NAPA News - Week 7, Term 3, 2026
FROM THE DIRECTOR
What a huge few weeks it has been at NAPA! Our competition season has certainly kept us busy, and we are incredibly proud of the way our students have represented the studio. Beyond the results, it has been wonderful to see the growth, teamwork, resilience and support for one another that comes from getting out on stage and putting all that hard work into practice. A massive congratulations to every student who performed, and a big thank you to our teachers and families for everything that goes on behind the scenes to make these weeks possible.
And there is certainly no slowing down just yet! We are now heading into an exciting few weeks of productions, with Bring It On and The Jungle Book Kids both getting ready to hit the stage. There is so much happening across the studio, and we can’t wait to see all of that rehearsal-room work come to life!
A little reminder as we head into production season: there will be some changes to our regular timetable during production weeks to accommodate rehearsals, performances and staff commitments. Please keep a close eye on your emails and studio correspondence, as we will communicate any class changes, cancellations or adjustments as early as possible.
It’s a busy time of year, but also one of our favourites with lots of opportunities to perform, learn, support our NAPA friends and celebrate what our students have been working towards. Thank you, as always, for staying on top of communication and for being part of our wonderful NAPA community.
Now, onto this week’s news!
QUICK REMINDERS
please read!
Lost property - Please be sure to check this regularly throughout the year.
Jewellery - a quick reminder that excessive jewellery is not to be worn to any NAPA classes and that any earrings worn in dance class should be small studs or sleepers only. No other jewellery should be worn in dance classes, as this creates a safety hazard for dancers and their peers. PLEASE LEAVE AT HOME to avoid losing anything precious.
Footwear - please note that there will be strict guidelines around footwear at NAPA this year. This is for the safety of our young dancers - Jazz, Combo, Technique and Performance Team students must wear jazz shoes - Hip Hop, Tread the Boards and Broadway students must wear sneakers or jazz shoes - Ballet students must wear ballet shoes and Tap students must wear tap shoes. The only class where bare feet will be allowed is lyrical/contemporary, and we recommend students wear black dance or NAPA socks to these classes. Students will not be able to participate in class if they do not have the appropriate footwear.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
CONGRATULATIONS PERFORMANCE TEAMS
Congratulations to our teams for another awesome weekend at Gold Coast Eisteddfod!
12s Team:
Musical Theatre 2nd
Any Style (S&D) 3rd
15s Team:
Musical Theatre 1st
Any Style (Acro) 3rd
Opens Team:
Musical Theatre 2nd and VHC
Any Style (S&D + S&Tap) 3rd & VHC
Contemporary VHC
Hip Hop VHC
Congratulations on your results, your growth, your brilliant performances and your dedication to your craft ⭐
A NOTE FROM THE P&F
Spring Raffle, coming soon!
We have something very exciting brewing. Our Spring Raffle is almost ready to launch, with multiple prizes up for grabs and a total prize pool of over $1,300, thanks to some seriously generous donations from our community businesses and families.
Tickets aren't live just yet, so keep your eyes on the P&F page and we'll pop the link up the moment it goes live. You'll also be able to grab tickets at our upcoming shows, and the raffle will be drawn at the conclusion of Jungle Book.
Every single dollar raised goes towards a big makeover for our courtyard, turning it into the welcoming, well loved space our kids and families deserve. So please buy a ticket, and share it far and wide with family, friends, neighbours and anyone who likes the sound of winning something wonderful.
Enjoy the sneak peek of just some of the prizes on offer…..
Emma - P&F President
TICKETS ON SALE
Tickets are now on sale for our productions of Bring It On, The Jungle Book and Charlotte’s Web.
Bring It On is up first and is being performed by our Broadway Extension class. The Jungle Book is being performed by our Broadway Kids.
Then after our term concludes, something magical is coming to NAPA this holiday season!
Get ready to step into the wonderful world of Charlotte’s Web the Musical, a heartwarming story of friendship, courage, kindness and the extraordinary things that can happen when we look out for one another.
Our talented young performers will bring this much-loved story to life on stage with plenty of music, laughter, friendship and a little bit of barnyard magic! Featuring our NAPA College Cert IV 2nd year students, Diploma students and some special guests!
Whether you know and love the story already or are discovering it for the first time, Charlotte’s Web the Musical is the perfect holiday treat for the whole family.
Gather the family, bring your little ones and join us for a beautiful celebration of friendship that will warm hearts and leave you believing that sometimes, the smallest creatures can make the biggest difference.
Wellbeing
“CREATE GENEROUSLY, LET GO LIGHTLY.”
There is a beautiful piece of advice for anyone working in a creative space:
Create generously. Let go lightly.
As performers, choreographers, directors, designers, writers and artists, we put pieces of ourselves into the things we create. We invest time, thought, emotion and imagination into our work … so naturally, we can become attached to it.
But one of the greatest skills a creative person can develop is learning how to give everything to an idea… without needing to hold onto it forever.
CREATE GENEROUSLY
When you are asked to contribute creatively, be brave enough to really contribute.
Bring your ideas. Make choices. Try things. Offer suggestions. Commit fully. Don't hold back because you're worried that your idea might not be the one that ultimately makes it onto the stage.
Creating generously means giving your best to the process without needing ownership of the final product.
Because in collaborative art forms like theatre and dance, the goal isn't for your idea to win. The goal is for the work to become the best it can be.
LET GO LIGHTLY
This part can be harder.
You might create a piece of choreography that you love, only for someone to suggest changing eight counts.
You might make an acting choice that feels completely right to you, but your director sees the scene differently.
You might design something, write something, stage something or suggest something that ultimately needs to be altered … or perhaps isn't used at all.
That doesn't mean your work was bad.
Sometimes another person simply has a clearer view of the bigger picture. Sometimes someone looking at your work with fresh eyes notices something you can't see because you've been living inside it. Sometimes one small adjustment is all that's needed to take a good idea and make it even better.
Changing your work doesn't diminish the value of creating it in the first place.
FEEDBACK IS PART OF THE PROCESS
Learning to receive feedback without immediately becoming defensive is an incredibly valuable skill … not just in the performing arts, but in life.
When someone gives you a note, try resisting the instinct to explain why you did something a certain way. Instead, listen. Consider it. Try the adjustment.
You may discover something you hadn't considered.
Feedback isn't necessarily someone saying, “You're wrong.” Often, they're simply saying, “What if we looked at it this way?”
And importantly, receiving a note doesn't mean you weren't good enough. Your work can be good and still have room to grow. Both things can be true at the same time.
LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR
The strongest creative rooms aren't necessarily the ones filled with people who have the best individual ideas. They're the ones filled with people who are willing to share, listen, experiment, adapt and build upon each other's ideas.
When ego enters the room, collaboration becomes difficult. We start protecting our choreography, our character choice, our idea, our vision.
When ego steps aside, something much more exciting can happen:
Our ideas become ours.
So create boldly. Offer your ideas generously. Be proud of what you bring to the room.
But when someone asks you to adjust, rethink, tweak or even let something go, remember that it isn't necessarily a rejection of you or your creativity.
Take the note. Try the change. Look at it with fresh eyes.
Create generously. Let go lightly.
Because sometimes the ability to release an idea is just as creative … and courageous … as having it in the first place. 💛
CHERUB OF THE WEEK
CONGRATULATIONS, SETH!
Seth has received some wonderful feedback from his teachers, who have been particularly impressed by his eagerness to learn and his willingness to step outside his comfort zone. He approaches new challenges with an open mind and a genuine desire to improve, qualities that will take him a long way both as a performer and as a student.
At College, Seth consistently turns in high-quality work and shows great initiative, taking responsibility for his learning and looking for ways to contribute without always needing to be asked. His teachers describe him as an absolute pleasure to have in class, and his positive attitude and work ethic certainly haven’t gone unnoticed.
We love seeing students who are willing to challenge themselves, try something new and keep striving to grow, and Seth is doing exactly that.
Congratulations, Seth! Keep showing up, stepping outside that comfort zone and bringing your wonderful attitude to everything you do. We are very proud of you! ⭐
PERFORMANCE TIPS
THE IMPORTANCE OF “SHOWING UP”
One of the simplest pieces of advice we can give any young performer is also one of the most important:
Show up. And show up properly.
Of course, that means attending your classes, rehearsals, performances and commitments, but truly “showing up” is about much more than walking through the door.
It means arriving on time and ready to work. It means wearing the correct uniform, having the right shoes and equipment, knowing what is expected of you and taking pride in how you present yourself. It means walking into the room with an attitude that says, I am here, I am prepared, and I am ready to contribute.
These things can sometimes feel small, particularly when you are young. Does it really matter if you’re five minutes late? Does it matter if you forgot your uniform again? Does it matter if your hair isn’t done correctly or you arrive without what you need?
Yes … because the little things tell people a lot about the big things.
YOUR HABITS BECOME YOUR REPUTATION
In the performing arts industry, talent is only one part of what makes someone employable. Directors, choreographers, teachers and casting teams also remember the people who are reliable, prepared, respectful and easy to work with.
Being consistently on time tells people they can depend on you.
Wearing the correct uniform tells people you respect the expectations of the space you are entering.
Coming prepared tells people you take your training seriously.
Listening, working hard and supporting the people around you tells people what kind of company member you will be.
And the opposite can become a reputation too.
The wonderful thing is that professionalism isn't something you suddenly need to learn when you become an adult or book your first professional job. You can practise it right now.
REPRESENTING SOMETHING BIGGER
When you attend competitions, performances, workshops, auditions or community events wearing your studio uniform, you are representing NAPA … and we want our students to feel proud of that.
But there is something even more important that you are representing:
Yourself.
How you behave when you think nobody important is watching still matters. How you speak to other performers matters. How you treat venue staff matters. Whether you congratulate someone who beat you matters. Whether you leave a dressing room tidy matters. Whether you thank your teachers matters.
Your name and your reputation belong to you, and every opportunity is a chance to show people the kind of performer … and person … you are becoming.
PRIDE DOESN’T MEAN PERFECTION
Showing up with pride doesn't mean you will never forget something, run late or have an off day. We are all human!
It means developing habits that demonstrate that what you are doing matters to you. When you make a mistake, you take responsibility, fix it and try to do better next time.
So this week, challenge yourself to think about how you “show up”.
Are you on time? Are you in uniform? Are you prepared? Are you engaged? Are you respectful? Are you representing yourself in a way that you are proud of?
Because long before you get the opportunity to show someone what you can do onstage, you are already showing them who you are offstage. And that can be just as important.
What a huge few weeks it has been at NAPA! Our competition season has certainly kept us busy, and we are incredibly proud of the way our students have represented the studio. Beyond the results, it has been wonderful to see the growth, teamwork, resilience and support for one another that comes from getting out on stage and putting all that hard work into practice. A massive congratulations to every student who performed, and a big thank you to our teachers and families for everything that goes on behind the scenes to make these weeks possible.
And there is certainly no slowing down just yet! We are now heading into an exciting few weeks of productions, with Bring It On and The Jungle Book Kids both getting ready to hit the stage. There is so much happening across the studio, and we can’t wait to see all of that rehearsal-room work come to life!
A little reminder as we head into production season: there will be some changes to our regular timetable during production weeks to accommodate rehearsals, performances and staff commitments. Please keep a close eye on your emails and studio correspondence, as we will communicate any class changes, cancellations or adjustments as early as possible.
It’s a busy time of year, but also one of our favourites with lots of opportunities to perform, learn, support our NAPA friends and celebrate what our students have been working towards. Thank you, as always, for staying on top of communication and for being part of our wonderful NAPA community.
Now, onto this week’s news!