NAPA News - Week 10, Term 3, 2026
FROM THE DIRECTOR
Welcome to Week 10…and the final week of Term 3!
We’re finishing the term on a high as our Broadway Kids class take to the stage in The Jungle Book KIDS. We can’t wait to see all their hard work come to life! Then, over the school holidays, we’ll be heading straight into our production of Charlotte’s Web. There truly is no rest for the wicked, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Please note that I will be out of the office from 19 September to 2 October. During this time, any urgent correspondence should be directed to Mandy at [email protected].
Wishing everyone a wonderful final week of term and a safe, happy holiday break!
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 CHERUBS
Last week at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod Drama section, all of our cherubs who competed did us proud. None more so that the amazing young actors in the Junior Tread the Board class. Our young actors arrived last Monday to perform their two scenes from Hating Alison Ashley in the Primary age scenes sections. Over the past few weeks the scenes had been reworked and developed to accommodate class changes and in doing so Miss Amy made the decision that all of the students could perform both scenes; having lines in one scene and being the ensemble cast in the other. Unfortunately, Miss Amy missed that putting us over the maximum number of students in the scene. Silly Miss Amy!
After the first scene was presented, the convenor of the Drama section let us know that this had made us ineligible to place. That left us in the position of having to decide what to do for the next scene. After a discussion with Miss Amy, the students were asked for their input. Never have we been more proud to hear our NAPA values expressed by such young performers. Firstly, they were able to state that performing together and showing off what they had learned was more important to them than winning. Then, two of the students – Mia and Tinsley – volunteered to sit the second scene out. After delivering lovely performances in lead roles in the previous scene, they chose to give their friends a change at the win. And win they did! Following their win, the students were quick to thank Mia and Tinsley and to hand the plaque straight over to them to hold for the group photo.
These young actors were an absolute testament to our studio on and off the stage. The parents were endlessly supportive and rightfully very proud of the team-work, the sacrifice and the priorities shown to support each other and celebrate what they learnt above what they had won. More than one teacher and parent may, or may not have shed a tear of pride.
A massive congratulations also goes out to our Senior Tread the Boards students who walked away from their section with a 1st, 2nd and Very Highly Commended. We are so proud that our students have represented the studio in dance, vocal and drama groups with not only a high level of performance, bt off stage professionalism. All the work you are doing is paying off, cherubs!
The Jungle Book KIDS!
A reminder for our Jungle Book families in the business that is tech week!
If the students could please bring their jazz shoes tonight as well as any undergarments they need it would be appreciated. Any student in a onesie, should have a shirt/shorts or tank top/bike pants to wear underneath so they don't get too hot. If by chance your child brought their costume home, can you please return it tonight. Costumes are to remain at NAPA.
We know this week can be quite a lot for such young performers so please don't hesitate to reach out if you any questions at all this week. Please make sure they have a good meal prior to rehearsals today.
Tech Week
Tuesday 15 September - Dress Rehearsal and production photos | 4:30pm – 8:00pm - FULL HAIR AND MAKEUP
Performance Dates
Thursday 17 September - Show One | 7:00pm
Call Time: 5:00pm (cast with mics) 5:30pm (all other cast)Friday 18 September - Show Two | 7:00pm
Call Time: 5:00pm (cast with mics) 5:30pm (all other cast)
Saturday 19 September - Show Three | 11:00am
Call Time: 9:00am (cast with mics) 9:30am (all other cast)
Saturday 19 September - Show Four | 3:00pm
Call Time: 1:30pm (all cast)
NAPA COLLEGE ENROLMENTS NOW OPEN
Discover a Different Education Pathway at NAPA College
As opportunities to study and participate in the arts become increasingly limited in many traditional school settings, young performers deserve an education pathway where their creativity is treated as central … not optional.
At NAPA College, students can continue their schooling while undertaking specialised performing arts training in a professional, supportive and safe environment. Our programs are designed for young people who are serious about the arts, providing opportunities to develop their skills across performance, production and the broader industry while preparing for their futures both onstage and beyond.
Most importantly, we care about the whole student. We understand that no two young performers have the same goals, strengths or journey, and we are committed to helping each student find a pathway that allows them to thrive.
A NOTE FROM THE P&F
Our Spring Raffle is live, with over $1,700 in prizes donated by NAPA families and local businesses. Tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10, sales close 19 September and the draw is at 5pm. Every dollar goes towards our courtyard makeover. https://www.raffletix.com.au?ref=82k9s
We keep talking about that makeover, so here's a look at where we're hoping to head. It is an AI generated image, so the real thing won't look exactly like this, but it gives you an idea of the environment we're trying to create for our cherubs and why the fundraising matters so much at the moment.
Before any of it can happen, the courtyard needs some prep and a good tidy up, and we're planning to knock that over during the September school holidays. If you can spare a couple of hours, email me at [email protected] and I'll add you to the list.
We'll also be calling for show volunteers soon, so keep an eye out. And if you haven't grabbed your tickets to Jungle Book from our Broadway Kids, or Charlotte's Web in the school holidays, consider this your reminder. Both are going to be ridiculously cute.
Finally, a huge thank you to the families and local businesses who donated raffle prizes. Your generosity is the reason we can do any of this.
Wellbeing
Protecting Your Energy
The performing arts are built on connection. We work closely with others, share ideas, take creative risks and often spend long hours together in classes, rehearsals and performances. These shared experiences can create wonderful friendships and a strong sense of community…but they can also mean that emotions run high and small disagreements quickly become bigger than they need to be.
As performers and creatives, we put an enormous amount of emotional energy into what we do. We need that energy to learn choreography, develop characters, tell stories, accept feedback, support our castmates and step onto the stage with confidence. When too much of it is spent on gossip, conflict or situations that do not involve us, there is less left for our creativity, growth and wellbeing.
Drama can take many forms in a performing arts environment. It might be a disagreement during rehearsal, disappointment over casting, frustration about a correction, a rumour shared in the dressing room or a negative conversation in a group chat. You may feel tempted to join in, defend someone, share what you have heard or respond immediately, but becoming involved often gives the situation more attention and allows the negativity to grow.
Before engaging, pause and ask yourself: Does this involve me? Am I helping to solve the problem? Is what I am about to say kind, necessary and true?
Sometimes a genuine concern does need to be addressed. In those moments, the most helpful choice is to speak calmly and privately with the appropriate teacher, director or trusted adult. It is rarely productive to discuss the situation with a large group, pass the story from person to person or post about it online. Seeking support is different from spreading drama.
This is especially important when emotions are heightened. Perhaps you did not receive the role you hoped for, someone else was placed in the front row, a creative idea was not used or you received feedback that was difficult to hear. Those feelings are valid, but they do not need to become conflict. Give yourself time to process, speak respectfully to the right person if needed, and then return your focus to the work. Professionalism is not about never feeling disappointed, it is about choosing what you do with that disappointment.
Stepping away from negativity also allows you to set a powerful example for others. When you refuse to gossip, redirect an unkind conversation or quietly remove yourself from unnecessary conflict, you help create a safer and more supportive environment. You show younger students and your peers that kindness does not mean participating in every conversation. Sometimes leadership looks like choosing silence, changing the subject or saying, “I don’t think it’s fair to discuss them when they aren’t here.”
Protecting your energy might mean taking a break from a group chat, avoiding conversations that continually leave you feeling upset, or spending time with people who encourage you to grow. It might mean putting your phone away before a performance, focusing on your warm-up or checking in with a castmate who needs genuine support. These are not selfish choices, they are healthy boundaries.
The performing arts will always require collaboration, patience and resilience. You will work with many different personalities, experience creative disagreements and face moments that test you. Learning when to speak, when to listen and when to step back is an important part of becoming not only a stronger performer, but also a thoughtful and dependable person.
Your energy is valuable. Spend it on preparing well, supporting your team, creating generously and becoming the performer you want to be. You cannot control every conversation or every person’s behaviour, but you can control what you contribute.
Protect your peace. Choose kindness. Stay focused on the work and let your example speak louder than the drama.
CHERUB OF THE WEEK
CONGRATULATIONS, MIA AND TINSLEY!
This week, our Cherub of the Week award is shared by two remarkable young performers: Tinsley and Mia.
As Miss Amy shared earlier in the newsletter, our Junior Tread the Boards students faced an unexpected challenge at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod when they discovered that the number of performers in their scenes made them ineligible to place. When the class was given the opportunity to decide how to approach their second scene, the students agreed that performing together and sharing what they had learned was more important than winning.
Tinsley and Mia then took that beautiful display of teamwork one step further. Having already performed lead roles in the first scene, they volunteered to sit out of the second so their friends could remain eligible to compete. They placed the needs of their team ahead of their own opportunity to perform… and their classmates went on to win!
What makes this moment especially meaningful is that their decision was made freely and generously. Tinsley and Mia demonstrated maturity, selflessness and a genuine understanding of what it means to be part of an ensemble. Their classmates’ immediate decision to hand them the winning plaque for the group photo showed just how deeply their kindness was recognised and appreciated.
Performing arts will always involve opportunities, disappointments, changes and moments when we must decide whether to put ourselves or the team first. True success is not measured only by trophies, lead roles or time spent in the spotlight. It is also found in the way we support one another, celebrate each other’s achievements and contribute to something greater than ourselves.
Tinsley and Mia, your choice embodied the values we hope to nurture in every NAPA student. You showed that generosity is a form of leadership and that sometimes the brightest example can be set from beside the stage rather than from its centre.
Congratulations, Tinsley and Mia. We could not be prouder to name you our Cherubs of the Week! ⭐
PERFORMANCE TIPS
When You Don’t Get the Callback
Auditioning for university or further training is a huge step. It takes courage to put your work (and a little piece of yourself) in front of a panel and ask to be considered. When you have spent months preparing songs, monologues, dance material and applications, discovering that you have not received a callback can be deeply disappointing.
Allow yourself to feel that disappointment. It mattered to you, so it is natural that the result hurts. However, one decision from one panel on one day does not determine your talent, your potential or whether you belong in the performing arts.
A university audition is not simply a search for the “best” performers. Panels may be building a particular cohort, looking for a certain mix of voices, skills, personalities and training needs. Places are limited, and many talented applicants may be competing for very few positions. Sometimes the decision comes down to factors outside your control. Not receiving a callback does not necessarily mean that you were not good enough… it may simply mean that this particular opportunity was not the right fit at this moment.
The performing arts rarely offer one straight pathway. One person may enter their first-choice university immediately, while another may train somewhere unexpected, take a year to develop, complete a different course or begin gaining experience through productions and workshops. Both can go on to build fulfilling careers. The path that looks less direct may even introduce you to teachers, collaborators and opportunities you would otherwise never have encountered.
Once the initial disappointment has settled, try to turn the experience into useful information. Speak with teachers who know your work and ask for honest, constructive feedback. Was your audition material well suited to you? Did nerves affect your preparation or performance? Are there areas of singing, acting or dance that would benefit from focused training? Could your self-tape, application or interview skills be strengthened?
Feedback should not be viewed as a list of failures. It is a map showing you where your next period of growth might begin. You may need to build greater vocal consistency, develop stronger dance foundations, make bolder acting choices or choose material that better reflects who you are as a performer. These are skills that can be worked on; they are not permanent limitations.
It is also important to explore all your options. Research other universities, diploma programs, specialist courses, private training, gap-year programs and performance opportunities. Look carefully at what each pathway offers rather than judging it only by its name or reputation. The “right” course is the one that will challenge you, support you and help you become the artist you want to be, not necessarily the one you first imagined attending.
Most importantly, keep going. Continue attending class, taking corrections, building your repertoire and looking for opportunities to perform. One unsuccessful application should not be allowed to stop the momentum you have already created. Every audition teaches you something about preparation, resilience and performing under pressure and those lessons will travel with you into the next room.
Try not to compare your outcome with someone else’s. Celebrate your friends when they receive exciting news, while still giving yourself space to process your own feelings. Their success has not taken anything away from your future. Every performer’s timeline is different, and another person moving forward does not mean you are being left behind.
Resilience does not mean pretending that rejection does not hurt. It means allowing yourself to be disappointed, then deciding that the disappointment will not have the final word.
Not every opportunity will be yours, and not every opportunity is meant to be. Sometimes a closed door redirects you towards better training, a more suitable environment or a pathway you had not yet considered. Ask questions, seek feedback, remain open to different possibilities and keep doing the work.
One audition result is a moment…not your whole story. Take what you can learn from it, trust the work you have already done and prepare yourself for the next opportunity. Your path may be changing, but it is still moving forward.
Welcome to Week 10…and the final week of Term 3!
We’re finishing the term on a high as our Broadway Kids class take to the stage in The Jungle Book KIDS. We can’t wait to see all their hard work come to life! Then, over the school holidays, we’ll be heading straight into our production of Charlotte’s Web. There truly is no rest for the wicked, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Please note that I will be out of the office from 19 September to 2 October. During this time, any urgent correspondence should be directed to Mandy at [email protected].
Wishing everyone a wonderful final week of term and a safe, happy holiday break!