Kingswood students ‘absolutely love’ songs in Dancing Queen

“THIS is our fourth musical here in KCC, and each year we try to choose something that will really excite the students,” explains the musical team of Kingswood Community College.

This is in regard to the college’s latest production, ‘Dancing Queen’, which performs next month.

The music was the biggest inspiration behind this production, and the students “absolutely love” the songs, and many were already familiar with and fond of the film Mamma Mia!

Their enthusiasm made the decision an easy one. “Once we saw how passionate they were about the music, we knew it was the right choice,” continues the team.

The biggest highlight for the teachers has been watching the students grow in confidence. From the first rehearsal to now, the transformation has been “wonderful” to see.

Their hard work is evident in their dancing, singing and acting. According to the team, “they have been a fantastic group to work with — supportive of one another and always willing to step outside their comfort zones.”

The Marketing and Business and Costume, Props & Design classes have involved hard work behind the scenes, where students learn new skills such as building stage sets and creating social media content.

It is “so lovely” for Ms Cronin to see students from all aspects of the musical coming out of their shell and gaining confidence to push themselves out of their comfort zone.

Challenges include balancing rehearsals with school commitments, and coordinating all aspects of the production can be “demanding”.

What has stood out most is how the students have embraced performing without embarrassment.

Taking to the stage can be daunting, but they have supported one another, built each other’s confidence and committed fully to their roles.

“That positive attitude has helped us overcome every challenge along the way,” smiles the team.

The cost of bringing a show to life is high, and so far the business and marketing students have raised almost 1000 euros through organising fundraising events like bake sales, concerts and music bingo.

Later in the year, students of KCC will be performing in the National Concert Hall as part of the Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB Festival of Music.

This year is the 25th Year Anniversary of the festival. The school choir and instrumentalists will also be preparing for the school awards night and the 6th Year graduation.

Thanks go to the creative team of Fiona Mason, Toni Hannon, Geraldine Pender, and Aoife Carney; Marguerite Cronin for her marketing and promotion; Erin Cummins for her costumes, props, and design; and Darren Kelleher for his expertise in sound and lighting.

Overall, the team would like to thank everybody who has supported this production of ‘Dancing Queen’, which performs March 18 and 19 in Kingswood Community College at 7pm.

Tickets are on sale now.