'Positive and strong performance”. This is how judge Cate Prestidge describes Tauranga Girls' College's 2016 Stage Challenge entry.

Announced recently, the college placed second in the national finals with their performance ‘Sacred Journey – I am strength, I am beauty' which explored the process and significance of moko kauae – the traditional Māori tattoo that adorns a woman's chin.

Tauranga Girls' College took second place in the 2016 National Stage Challenge for their performance ‘Sacred Journey – I am strength, I am beauty'. Supplied Photo.

It's another Stage Challenge trophy in the cabinet for Tauranga Girls' which won the Bay of Plenty regional finals back in June.

'The group were gobsmacked when the national results were announced, just absolutely amazed and extremely excited. I don't think we've ever had a result like this for our school before which is really cool,” says teacher in charge Caroline Gill.

'In total 100 students ranging from Year 9 to 13 were involved, from our performers to the backstage crew, and they came up everything –the choreography, the sets, costuming, absolutely everything.

'These students are extremely talented and for them to be rewarded like this is absolutely amazing.”

‘I am strength, I am beauty' explored moko kauae and how the traditional tattoo representing strength, beauty, fertility, and the empowerment of women, as well as focussing on the journey to womanhood.

The performance integrated traditional kapa haka movements with contemporary dance, and presented the process of tā moko through the use of fabric and weaving.

'We knew it was something different and we really wanted to involve our whole school community, so we involved the college's head of Māori plus our kaumata about how we could present this performance in a sensitive but special way.

'From a choreographic potential we thought the theme had lots of potential because we could use the patterns of the moko kauae, so we did a lot of research into the history of the Bay of Plenty and the types of moko people had.”

Tauranga Girls' College performance presented the traditional tā moko process through the use of fabric and weaving. Supplied Photo.

Caroline believes the process of crafting and presenting the performance had a huge impact on all the students involved, particularly the members of the college's kapa haka group who took part.

'Our performance was a very different way of presenting kapa haka, and for our kapa haka girls it was quite enlightening for them, it was something they'd never done before which was special.

'There was also a lot of reciprocal learning taking place, with our contemporary dance girls integrating traditional kapa haka movements into their dance style and vice-versa, which was really awesome to see.”

National Stage Challenge judge Cate Prestidge made her decisions based on video footage of schools that placed at every regional event throughout the country earlier this year.

Her decision was based on performances' concepts, soundtracks and drama, and says Tauranga Girls' came a close second to Whanagui High School's performance, 29 Below.

'Positive and strong performance that audiences would have found easy to relate to due to the overall message of one's journey to womanhood,” says Cate.

Also winning an award this year was Mount Maunganui College which was named joint-winners of the National Backstage Award which presented a 'fantastic Crew Portfolio” that outlined their props and the purpose of each in great detail.

And while they didn't win a national award, Papamoa High School also got a special mention for the performance - Dia De Los Muertos- The Day of The Dead, which was based on the Mexican tradition of celebrating the memories you have for someone who's passed on.

PrCate describes their performance as 'visually stunning” due to the dramatic use of skeleton props and the powerful concept Papamoa High portrayed.

In total 100 students ranging from Year 9 to 13 were involved in Tauranga Girls' College's award winning performance ‘Sacred Journey – I am strength, I am beauty'. Supplied Photo.