On April 30th, CDNIS opened its doors to parents and Grade 11 students’ siblings alike, promising an evening of amazement and excitement. Safe to say, they were not disappointed. For one night, the Grade 11 cohort took the stage with a flurry of musical and dramatic performances, followed by eye-opening presentations and student-led booths.
The night began in the LLAC Theatre, where an impressive lineup of performances took the stage. The audience laughed their socks off watching the comedic skit titled Imperfect Proposal, swayed to the rhythm of seven musical acts, listened intently to student presentations, and clapped along to a catchy Bollywood dance. “There was a great atmosphere throughout,” commented one audience member.
Although they made it look effortless, many hours had been put into every performance. Actors Norman Z and Aspen F recalled the many hours of rehearsals that began two months prior to the event. “It was hard work,” Norman stated, mentioning that although memorising lines and managing schedules were challenging, going off-script occasionally sparked new ideas. “That scene where I coughed loudly? We came up with that in the middle of a rehearsal one day!” he shared.
On the musical side of things, students had been working just as hard. Guitarist Herman Y, who performed in a band, explained that this was their first time playing together. He noted that synchronising everyone is harder than it seems; even if each musician is skilled individually, a lack of coordination can turn their performance into a “mess of sounds.” Vocalist Justin L, who sang with a different band, shared the sentiment, emphasising that “even picking the songs can be difficult.” He pointed out the need to consider not only the band members’ preferences, but also whether or not the crowd would be familiar with the songs.
Following this, audience members were guided to explore the many student-run booths on the LLAC Stage and Lobby. Whether it be an F1 race, a scale model of a World War II battle, hockey goal shooting or even a game show testing parents on the DP curriculum content, there was “something for everyone.” Despite time constraints caused by the performances overrunning, everyone involved in the event delivered a stunning show to the audience. “I appreciate everything that the performers and technicians did,” an audience member shared, also noting that “they worked hard to bring us something good, and that’s what matters.”
Overall, this annual event serves as an excellent platform for the junior class to showcase their talents, culminating in a celebration of all their achievements.
