Shine Time for 9-10 year olds (School Years 5 & 6)

Term 2 2024 bookings are open now!

Attention young actors!

If you love acting then this is the course for you: Do you love the lime light? Do you love telling stories? Do you love creating characters?
The acting classes will lead students through imaginative role playing into character and scene development. Good actors understand humanity. Drama encourages empathy with and understanding of others and the confidence needed to assume a role or character.

Our acting classes will give students the space to practice both screen and stage techniques in a fun and supportive environment.

Led by experienced actors and teachers, these practical and collaborative sessions will be combined to encourage a deeper understanding of how to work effectively on-set and on stage.

Students will explore the expressive potential of performance, the inner balance of being in character and enhance the engaging relationship between actor and audience. We will examine movement of the body through simple choreography where there will be a focus on relaxing and working with ease, developing the imagination, and creating believable performances.

Voice workshops will encourage an understanding of the voice as an instrument. Students will work with a variety of texts but also be strongly encouraged to improvise and use their imaginations.

Timetable and Enrolment

Jess Paton

Jess has a background in professional performance training and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Secondary Education, specialising in drama teaching.  She completed drama school in the UK, followed by a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre at Te Herenga Waka: Victoria University Wellington. She has trained in many different styles of performance including musical theatre, Shakespeare, stage craft and Mime. She has extensive experience teaching drama to students of all ages.

She is thrilled to bring her skills and experience to Rātā Studios to guide her students towards their creative potential!

Celia Macdonald

Celia Macdonald graduated with a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Music Theatre from the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA) in 2020. As a Rata Graduate herself, Celia Macdonald has returned in full circle as a Drama Teacher. Celia joined Rata as a student in Miranda Harcourt’s Stage and Screen Teen course at the age of 14. While at Rata, Celia found herself successful in Film and Theatre. In 2015 Celia was cast in short film Goodness Grows Here (Natalie Medlock) with an esteemed NZ cast including Robyn Malcolm. Celia was also cast as Ruby in 2 seasons of TV3’s Web Series Lucy Lewis Can’t Lose (Paul Yates) with multiple Rata alumni such as Erana James, Thomasin McKenzie, and Miranda Harcourt.

Whilst her time at NASDA, some of her theatre credits include Maggie Jones in 42nd Street (Kirsty Allpress), Jessica in Musical Revue of It’s Only Life (Trevor Jones), Robbie in Urinetown (Holly Chappel-Eason), and Danny in Holiday Inn (Russell Dixon).

A highlight of Celia’s career was competing in her first Dance Competition, New Zealand Dance Awards (NZDA) in 2019 and won the “Most Likely to have a Professional Career Special Award”. Then in 2021 Celia directed her first Musical Production of Wizard of Oz Jr. with children aged 5-13yrs.

Celia currently also teaches Dance to toddlers at Leaping Lizards School of Dance and Singing with Spotlight Performing Arts School.