Aboriginal dance ensemble

Schools involved in the Aboriginal dance ensemble will be selected via the following process:

1. Record video audition

Schools are asked to present a dance or movement sequence that will allow the audition panel to assess student movement ability, performance quality, and skills in spatial awareness. Schools are also invited to include musical elements in this year’s application.

Items should be no more than 1 minute and 30 seconds in length. The sequence may represent traditional and/or non-traditional Aboriginal dance and music or a combination of both.

2. Upload the video and submit an application form

• The Schools Spectacular Aboriginal dance ensemble is open to students in Years 7 to 12 from NSW Public Schools who are from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background.
• Aboriginal dance ensemble groups must be made up of no more than 16 students. Only the number of students present in the video will be considered.
• The entire group may not be selected. The exact numbers accepted for your group will be notified upon acceptance.
• All students must be present in the video. Students should be rotated during the audition item so that all students are in the foreground at some stage during the video.
• Audition videos need to be uploaded to YouTube and the video link submitted with the application form. For assistance with uploading your video, please refer to the How to upload a video to YouTube guide.

3. Confirmation email

The contact teacher will receive a confirmation email once the application has been submitted, and the school principal will be notified to endorse the application.

4. Notification of results

All applicants will be notified of their results by Term 2 Week 9.

The costume and prop fee will be $150 per student.

Costume costs will be direct debited from the student's school. Students will need to pay the costume fee directly to their school once notified of their acceptance into the production.

Some assistance may be available for students with financial hardship in extenuating circumstances. Following discussions with the school, if students require further support, please email enquiries to schoolsspectacular@det.nsw.edu.au.

• Please do not submit a video of the students in a performance (such as a school performance or presentation night or dance festival). Please submit a current video.
• Audition videos should be filmed in a school hall or dance classroom with normal room lighting.
• Where possible, students should be dressed in form-fitting dance clothes – not school uniforms or sports uniforms.
• Where possible, students should either dance in bare feet or wear proper dance shoes or sneakers – not dance in school shoes.
• It is beneficial for the panel to see dancers in groups doing both a standing sequence as well as a travelling sequence.
• Please film your video in a room with the window or doorway covered so that light from outside doesn’t interfere with the quality of the video.

For more audition tips, visit Top tips for auditioning.

• All students at the Schools Spectacular must be supervised by a teacher at all times.
• Schools must provide a supervising teacher for the following categories: combined dance, combined choir, specialist ensembles, Aboriginal dance ensemble and D’Arts ensemble students.
• Each group will require their own supervising teacher, even if they are from the same school.
• Relief for supervising teachers is the responsibility of the school.
• Teachers are encouraged to provide active supervision at all times and support the production team during rehearsals and the show week.