Students at Alexandra Hills State High School were treated to a world-class dance performance last Thursday when past student and now dancer with The Australian Ballet Company Jake Mangakahia dropped in for assembly.
Jake was in Brisbane to dance with Australian Ballet in Romeo and Juliet at the Lyric Theatre, and took time out of his busy performance and rehearsal schedule to visit his old school, where he was a Years 8 and 9 student and member of the boys' dance troupe in 2005 and 2006.
In his talk to the school assembly, he demonstrated to students, through dance poses, the physical strength needed for dance and spoke about his journey to dancing success.
He told the students to set their dreams high.
"If you have a dream, always hold onto it and never let it go," he said.
Jake also performed the intricate Native American hoop dance, a form of storytelling dance incorporating anywhere from one to 30 hoops, which are used to create a range of dynamic shapes throughout the dance.
Students applauded as Jake danced with seven hoops, seamlessly shifting their positions on and around his body to create a number of shapes, including a horse, a butterfly, and an eagle.
Following his performance, he invited Year 9 student Matt Clay onto the stage and, in a fun moment that brought laughter from the students, showed him some dance moves with the hoops.
After leaving the school at the end of 2006, Jake attended The Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, and joined The Australian Ballet Company in 2011.
He said visiting his old Redland high school was "amazing".
"It's so good to be able to give back to the school that gave me so much," he said.
"The dance program at Alexandra Hills State High made it cool to dance, and it was good to be able to talk to students about dreams and to show them how much physical strength is need for dancing."
Jake's past dance teacher at the school Kim Hill said she remembered Jake once saying it was his dream to dance with The Australian Ballet and said she was thrilled he had achieved his goal.
"He was brilliant in all genres," she said.
School principal Gail Armstrong said she had been looking forward to Jake's visit all week.
"He's a lovely young man," she said.
"I hope what the students get out of his visit is that they see students from Alexandra Hills State High School can do anything they want and if they set their aspirations high, they really can achieve anything."
Jake, who has been dancing since he was young, will dance the parts of a monk, a palace Capulet and a Capulet peasant in Romeo and Juliet, which will play at the Lyric Theatre until tomorrow evening, Wednesday, March 28.
Limited seats are available online at qpac.com.au
