ABOUT SNPS Dance
SNPS Dance - A Generation of Dance Education and Performance
Sydney North Public Schools Dance began as Sydney North Dance Festival Committee in the early 1980s. It was and is comprised of teacher volunteers, who start their work with the organisation after they have finished their work at school.
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The first Festival was held at Allambie Heights Community Centre in 1981. The following two Festivals were conducted at the Greenhalgh Theatre, Kuringai College of Advanced Education. From there, the Festival moved to the Glen St Theatre, its home now, for more than 30 years.
In these early days, the initiative and leadership of Betty Barnes OAM and Dr John Mullins were crucial to the professional development of our teachers and the education and performance opportunities offered to our students.
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In 2010, the organisation incorporated the words "Public Schools" into its identity and adopted a new constitution.
In nearly forty years of Festivals, tens of thousands of students have taken to the stage and hundreds of thousands of parents and friends have watched them.
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We have literally seen a generation of students grow up with our Festival and go on to have children of their own, who have taken to the stage or become teachers choreographing for Festival.
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Long may SNPSD continue to inspire the next generation to experience the challenge, thrill and joy of dance performance.
The festival, the theatre and its magic
SNPS Dance's long-standing association with the Glen St Theatre has been the cornerstone of our Festival.The "magic" of the theatre is the way the stage space can be adapted, modified and transformed by its costumed occupants, their movement and interaction with each other and the way they are framed, highlighted, hidden or embellished with lighting. Add to this, the experience of the rich stereophonic sound of music and "voila" - MAGIC!
