News

Jive opens its doors: January 2009

The JiVe Academy of Music and Performing Arts opened with a backing of highly supportive parents, a young and enthusiastic student base and a team of innovative and stimulating teachers. We were thrilled to watch the school go from strength to strength over its first term.

Each music student who undertook exams through the Associated Board in 2009 achieved a high standard of marks with every single student passing and going through to their next grade. Our Leaving Cert and Junior Cert students all achieved top marks in their exams this summer.

We look forward to the coming term where the school will grow in strength and in talent.

A number of new teachers have joined the teaching staff and we have added several exciting new courses to our timetable.

We have big things planned for our orchestra and our drama and dance groups. We have a field trip as well as entry into several national competitions planned for the coming year.

We are also excited to add a Christmas Gala Concert to this years calendar of events as well as another JiVe summer show.

Here’s to the coming term!

Summer Show 2009: Smock Alley

We were thrilled with the success of our first Showcase which took place in the Smock Alley Theatre Temple Bar in July 2009. Each student performed to a very high standard and the evening was a great mix of Drama and Music, the highlight being the fusion of the two in which our junior drama students took to the stage to perform an energetic mime whilst being accompanied by our junior orchestra who provided the sound effects and musical accompaniment.

A great night was had by all and we would like to thank all the participating students and the highly supportive audience members. We look forward to next years show.

Christmas Show 2009: Scoil Ui Dhalaigh

Another great show was staged in December 2009. The JiVe Orchestra took to the stage and performed an incredible set. The Pick n Mix junior drama group had the audience in stitches with their version of "Nuttin For Christmas" and a selection of our senior students played some fantastic Christmas carols. Our adult singers performed a medley of Oh Holy Night and Fairytale of New York and the evening was brought to a close when our Junior Choir performed a selection of Christmas songs.

All in all a great evening of music and drama was had and we were incredibly proud of all the students who took part.

Exams: 2010

All the students taking part in both the Royal Irish Academy Exams for drama and the Associated Board Exams for music, all performed brilliantly. We were very proud of how well everyone did and how hard everyone worked coming up to the exams. Well done to everyone involved.

Summer Show 2010: Filmbase

This time our students took to the stage in the heart of Temple Bar for our end-of-year Elvis-themed showcase and an impressive performance it was! The Jive Academy orchestra, appearing bigger than ever this year, opened and closed the show with a medley of Elvis tunes, and our pick n' mix classes performed their sets complete with Elvis shakes and shades! Many excellent solo and group performances again this year, including some fantasic vocal renditions of Elvis classics.

Many thanks to our ever-supportive audiences and to our hard-working students and teachers.

Chistmas Show 2010: The Pearse Centre

A fantastic Christmas variety show by the Jive Academy students yet again, this time in the beautiful and historical venue of the Pearse Centre. Highlights included the GLEE club Christmas Challenge performance of 'Don't Stop Believin,' choreographed in no less than three hours, the Senior String Ensemble 's exciting arrangement of Carol of the Bells, a piano composition by one of our very own young students, and the fantastic electric guitar solos, among many other sets.

Thanks to all of our excellently behaved students, the incredible support expressed by the audience and to everyone who helped put together a truly memorable show!

Trip to the National Concert Hall: 2011

Ten young music students enjoyed our second field-trip to the National Concert Hall on Friday April 1st to hear the National Symphony Orchestra perform exciting music by Respighi, a Cello concerto by Boccherini (performed by renowned cellist Andreas Brantelid) and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. From the choir balcony we enjoyed a birds-eye view of the full orchestra, which included a piano, mandolin, organ and full percussion section. Each student behaved excellently and as a result our Jive group have been invited back to a programme of our choice next year. Well done to all!

Summer Concert 2011: The Pearse Centre

We celebrated the end of an extremely enjoyable and successful year for the ever-expanding Jive Academy at the acclaimed Pearse Centre this Saturday 11th June. The programme boasted more compositional debuts from our talented young pianists, a 20 minute set by our Junior orchestra, a string trio, solo guitarists, among many other performances, and a great finale of 'We Are The World' sung by Aoife Nolan with an accompanying chorus. Delighted to see a packed house at this year's event and the standard of performance at it highest yet. As always every student involved did us all very proud!

Percussion Classes Come to Jive!

We are delighted to add Drums to our list of classes offered here at the Academy. Teacher Mr Daragh Armstrong offers tuition to students of all ages and levels, and covers a variety of exciting styles. Students are taught on a full drum kit provided by Daragh at the school.

Associated Board Exams: 2011

Growing numbers of practical and theory exam-takers reaped the rewards of their efforts yet again in the excellent results of this year's exams. Students from grades 1 - 8 sat exams this summer in both written and instrumental music and have now qualified for the next level in their tuition. Well done to you all!

Winter Concert 2011: Scoil Ui Dhalaigh

Over thirty of our students performed in this year's Winter Concert on Friday 9th December, including the Junior Ensemble who opened the evening with a 4-piece set of traditional Christmas carols. We also heard performances from our Leaving and Junior Cert music students and more from our budding composers! Thanks to all who took part, the organizers, tuners and accompanists, and to our fabulous audience!