashbury, a 15-year veteran from the Broadway hit Chicago. The girls learnt a dance routine with her, before seeing the stage performance a couple of days later.”
Other highlights included the Dance students having three workshops at the Alvin Ailey Dance Company before having the unique opportunity to audition for the New York City Ballet.
Concurrently, the Drama students studied improvisation and the Meisner Technique with Ted Bardy, and a workshop on Shakespeare with director Andrew Goldberg.
“One of our students reflected after the workshops that ‘this is more than talent – it is about attitude and persistence. If you want this then eventually you can achieve your goal. No question. It’s a matter of time’ and we hope that this snippet of New York they have seen may well set the scene for bigger and brighter things to come,” Mr Aris said.
The girls also, of course, loved walking across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, watching Perth born actor and composer Tim Minchin’s Matilda – The Musical as well as taking in the views from the Empire State Building and visiting the Metropolitan Museum.