School forms cluster of model students

Five young performers all from one school are representing New Zealand at the ‘‘Olympics’’ of performing arts.

The Albany Junior High School students were chosen for the World Championships of Performing Arts in California in June and July.

The five are singer Hannah Mills, model Kiann Smith, dancers Anna Mason and Bianca Ryder, and pianist and model Levina Louw.

Albany Senior High School student Martin Killeen has also been chosen for modelling.

The junior high’s success rate could be down to the school encouraging participation in extracurricular activities, principal Stephen Kendall-Jones says.

This allows the students, aged 10 to 15, to discover interesting career paths or new passions, he says.

The students were also encouraged to audition by teacher Retha Barnard, who is the World Championships of Performing Arts coordinator for the North Shore and Northland.

About 70 youngsters auditioned for the world champions, with each section judged by an expert. About 20 were invited to the California event, although not all could attend, Barnard says.

The audition process was empowering, 14-year-old Hannah says.

‘‘I sung [Andra Day’s] Rise Up because I’ve been told many times by many adults that I’m not a good singer. I just needed to prove to myself that I could rise up above it,’’ she says.

‘‘Singing is my way of communicating and escaping.’’

Fourteen-year-old Anna also finds performing a form of expression, and she choreographs many of her own dances.

‘‘It gives me the power to express myself in a way that’s not words.’’

All of the girls say it would be amazing to forge a career in their chosen performing art.

The North Harbour has previously had success at the world champs: last year Greenhithe’s Paula Daysh and her daughters Maddie and Jaime Ham won a haul of medals.

This year’s selected students will now take part in training ‘‘boot camps’’, with coaching from experts.

They will also hold fundraisers to afford the two-week trip, with the first being a mother-anddaughter tea and fashion show.

Albany Junior High teacher Retha Barnard is proud of the success of students Levina Louw, Kiann Smith, Anna Mason, Hannah Mills and Bianca Ryder (absent).