Performing arts students shine in end-of-year show-• Sophie Lagrenade best overall student |21 December 2012

Held at the international conference centre, this year’s event had both the school of dance and the school of music merge for one show under the umbrella of the conservatoire, instead of each school hosting their own event.

With students from both schools studying their respective fields at various levels throughout the year, the event was an opportunity for them to showcase what they had learned, as well as show their various talents to an audience.

Students from the school of dance performed traditional, contemporary and also modern pieces, which included ballet, waltz, and other choreographies.

School of music students performed on the clarinet, saxophone, piano, violin, guitar and more.

When officially launching the event, the Minister for Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports Vincent Meriton told the audience that the show culminates a year of devotion, but that in our schools, performing arts is often contextual to other major subjects.

“Performing arts is taking its rightful place with a supporting centre of skilled teachers and teaching resources to match.  We have for much too long summarised the arts as ‘recreational’ and ‘vocational’ and have in doing so perhaps limited the heights at which we could have reached today,” he said.

“Occasions like this give us the determination to continue to do what we do. This is why the schools of music, dance and drama continue to pursue with their tough responbility of guiding and training students of all ages to develop all their abilities and all their interests.”

After all the numbers had been performed, the jury awarded the top prize for the school of dance in the 8 to 10 years old category to Hanna Roucou, and Trisha Prithvi settled as runner-up.

As for the 11 to 14-year-old class, the first prize was taken by Beverley Moncherry, who relegated Natasha Cadeau to second place.

In the 15 years and above category, the top prize was won by Trisha Solomon, without a runner-up.
 
As for the overall best student, it was a proud 17-year-old Sophie Lagrenade who came up the stage to claim her prize. She had met all the criteria set, such as punctuality, attendance, character and effort.

Sophie has won an offer from the national conservatoire of performing arts to attend a five-month training next year in an international school of dance in Sweden.
Our selection of photos show some performances during the show.