A Day at Auckland Live

The Royal New Zealand Ballet presents a short showing of the Magical Kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier from the RNZB new production of The Nutcracker. 

Students will then take part in a workshop which explores practical choreographic activities, as well as introducing them to ballet steps and positions, and showing how stories can be told through dance.

The New Zealand Dance Company returns to A Day at Auckland Live with performances and workshops that are engaging, inspiring and best of all—fun! The NZDC team will begin the session with a performance that will surprise the senses and get students in the mood to move. Following the performance, our highly-skilled professional dancers and dance educators will take students through a 30-minute workshop that provides imaginative exploration, tools for dance-making and general good grooving!

Under the umbrella of Fresh Movement Dance Company, Freshmans Dance Crew is an award winning group of dancers and choreographers who are pushing to create a new vibe in the street dance scene in New Zealand.

Fusing kapa haka, hip hop, and contemporary dance, Freshmans Dance Crew returns to A Day at Auckland Live to bring hip hop into the theatre.  Students will watch a short performance, then learn the dance through workshops. At the end of the session, students will be able to give their own performance.

Massive is a contemporary physical ensemble company which has been creating new theatre with youth since 1991, devising theatre from real stories and reflecting the rich diversity of our rangatira.

Massive will perform an excerpt of their new collaborative work Sightings.  The starting point for this work is the Māori proverb Ka Mua, Ka Muri – Looking into our past, whilst walking into the future. Using this proverb, Massive will develop stories to create a gutsy, moving and funny work.

The mini performance will be followed by a 35 minute workshop where Massive members will share fun techniques that  will have all students actively moving in a similar way to how actors rehearse a Massive show

In true Black Friars style, this Polynesian theatre company takes on the story of Cinderella and flips it on its head. Cinderella, a young Polynesian boy with two evil step sisters and a wicked step-mother, must complete three dangerous tasks before they will let him go to the ball. Come meet the big bad wolf, Jack and the beanstalk and Rumplestiltskin, and, most importantly, help Cinderella get to his ball! 

Join South Auckland based theatre troupe the Black Friars in a workshop after the show where students will learn about Poly-nizing fairy tales and about how to re-tell the stories that matter to us.

UJI Studios create digital interactive works for kids that include digital puppetry, digital and physical play spaces and workshops, which are made accessible to all communities. 

UJI Studios will perform The Golden Pig, a fairy tale written by the Years 4 & 5 class at Mt Cook School in Wellington. From this story, UJI developed an exciting 10min digital puppetry show, where performer’s puppeteer cartoon characters on stage through interactive technology. 

After the performance UJI will have a  30min workshop, where the students will learn about making stories, creating characters, and how to make them come alive with technology.

Join us for a rare chance to go behind the scenes at the ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, during the performance week of a New Zealand Opera mainstage production – Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love.  

Students will be invited into the main auditorium, for a look from both sides of the curtain: peeking behind the scenes of the New Zealand Opera’s The Elixir of Love colourful and imaginative set including witnessing scene changes and lighting cues.  And that’s not all!  Students will also enjoy listening to, and participating in, an opera singing workshop. Join us to be inspired, have a go, and relish this rare chance to be a private audience, and visit the stage of The ASB Theatre - just like professional artists!

Sign up to Let's Sing programme here

James Tito, professional actor, musician, singer and founder of the Modern Māori Quartet will perform songs and teach a singing workshop for students. The Modern Māori Quartet are renowned for their mix of modern day and classic songs in Te Reo Māori and English. 

Workshops will focus on students learning songs and performance exercises inspired by James’ own work. Students will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the process of song writing and performance, all while playing fun games and meeting a special musical guest! 

Sign up to Let's Sing programme here

Go on stage on the Herald Theatre and perform! 

Students will have the opportunity to perform one of two songs, which they can learn online before attending A Day At Auckland Live. During the programme, they will have the opportunity to perform their chosen song on stage at the Herald Theatre to an audience of fellow students. Students will receive onstage direction and experience professional lighting, all designed to create the full experience of what it is like to perform on stage!

Sign up to Let's Sing programme here