Culture at Southdowns

Music

The Southdowns College High School Music Department provides a unique mix of both formal music training and performance coaching, with pupils offered the opportunity to participate in various programmes depending on their interest: Vocational, Recreational or Co-Curricular. Our vocational pupils are exposed to all aspects of the music school from formal IEB-accredited music training to performance (solo and ensemble), enrichment, band, contemporary music history, one-on-one instrument tuition and aspects of intellectual property rights and principles of the music business. Our Co-Curricular pupils have access to activities such as Enrichment (in the guise of band), Orchestra and Choir.

Our Enrichment programme runs during school time on a Thursday, Friday afternoon and on Culture afternoons. Finally, our Recreational programme is powered by SAM (Southdowns Academy of Music), which is open to Southdowns pupils, as well as anyone from the wider Centurion community. Pupils have access to music tuition in an abundance of instruments by some of the best professional coaches in the country. Our instrument offering includes Guitar, Bass Guitar, Viola, Violin, Drum Kit, Voice, Piano, Keyboard, Flute and Saxophone. One of the first “Music Industry Schools” in the country grooming not only the future stars of the country, but also the infrastructure that will support these stars! Our vision and objectives are to give the most recent and relevant music education, by some of the best coaches in the industry, to aspiring musicians and music lovers at our facilities at the SAX building. 

Drama 

Drama does not prepare you for anything… it prepares you for everything. Drama is not simply acting; acting is one of the many aspects that encompass the art form. It is both subject and methodology including the study of different forms of performance. Drama is a way to demonstrate ideas in action, to explore human behaviour and the condition, through action.

Drama is a place where the world of “make-believe” is explored in order to make it a liveable reality! We believe in focusing on individual performance techniques and working with the pupils to find the inner confidence to act alone. This is achieved through the usage of slam poetry, a modern form of street acting, and children’s theatre. By being able to communicate as one actor to a varied audience, the actor will find their own style and develop the techniques necessary to communicate in any situation. A strong emphasis is placed on performance, with the Drama pupils showcasing their talents and skills to the school through a number of solo performances. 

Due to dramatic activities being holistic, they involve each individual physically, intellectually and emotionally in a variety of settings. Drama, therefore, enables people to understand themselves, empathise with others, and better understand the world in which they exist. Drama encourages the development of personal characteristics such as confidence, creativity and the ability to communicate effectively. It is also a collaborative activity, one that depends on the participation of every individual. It encourages people to cross social and cultural barriers and develop skills in mediation and facilitation. These are skills vital to everyone in the country. If “all the world’s a stage” and the word “drama” means “to do”, or “action”, then we are all actors – in our careers, and in our daily lives. Studying drama today empowers pupils with the skills to “do” and “act” in the

fullest sense of the words. 

Our course focuses on, but is not limited to, the following: 

• Communication and vocal projection 
• Expression and speech clarity 
• Characterization and improvisation 
• Voice skills, stage techniques, character impersonation and adaptations 

Art 

Art is described as an unstructured and open-ended form of work that enables one to express one's emotions, feelings, and vision and is based on artistic merit.

In Visual Art we aim to equip pupils with the skills required to create works of art based on a strong conceptual basis. We begin this process by mastering the practical skills needed to create artworks. These include basic drawing and painting skills, as well as medium experimentation. We then move on to learning critical thinking skills through creative problem solving. This is followed by learning how to communicate and collaborate through group work. 

Pupils are taught to be flexible by making mistakes and working through these constructively. It is an essential part of the creative process. Finally, pupils are taught time management skills in order to improve their productivity. 

Visual Art also comprises of Visual Culture Studies, which is a contemporary, and emerging interdisciplinary field of inquiry that employs a variety of approaches to assist in the analysis and interpretation of visual images. We do this by learning about different modes of art as well as acquiring visual literacy skills, which will enable a pupil to analyse any type of artwork. 

All of this results in the creation of well-rounded art pupils who are able to engineer multiple solutions to a posed theme and ultimately generate technically sound artworks.

Our enrichment sessions are used to create and refine pupils’ creative output. Artworks are then exhibited at school functions such as academic awards evenings, SAW day, SCAMdalous, Southdowns Arts Festival and Open Days. We also enter pupils’ artworks into multiple external competitions and eisteddfods such as the Centurion Arts Festival and the National Eisteddfod. Pupils are also encouraged to participate in creating murals and sets for musicals and various school productions. 

Dance

The lessons alternate between ballet, contemporary/jazz, modern, hip-hop and body-conditioning each week. This allows the dancers to train and develop different dance styles and in turn they develop versatility. Qualified ballet teachers train the practical ballet work and guest teachers are invited for the alternate classes during the year. We aim to inspire our enrichment pupils by inviting choreographers and professional dancers to perform and motivate them throughout the year.

Nothing has ever taken the place of ballet for disciplinary training. There is no technique in any other style of dancing that is as valuable at producing exactitude, precision, and a sense of form and line. A ballet trained dancer will always excel at alternate dance forms. The small child at dancing class may never become a professional dancer or teacher – but – the courtesies and disciplines, postural and brain development, musicality, confidence as well as joy in movement, will forever touch their lives. Our Ballet trained pupils have had opportunities both nationally and internationally because of their training, acting for television or movies, modelling, presenting for television, managing performing arts companies, production, the co-ordination of large events such as Miss SA and Miss World and the world cup opening events. Many dancers have graduated as doctors, accountants, attorneys and decided to start teaching dance at a later stage. 

For the most proficient and specialized dance experience contact the Southdowns Dance Academy! 

Tech Crew 

The tech crew is integrally involved in various activities and events run throughout the year, that appear on the school’s calendar. They are a small group of pupils who make a major impact on all our activities. Although they generally meet during the Enrichment sessions, their work goes beyond this session, with pupils participating in activities on many nights, weekends and public holidays. Not only do they work on creating sound for our events, but they are also integral in the lighting of these events. 

Southdowns Academy of Music 

Southdowns Academy of Music is one of the oldest departments at the school. It started in 2008 and has slowly become one of the integral pillars of the school, along with Drama, Dance and Art (together they make up Cultural Pillar of the school). 

Over the years we have experienced many successes, being voted the top Culture School in Pretoria at the National Eisteddfod for four years in a row (2015-2018), excelling at various competitions and international examinations (winning the St Andrews Viebz Competition; Top 10 in the National Eisteddfod National Rounds; semi-finals of The St Mary’s Battle of the Band; semi-finals of the Dainfern Battle of the Bands, top achievers at the Rock Schools, ABRSM, Trinity Examinations) and excelling at the IEB final examinations. 

The staff in the music department are also achievers in their own right. All the staff have been selected for their industry experience and their contribution to the music business, as well as being top educators in their respective fields. It is essential that not only are our coaches able to teach music, but they must also be people who are able to imbue in the pupils a passion for the art of music, utilising their industry experience. 

We at S.A.M. believe that not only are we responsible for training the future stars of the music industry, but we are also tasked with establishing the infrastructure that will support these future stars. With this as a mission, we have undertaken to create an environment where people are able to explore their creativity and talent in a safe and familial environment. S.A.M. does not only cater to Southdowns pupils, but we provide a service to the wider community. 

Our pupils have fared well as both music industry contributors and general contributors to society. Former S.A.M. pupils have won SAMA Awards, been accepted at top music schools locally and internationally (Berklee College of Music, Leeds Beckett University, University of Cape Town and WITS), and have fared well in the recording studios. Former S.A.M. are well positioned in the music industry to effect change. S.A.M. alumni occupy strategic positions in the music industry in organisations such as the SABC, PR companies, recording companies, and studios. 

Our successes speak for themselves, and we hope to be around to continue to effect change and open the doors of music education to as many people as possible. So come along and join our musical journey… 

Southdowns Dance Academy 

Amelia van Ryneveld and Debra Gush launched Southdowns Dance Academy in 2012 with the vision and mission of providing specialised tuition in Ballet, Jazz and Contemporary methodologies. Since its pioneering year, the Academy has grown progressively and now boasts a wide variety of dance styles and techniques. 

In addition to being a service provider to Southdowns Preparatory School and Southdowns College, the Dance Academy also opens its doors to the wider Centurion area, including both Government and Private schools in the region. 

The Academy uses the internationally recognised Royal Academy of Dance syllabi as the mode of tuition in ballet while our modern dance department utilises the South African Body of Dance syllabus (SABOD). Pupils enter for these prestigious exams annually.   

Open classes in Contemporary and Jazz are an additional inclusion for the pupils of the Academy. Body Conditioning and specialised stretch classes are also available. Recently the Academy started open ballet and Repertoire classes on Saturdays that have proved very popular. We also offer Irish and Highland Dance and Classic Indian Dance. 

Pupils of the Academy take part in an annual Eisteddfod of the Performing Arts (EPA) and a biennial showcase at the SAX Arena. They are welcome to enter any other competitions and bursaries if they so wish. 

Inge van Rensburg offers adult Pilates classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and, Irish Dancing is offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. SABOD modern classes for juniors and seniors take place on Tuesdays and Fridays and Classic Indian Dance is offered on Sundays. 

We are incredibly proud of the historical development of the Academy and delighted with the quality of teaching we offer. Our pupils are always raising the barre and it is a supreme privilege for us to see these children growing up before us. 

Amelia, Debra and Melenia-Ann Dale also run the IEB Dance Studies at Southdowns College. This intensive subject boasts one of the biggest IEB portfolios in the system. Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz and Body Conditioning.

Conditioning forms part of the practical component of the subject while the theoretical side covers topics such as Anatomy, History of Dance and Music for Dance. 

The Grade 12 Dance Studies results speak to the success of the Dance Department. In 2018, Grade 12 Dance pupil, Michelle Ehlers was ranked in the top 1% for Dance Studies in IEB schools within South Africa and we have maintained a distinction average for the past ten years. 



For any queries, please contact the following: 

avryneveld@southdownscollege.co.za or dgush@southdownscollege.co.za 

Ever After Productions 

Ever After Stage Productions is one of Pretoria's largest youth theatre companies. Their goal is to educate participants in the art of Musical Theatre through professional production processes and a wide range of enriching workshops. Ever After provides the opportunity for young performers to build a solid foundation in the arts and prepare them for their next step in their post-school arts careers. Participants in Ever After Productions can look forward to building long-lasting relationships with fellow performers and becoming part of the larger Ever After family. No matter their role, performers are guaranteed a quality education from passionate professional instructors from the Musical Theatre world. Ever After is based at Southdowns College's very own SAX Arena.

Public Speaking and Redenaars

Our English and Afrikaans public speaking/redenaars teams are lauded in the creative community at Southdowns College as they generally take top honours at local festivals and competitions. These two activities are headed up by the Heads of the English and Afrikaans departments respectively. These activities usually take place in the first and second terms of the year, with an internal competition taking place in the first, where we invite former pupils to judge the competition. 

School Newspaper

The school newspaper is a pupil led initiative, in which pupils interview and write articles featuring stories of interest within the Southdowns College community. The newspaper is virtual and distributed amongst the wider Southdowns College family. The school newspaper is released three times a year, at the end of each term and is an exciting activity for many of our budding authors, writers and journalists.