Following successful auditions, Ryan was selected for the Student Production Crew and Torah was selected for the Pulse Alive Dance Company.
As part of the Student Production Crew, Ryan had the opportunity to work behind the scenes alongside industry professionals, gaining valuable experience in the entertainment industry, while earning industry work placement hours towards VET Entertainment. Ryan explains his role in more detail:
“My role at Pulse Alive 2024 was a ‘CCU (Camera Control Unit) operator’ alongside my VET partner, on the Vision Team. On the CCU, we had control over 6 cameras, our job being to control the look and feel of the show through colours, exposure and whites/blacks within the image. We were stationed in a “bunker” underground, underneath the stadium seating, and were called to coms during dress rehearsals and live performances. The live images we controlled as well as others were visible on 4 LED dot matrix displays spread throughout the stadium, as well as recorded for the Department of Education for historical purposes.”
Torah's involvement begain with her selection for the Pulse Dance Company last year. During the Christmas School Holidays Torah travelled to Sydney to rehearse with other Principal Performers, learning a number of Commercial Jazz and Hip Hop routines. She then spent 7 days with the Pulse Alive Dance Company in Sydney intensively rehearsing at The Arts Unit and Ken Rosewall Arena in preparation for the performances.
As a member of the Pulse Alive Dance Company, Torah was expected to provide support to the choreographer during rehearsals and performances of the Schools Massed Dance items, as well as also dancing in a number of Principal Performances over both nights of Pulse Alive 2024.
Torah said that being part of Pulse Alive 2024 and having the opportunity to work alongside highly skilled and passionate dancers, singers, musicians, production crew, creatives and industry professionals has provided her with valuable experience to enhance her studies and pursue her dreams of working in the Performing Arts Industry.
Following Pulse Alive, Torah was also selected to be a Principal Performer with the Pulse Far West Tour - Sunraysia. Pulse Sunraysia is designed to provide arts experiences for public school students who, due to distance, don’t always have the same access as metropolitan students to arts experience. Torah recently spent a week in Mildura and surrounds with a group of Department of Education staff from The Arts Unit, tutors, professional choreographers and 22 other Public School students. The touring students joined 400 students from the local area for workshops and rehearsals which ended with a performance showcase for families, schools and friends at the Mildura Arts Centre.
In spite of a delayed flight, turbulence, bumpy landings, back to back rehearsals and workshops, a cancelled return flight and subsequent unexpected extra 24 hour mission to get home via road, Torah reports having a wonderful experience overall. As well as assisting in the local school workshops in her chosen art form of Dance, Torah was also exposed to other performing art forms, working alongside singers and the show band. As part of the Touring Team she also had hands-on experience with the production side of things, as the whole team were expected to help with packing up backstage following the performances.
Torah has made many new friends and says she feels very privileged to have had the opportunity to work with the local students, especially the Year 3 workshop participants. “During the workshops I felt quite sentimental - I felt so privileged to be teaching these excited, aspiring young kids and to know that I was making an impact on their lives was so heartwarming”, Torah said.
“The bonds I created with the people around me were insane and I’ll never forget them. Being a part of the Pulse Tour - Sunraysia is something I will never forget and I strongly recommend if you ever get the opportunity to go, take it - the best experience ever.”
Ryan also reflected on the valuable experience:
“Through this experience, I was able to understand the complexity behind maintaining the cleanliness of an image, as well as how to accomplish that during a live production. I learnt how to use the Blackmagic CCU desk at which I was stationed, as well as various other pieces of technical equipment such as a JIB (camera crane and controller), coms system, and box camera basic operation. I was able to explore many other areas and roles as I had a large amount of downtime. I also made many friends and came fairly close to them within those 4 days. They were all from very different backgrounds, super interesting, and very passionate, and I plan to keep in touch with them in the future.
This experience has helped me understand many technical aspects within the industry as well as unspoken rules within the industry, both of which will assist immensely in my future filmmaking career.”
JHS continues to find ways to expand it learning opportunities for students. Vocational Education and Training (VET) Entertainment is a 2 year course offered to Year 11 students for the first time this year and is delivered by our highly experience teacher, Miss Moloney. Reflecting on the opportunity to complete this course at school, Ryan commented:
“In my opinion the best way to learn is to partake in practical activities, as it supplies you with extensive knowledge and a further/deeper understanding, as well as expands your vocation and/or further education opportunities after school. The Entertainment course is fantastic as everybody participating can learn from each other and discover the ins and outs of industry level equipment through extensive in-person use. As well as this, we are able to discover our own area of interest within the industry, which sparks ambition and motivation, and gives us a head start on our possible future careers, as we get a fair go within every area. I believe every school should run this Entertainment course, as it allows you to get extremely hands-on experience, and offers learning opportunities which put you way ahead of the game. It’s also just really fun!”
Another example of JHS striving to provide our students with flexible learning options is the newly offered Dance subject. Along with Year 12 student Catalina Bell, Torah recently started HSC Dance studies at Monaro High School in a joint arrangement between the schools and for which she is incredibly grateful to both School Principals for endorsing.
The participation of Year 11 students Ryan Anderson and Torah de Groote in these educational expereinces showcases the outstanding opportunities available at Jindabyne High School. Ryan's role in the production crew at Pulse Alive provided him with invaluable insights into the technical aspects of live productions, while Torah's involvement in the Pulse Alive Dance Company and subsequent participation in the Pulse Far West Tour - Sunraysia highlighted her dedication to the performing arts. These experiences underscore Jindabyne High School's commitment to offering diverse learning pathways, from VET Entertainment courses to collaborative arrangements for subjects like Dance. Through their remarkable achievements, Ryan and Torah have not only represented the school with pride but have also inspired their peers, demonstrating the transformative power of hands-on experiences and the pursuit of passion in shaping the future of students.
