Costume change for baton run

By Dion Teasdale
MORE than 500 students from across the Yarra Valley will participate in the Queen’s Baton Relay Community Celebration in Healesville next week.
The event, to be held in Queen’s Park, will take place following the arrival of the Queen’s Baton in Healesville on Monday, 20 February,about 5.15pm.
The program of events and festivities includes performances by the local indigenous community and artists from New Zealand.
Following a smoking ceremony performed by Wurundjeri elders, and a special welcome to the Ngai Tahu people from New Zealand, the evening will feature a puppet performance devised by students from Worawa Aboriginal College. It will be followed by the staging of a large-scale puppet and fire performance of a local indigenous tale called The River Story.
Students from Badger Creek Primary School, Healesville Primary School, Little Yarra Steiner, St Joseph’s Primary School and Healesville High School will take part in the performance.
About 100 students from St Joseph’s Primary School in Yarra Junction are currently working with community artists making props, puppets, lanterns and costumes for the big event.
St Joseph’s principal Peter Vanstan said he was delighted that the school was able to participate in the community celebration.
“This is a once in a lifetime experience for our students and it offers us, as a school, a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the Commonwealth Games in our local community,” he said.
Other highlights of the celebration will be performances by the Kulcha Boyz dance troop, the Sooper Dooper Circus, the Pyrobats, the Yarra Valley Singers and the newly formed Aboriginal Children’s Choir.
The evening will culminate in performances by the Kahurangi Maori Dance Theatre of New Zealand and acclaimed Australian musicians Archie and Amos Roach.