Introducing: Northern School of Performing Arts

The New Year will herald a new identity for three separate but similar performing arts businesses – two based on the Hibiscus Coast and one in Takapuna.

Sophia Pedersen from Peaches and Pickles Performing Arts and Sole Movement, Clare Saddington-Smith from Sole Movement and Alicia Chadwick Cook from Northern Performing Arts are combining their talents and businesses to form the Northern School of Performing Arts.

It will bring around 600 students and 15 teachers under one umbrella.

Sophia says that given the similarities in the businesses, it made sense to merge and streamline the delivery of performing arts across the two locations – Hibiscus Coast and Takapuna.

“We will be bigger, but will still be local and our focus will remain on being family friendly,” she says. “We don’t plan to expand initially, but certainly, as opportunities arise, we will be in a better place to take advantage of them.”

The Northern School will cater for students aged from three years to adults.

The programme includes piano, guitar and singing lessons, a range of dance options from ballet and jazz to hip hop, and musical theatre and acting classes. The school will cater for recreational students who participate for the pleasure of singing, dancing or acting, or students who want to sit Trinity College examinations in music or drama, and dance examinations in ISTD or NZAMD, or students who might be looking for the opportunity to establish a career in performing arts.

Alicia says one of the joys of working with students is seeing their growing confidence.

“There are also students who come for muscular development and it is rewarding to watch as they improve,” Alicia says.

“We’ve had some real success with individual students and dance troupes in national and even international competitions. For instance, Emma Aley, from the North Shore, was one of 77 dancers chosen to compete at this year’s Performing Arts Competition Association of NZ (Pacanz) where she finished in the final six and Nadija Rowley, who has just finished Year 13 at Wentworth College, has been accepted into the Transit Theatre and Dance School in Melbourne.”

Sophia, Alicia and Clare say the tradition of putting on one major musical show and a huge end-of-year dance concert will continue.

Next year’s show will be Annie, directed by John Hellyer. They are hoping to include a cast of around 100 and auditions will be held in March, with the show opening in October.

Sophia says the auditions will be open to anyone who would like to be involved from Northern School of Performing Arts.