2020 has been a challenging year for all dance studios in the Illawarra.
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Many spent months doing lessons online during COVID-19. But when it came to how they would celebrate the end of the year they became even more creative.
Some chose to use theatres or a Big Top for a live production in front of a socially distanced audience. Others pre-recorded their students performing and having it played back in a theatre or cinema.
Among the most innovative was Dance Trilogy, of Oak Flats, which found a completely unique way to celebrate the end of 2020 at Touchdown Helicopters in Albion Park Rail.
Kelly Pohl started the dance school three years ago and when she came to organising this year's concert decided to think outside the square.
"After putting everything into consideration in regards to rain, ticket sales, costs and COVID-19 I was driving past Shellharbour Airport and thought if we could convert a hanger into a stage we could potentially film it and screen it at the Botanic Gardens like a Sunset Cinema or at a different location as a drive-in movie."
Touchdown Helicopters provided the venue. R&R Productions built a large stage with a red helicopter behind as a backdrop. And Blacklist Productions filmed the concert cinematic style.
Ms Pohl then had an idea of the production starting in the air and students, Heidi Miller and Chelsea Abela, went up in a Touchdown Helicopter to act out a scene which starts the concert.
The introduction finishes with them running into the hanger all excited as the lighting turns on and the sound begans.
"It ended up being the most fantastic concert we have had to date and we will definitely look at doing something similar again next year," she said.
"It was innovative and it was different. I spent months thinking about this and it turned out to be the most amazing concert I have ever been involved in.
"We are already thinking about doing it again. Parents and students loved it. They were watching some Facebook Live we did during the concert."
To keep costs down Ms Pohl had costumes made by Kinetic Creations that will become their uniforms for dance school next year.
The footage will be edited over Christmas and the location for the screening announced in the New Year.
Ms Pohl said parents dropped their children off at the start of the day and picked up some very excited dancers at the end all eager to know when the screening will be.
Dance Trilogy will recoup some of the cost from ticket sales. Parents can also purchase thumbs drives of the concert to keep after the official screening.
Read more:
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- Young dancers find a sensational way to end 2020 and is everyone to see them perform under a giant Big Top
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Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
