2015 – The year that was...AWESOME!!!

As we look back on 2015 I am overwhelmed with what a beautiful year it was. We opened at new schools, new venues and met so many new students. Current students thrived and we awarded over 300 students with medals, trophies and certificates at the end of year productions.

Term 1 saw a new teacher join our team – and the energy and passion she brought to each lesson inspired everyone who met her. 

Term 2 Presentations were better than ever and the students hit  a home run with their performance.

Olivedale Youth at their 2015 Production Photo Shoot

Roodepoort Theatre

Audience Members waiting in anticipation for the show to start

A few of the awards we gave out in 2015

Fourways Gardens students rehearsing for their shows

Arts Fest Teenagers receiving their Arts Fest Shirts

Arts Fest Rehearsals

Cliffview Primary Students performing at their Parent Presentations

Our Holiday Arts Fest was better than ever this year and over the two weeks the ‘Rock’ themed ‘Drama Camp’  got the students acting, singing and dancing. We ended the Fest off with a wonderful Performance by our 5-18 year olds that really rocked.

Term 3 and 4 were full of skills and stage technique work that culminated in our end of year Productions held at the Roodepoort Theatre. What a year it was!!! A massive ‘BRAVO’ to our teachers, students and parents who helped make 2015 such a success!

What Term 2 has in store!!!

Term 1 is behind us and so is the many April holidays that threatened our rehearsal schedules for term 2 presentations! The teachers and I have sighed a great big breath of relief :) now we can get down to business and help our students prepare for their presentations. Parent presentations are just any type of presentations-it's a jam-packed event where all Helen O'Grady students get to show off their talent and creativity using their voices, bodies, faces and personalities :) we have a wonderful schedule planned so that parents can really see what their kids have been up to in class. We're so excited!!!
This year we'll also be helping out Kids Haven again with their pack-a-sack campaign, call me on 0834102940 if you'd like to get involved!!!

Creating a new Perspective!

Last night we opened in a very stormy Joburg west rand! Despite the disastrous weather the show went on and our students performed wonderfully well! Our teenagers from Cliffview brought me to tears with their excellent performance of the Helen O'Grady play 'Perspectives'.
It's amazing what a bunch of grade 7 girls were able to create with a bunch of sticks! They moved the audience to think about some serious issues that as a nation need to address! Their teacher Megan did an outstanding job at directing this physical theatre piece!
Tonight out students from Randpark, Strubensvalley and Blairgowrie will perform at the Roodepoort Theatre-yay!

2013 Productions-Theatre Experience Week

Our Academy launched their Theatre Experience week today! Students from all our studios across Joburg North West get to have their last drama lesson in the theatre and spend the hour exploring the theatre, having a photo shoot and doing a technical run through on stage. The Roodepoort Theatre is magnificent and its a real treat for each student to experience the magic of this establishment :)
We have a busy week ahead of us with over 24 classes coming along to their classes in stage-then productions start of Thursday night. It's going to be a real treat for everyone involved.

Dress up costume Days

The Academy has been having such fun dressing up each week. At the start of the term each student received a list of what they need to dress up in each week. By doing this we're teaching our students to research certain eras, people and styles. We have also asked them to get creative at home rather than going out an buying a costume. Our drama students have outdone themselves :) last week was my personal favourite week as it was our 1980s dress up week!!! Take a look at the Randpark students...awesome!!!

Randpark Presentations

Our Randpark studio is extremely popular as the students in this area are committed to their drama lessons and the wonderful benefits of our programme. This term our 9-12 year olds rehearsed really hard and eventually performed for their parents at the end of the term. This bright young group were outstanding... Here is a few pics of our rehearsal process ...
It was all about the City... And we're pretty experienced from living in Gauteng.

Arts Fest 2-2012

Today is the last day of our second Arts Fest for this year! So far we've had great fun creating plays, works shopping scenes, learning to dance and making masks-it's been full of fun and exciting activities. Here is a pic of some of the students at lunch break, Erin was super happy to meet two new friends, who she found out attend the same school as her!


This year we ran the classes at Norscot Recreation Centre in fourways.

Meet a Peep!!!

Today we launched our 'Meet a Peep' update! What is this I hear you ask? Well basically we will be blogging about our students!

Today's student is the fantastically lovely Fantine Nel.

Fantine is 16 years old and lives in Roodepoort. She's been with the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy for the past 2.5 years and attends the Randpark Youth Theatre on Fridays from5-6pm. When asked about drama and why she does it, Fantine said:
"I love that you can live outside lines, do crazy thing and it's totally acceptable".

I'm Fantines teacher and I love teaching her. She has developed her acting skills very quickly and every week she impresses the class with her creative ideas and outstanding performances. What a wonderfully enthusiastic and focused drama student :)

Blairgowrie class goes on a river cruise ;)

Today we had such a great time in drama! With the help of the students we put together an improvisation called "The River Cruise". The students were given the opportunity to use their imaginations and cruise down the Nile River exploring its magnificence! Here is a pic of our wonderful actors finishing the scene off with a freeze-we were all relieved that we weren't eaten by crocodiles! The classes in Blairgowrie run at the recreation centre from 4-5pm every Tuesday. SMS 0834102940 for a free trial lesson!!!

Arts Fest 2012

Every year the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy runs their Arts Fest. The activities we line up are always different as we strive to expose the kids to lots of different dramatic art forms , techniques and genres. This year we focused on Greek Theatre and mythology. We explored the way theatre was back in ancient Greece and we created characters too. Besides the many improvisations that the students created, we also made Greek masks, explored contemporary dance, learnt song writing techniques, had fun in a rhythm workshop, and put together a poor theatre production-it was jam-packed. We're planning on running a week long Arts Fest again at the end of August-contact Kerry Holbrook on 0834102940 to book a spot :)

5 years of Drama - that says something, surely?

Its been 5 years since we opened our classes in 2008! We have met so many awesome students over the years; some arrive hating their parents for forcing them to do this 'lame' activity, others arrive ready to take on whatever is thrown at them. No matter how the students arrives; I know that by the end of the year they will be standing on stage feeling absolutely exhilarated from conquering their nerves and performing their hearts outs at Productions. That feeling of complete fulfilment, pride and confidence is one that does not come easily for anyone...but its a guaranteed feeling at productions!!! Over the past 5 years I have seen over 1000 students conquer that stage and thus conquer their nerves and fear; and every time I see them bowing for their audience I witness their smiles of joy. We have said goodbye to a few of our students over the years :( Who could ever forget our Youth Theatre cast for "The kidnapping of Kitty O'Hara"...many have left to become young adults in the very scary world that we live in; and although I was sad to say goodbye, I know that they are going out into the world as confident, self-assured and fear-conquering individuals!

Rand Park/Boskruin Studio jam-packed with students

The Helen O'Grady Drama Academy in Rand Park Ridge/Boskruin has always been a popular studio. Classes run every Friday during the school term from 3pm-6pm. There are 3 groups that the classes split in to according to their ages and experience! The lower primary group consists of 25 students aged between 5&8. The upper primary group is a full class of 26 students between 9-12 years of age;and the youth theatre group consists of 15 teenagers ranging from 13-18 years of age. This studio is extremely popular and the kids are very, very talented! We said goodbye to a few students this year as they are going on to varsity and matric:( Spaces have become available for next year-let your friends know to book their spot in class ASAP if they're interested in becoming more confident and skilled!