Rock Eisteddfod ESCALADE 2007
POSITION IN STATE 2ND
AWARDS
Entertainment Award
Soundtrack Award
Gemma Dale Award
Best Stage Crew Award [back to back]
LEADERSHIP GROUP
Polina Starovoitova |
Director |
With its 'skewed' take on the television game show genre, Escalade was a great success. The high energy throughout and the shift through a number of dance styles gained the production the Entertainment Award. The choreographers are to be commended for the utilisation of their varied skill backgrounds and the way they stuck to the task all year in having to create more than thirty routines that had to be locked together. 
This was an ambitious project with so many dancers on stage at the one time and the need to maintain a clear story line and visual identity. The set was necessarily interactive and huge with the second half of the production dominated by the vertical snakes and ladders board and its playground slides. The final scene of the five ladders set against the red cyclorama was both monumental and poignant as Ngioka climbed to try and attain an ever-shrinking prize.
Congratulations to Polina in her first directorial role and to Dina for leading the set crew to back-to-back awards. Congratulations also to our year eight contingent. They were professional and mature from the outset and set the tone for the whole company. 
We look forward to 2008.
Alan Todd Producer
STUDENT COMMENTS
"When I joined the team in 2004 I had no idea what I was in for and was very nervous and shy. I now know not only how to use power tools but feel very comfortable amongst the other members." Kim Jade Cook
"Having participated since year 8, I knew what I was in for but waiting anxiously sidestage my heart was pumping. What a rush!" Alexandra Pashidis
"As they were reading out the placings, Sarah was holding my hand so tight I could barely feel my finger tips. When they said we had third I ran out and nearly spear-tackled the lady giving out the award". Erin Mc Anna
"This year has again shown what a large group of people can achieve and how far I can push myself as an individual. I am so proud to be part of Brighton's Eisteddfod team." Eliza Trembath
"My audition day came and my stomach was in knots. I love to dance but doing it in front of the school was nerve-wracking. I had so much fun last year and I knew this year would be no different." Chelsea Price
"This has been the most enjoyable and exciting thing I have been involved in since I moved to Australia from South Africa." Jamie-Lee Pennesi
"Being involved with the Set Crew was an amazing experience…countless lengths of steel, lots of black paint, long sheets of plastic and one large roll of Gaffer tape" Janka Vallo
"My friends and I decided to get into the spirit of the performance day by making yellow pompoms and wearing ribbons in our hair. "It was the most fun I've ever had in my life". Bonnie McGiffert
"I can't believe how far we've come. I still remember starting to put those towers together and Emilie's stressed voice saying STAGE CREW OUTSIDE when what felt like the hundredth time the towers banged together." Dina Papaconstantinou
"I was filled with so much energy - I hope my dancing showed it." Katelyn Aston
"All I could hear were people yelling 'Go Brighton'. The curtain was raised, the music played, I lifted my head, racing with adrenaline. The crowd went wild." Stacey Parsons
"This year was great for me and I'm planning to try out next year as well." Hayley Gardner
"I feel privileged to have been involved in the Set Crew. Other schools had all boys but I felt so proud that my school doesn't discriminate along traditional lines and we had both girls and boys." Eden Jones
"Even though you would have the occasional people coming in with their heads still spinning from the night before and others traipsing in with pillows from the sleep over, determination was the key attribute that held Brighton together." Kelly Evans
"From my experience this year I have learned to be a lot more positive about things and that I can do anything if I really try." Jess Relph
"Sacrificing late Saturday nights, parties and double pay...no matter how we may have felt, we always walked out tired, hungry and with smiles on our faces." Daemen Bray
"The main reason I do Eisteddfod is because I enjoy it so much. I love the Sunday mornings we spend together. Winning last year was just the icing on the cake." Alice Freeman
"My personal triumph came when we were just about to perform and one of the lights wouldn't work. I rushed to the light, dismantled and reassembled it in the blink of an eye." Kaija Salier
"It's actually good to get up bright and early on a Sunday morning for a purpose." Christine Nguyen
"Being in the Eisteddfod is a chance to pretend that you're someone else for a while." Nicole Smith
"At last I will be able to sleep in on Sundays mornings...well at least until next year." Samantha Hussey
"Effective, quirky, entertaining and highly original" Caroline Lawson, judge.
