Wakakirri Story-Dance Festival: Hoppers Crossing, Mooroolbark, Keysborough schools win prizes

Talented dancers from five Victorian secondary schools have been recognised at the Wakakirri Story-Dance Festival. Check out the award winners.

Students from across the state took part in the Wakakirri Story-Dance Festival.

Talented dancers from five Victorian secondary schools have been acknowledged at the 2022 Wakakirri Story-Dance Festival.

The annual festival is Australia’s largest national performing arts event, with 20,000 young people from 300 schools and community groups taking part each year.

Students and schools spend months designing and choreographing their performances then perform in theatres around Australia.

The state government contributed $200,000 for the festival which promotes young people’s mental wellbeing and physical health.

Hoppers Crossing Secondary College, Mooroolbark College, Keysborough Secondary College, Pascoe Vale Girls Secondary College and Alkira Secondary College in Cranbourne North are among eight Victorian schools that received major awards at the festival awards night on Wednesday.

The group of 25 Mooroolbark College students, Melbourne Burmese refugees with no formal dance training, stunned the judges with a raw, powerful and emotive dance that told the stories of overseas factory workers, who in slave like conditions, make cheap clothes for western countries.

Dance director and teacher Felicity Williams worked with the group to bring the story to life through dance.

“I could not be prouder of these amazing young people, I had tears streaming down my face watching them on stage. Their resilience and emotion in their story telling blew me away. Not one of them has any formal dance training and most have never been on stage … and yet they have produced a story so powerful,” she said.

Check out some amazing photos of the winners.

HOPPERS CROSSING SECONDARY COLLEGE

Hoppers Crossing Secondary College students.

KEYSBOROUGH SECONDARY COLLEGE

The performance by Keysborough Secondary College students.

MOOROOLBARK COLLEGE

Mooroolbark College performers.

The award-winning group.

The group impressed the judges.

ALKIRA SECONDARY COLLEGE, CRANBOURNE NORTH

Alkira Secondary College students’ perform on stage.

More students from Akira Secondary College wowed crowds.

PASCOE VALE GIRLS COLLEGE

Performers from Pascoe Vale Girls Secondary College. Photo by WinkiPoP Media