By Rob Kelly
Berwick Lodge Primary School won the Victorian Wakakirri dance title, thanks to a moving tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster.
On 15 April, 1989, 96 fans were crushed to death and another 766 injured due to overcrowding in an English football stadium at Hillsborough. After a lengthy trial, a court determined that the victims of the disaster were unlawfully killed.
Regular readers of the News may recall the Education Matters column which outlined the tragic events that unfolded that day, but ‘disaster’ barely evokes the right sentiments.
During the trial, police were discovered to have fed false stories to the press proposing that hooliganism and drinking by Liverpool supporters were the causes of the disaster. A fact that simply was not true. It was a catastrophe and a disgraceful example of authoritarian dishonesty.
Fast forward nearly 30 years – and about 15,000kms – to Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on Monday 8 September. Berwick Lodge Primary School students acknowledged the tragic events of the Hillsborough Disaster in the form of a Wakakirri story-dance.
Wakakirri is an Australian national story-dance festival for primary and secondary school students.
Berwick Lodge was selected to perform at Hamer Hall after their initial Wakakirri performance at Frankston’s Art Centre in August which left everyone with a tear in their eye.
Students remember the Hillsborough tragedy.
Their performance received a long-lasting applause, and the award for “Best Historical Story”. To top it off – and much to the excitement of the students who performed – it was announced that their story-dance was to progress to the State Finals.
The Hamer Hall performance hit all the right emotional notes. Judge James Elmer (“So You Think You Can Dance” and “Australia’s Got Talent”) and Michael Cormick (accomplished actor and singer of international standing) were captivated by the performance.
Despite stiff competition from 11 fantastic schools, Berwick Lodge was announced as Victoria’s State Champion!
The school is now a nominee for the Australian Wakakirri National Championship Award.
Three very excited Berwick Lodge student representatives accepted the award on stage, but it was 12-year-old Olivia Wooky who was the most animated.
“When our school was announced as the Victorian State School Champion, I think I screamed louder than the whole crowd,“ Olivia said.
The school’s Performing Arts teacher and dance choreographer Lorraine Montgomery had faith in her students and their ability from the start.
“Being State Champions is a massive accolade considering over 20,000 students came through the Victorian Wakakirri program. I am immensely proud of the Berwick Lodge students who carried themselves with such dignity, portraying a tragic story in a powerful way. I sincerely couldn’t have asked for more from them.”
The story-dance has emotionally engaged and captivated thousands of people from around state, country and the world, too. On why she thinks their story-dance was such a success, Olivia Wooky believes that the story packs the right emotional punch.
“I think it’s because all the families and friends of the 96 couldn’t grieve because they were fighting in the courts for justice. Through our performance, we have presented that emotional story to a big audience”.
The national Wakakirri championship award will be announced on Friday, 20 October, on the Wakakirri website at http://www.wakakirri.com .
