Young dancers from across the region and beyond will take centre stage to perform and compete this weekend at the 28th annual Wangaratta Festival of Dance (WFOD).

Hundreds of competitors enjoy five days of competition in over 12 genres of dance styles including classical ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary hip hop, musical theatre, demi character and improvisation.

This weekend features junior soloists from 9am – 9:30pm on Saturday 16 and 9am – 8:45pm on Sunday 17 May.

WFOD president Terri Dillow, who has been volunteering for the past 22 years, said dancers performing range from beginners to advanced and have spent months preparing.

“Most dancers would have started their routines at least three months or longer prior to a competition,” she said.

“This allows time for the teacher to choreograph the routine and teach it, the dancers need to memorise the dance and learn to perform it with correct technique and stage presentation.”

Entry to the auditorium to watch the performances is free to family, friends and the community.

Ms Dillow said they encourage many family and friends to attend.

“It would be great for any dancer in the local community to come and support their friends’ dance,” she said.

“It’s a great learning experience and may encourage some to give it a try for themselves.

“We are a small committee and pride ourselves on giving the local community an event to perform in their own town so their families can watch, without having to travel.

“We are also very fortunate to have a facility like the Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre to give our performers the opportunity to perform on a first-class stage/facility.”

Soloists and troupes perform their routines in front of respected industry adjudicators who provide feedback on dancers’ choreography, skill, presentation, musicality and costuming.

Senior soloists will be performing on 22 May, troupes on 23 May, and senior soloists on 24 May.

For more information, visit https://www.wpacc.com.au/Whats-On/Wangaratta-Festival-of-Dance.

The festival also runs a Mini Troupe and Solo Competition in the Spring school holidays.

This year it will be held on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September.

*

What's On In Brief

*

The Importance of Being Earnest at Beechworth

The Beechworth Theatre Company proudly presents Oscar Wilde's wittiest and most famous work 'The Important of Being Earnest: A trivial play for serious people' on Saturday 16 May at 4:30pm at the Beechworth Servicemen's Memorial Hall.

The last of his 'drawing-room' plays, and arguably the best of Wilde's satirical works, 'Earnest' parodies contemporary dramatic norms and satirises late-Victorian manners.

Celebrated for its wit and repartee, this wonderful, farcical comedy, depicts the tangled affairs of two young 'men-about-town' who lead double lives to evade unwanted social obligations, both assuming the name Ernest while wooing the two young women of their affections.

Come and enjoy the wit, the fun, the farce of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'.

The production will also run on 17, 22, 23 and 24 May.

Visit www.beechworththeatrecompany.com.au or go directly to www.stickytickets. com.au for tickets.

*

Moyhu Lions Country Market on Saturday

The next Moyhu Lions County Market at the Moyhu Lions Park will be held on Saturday 16 May from 8am to 12pm.

Browse over 20 stalls showcasing a variety of local produce, plants, art, craft, giftware and community interests.

For stallholder bookings, contact Donna at 0408 295 563 or email moyhu.vic@lions.org.au.

*

Wangaratta community market on Sunday

The Wangaratta community market runs every Sunday at Moore Than Swimming, located at 11-13 Mason Street in Wangaratta, from 8am until 1pm.

There is a wide range of stalls to browse with new and used items, plants, fruit and veg and more, with refreshments available.

Stalls are available for just $20 each (no bookings required) and car boot sales are welcome for $15, with more information via the market's Facebook page or call Sheree on 0401 665 886.

*

Repair Café at the Sunday market

The Wang Repair Café will be at the community market at Moore Than Swimming on Mason Street on Sunday 17 May from 8am to 12pm.

Volunteers will be on hand to repair broken items including toys, sports gear, tools, household goods and more, to help keep them out of landfill.

They have been supporting the community in repairing broken stuff for almost nine years and are proud to keep hundreds of items out of landfill.

They sharpen garden tools and knives, repair some electronic items, and great with the glue.

Textiles needing repair?

Bring it along and they will take a look.

*

Final weekend of 'A Reflection of Nature' exhibition

This weekend is the final chance to view joint exhibition, A Reflection of Nature, featuring local artists Gaynor Hartley and Jackie Knights.

Long-time friends and creative collaborators, Gaynor and Jackie share a passion for capturing and interpreting the natural world.

While their artistic styles differ, Gaynor working in intuitive, abstract collage and printmaking, and Jackie in representational oils and acrylics, the exhibition highlights both their contrasts and shared inspiration.

The exhibition runs until 18 May, Art Gallery on Ovens is open Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 4pm, and weekends from 10am to 2pm.

*

Ruins in Reverse exhibition at Wangaratta Art Gallery

Carly Fischer's exhibition 'Ruins in Reverse' is on display at the Wangaratta Art Gallery in Gallery 2 until 14 June.

Ruins in Reverse is a sculptural and sound-based installation inspired by the former Beechworth Asylum and Ms Fischer's great-grandmother’s 50-year life spent institutionalised for 'talking to the furniture'.

The work explores the idea of shifting between realities, uncovering forgotten fragments that blur past and present.

Tracing the architectural features of the asylum buildings, Ruins in Reverse captures its physical and acoustic resonance.

Drawing on histories of architecture, institutions, geology, and mining connected to Beechworth, Ms Fischer’s recordings, research and impressions are reassembled into 'architectural assemblages' that merge sound and sculpture, material and context, creating an immersive reflection on memory and place.

*

Galen’s ‘School of Rock’ set to hit the stage

Rock out to the sensational thunder of rock 'n' roll when Galen Catholic College bring their production of 'School of Rock' to the stage on Friday 15 May.

Based on the hilarious 2003 film starring Jack Black, 'School of Rock' follows a failing rockstar, Dewey Finn, who impersonates his friend as a private school substitute teacher to accrue some cash to cover his debts.

Unexpectedly, he ends up leading his students away from conformity toward embracing their true talents in the way he knows best: the world of rock 'n' roll.

From the moment the curtain opens, audiences can expect to be enraptured by the sights and sounds of the theatre as they enter the world of rock.

To book your tickets for Galen’s production of ‘School of Rock’, visit https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/galen-catholic-college-55552070363.

*

American performers join local choirs for border music festival

An international cast of musicians will converge on the North East border this weekend, with American singers and orchestral players travelling from Phoenix, Arizona, to take part in the Four Choirs International Music Festival.

The two-day festival, on 16 and 17 May, will bring together local ensembles Beechworth Singers, Vocal Directions Wangaratta and the Murray Concert Choir with visiting artists from ProMusica Arizona, forming a combined choir of around 130 voices.

They will be supported by a 45-piece orchestra featuring musicians from across the region, including members of the Albury-Wodonga Symphony Orchestra, Wangaratta Symphony Orchestra and Albury City Band.

Former Albury resident Patti Graetz, now director of ProMusica Arizona, will return to the region to lead the collaboration, which focuses on showcasing works by contemporary Australian and American composers.

Concerts will be held at Galvin Hall in Wodonga on Saturday 16 May at 2.30pm, and at Wangaratta Cathedral on Sunday17 May at 2.30pm.

Tickets are available online via TryBooking or at the door.