We did it!!! We finally got back into performing…..a huge triumph for the students that took part; a smaller number of students than we’ve had before but never the less we were so impressed by the quality of their work after such a long and delayed difficult period with Covid! (sadly the nerves and the anxiousness of some of the students made us realise how real and sadly the effects that Covid has caused in performing and just general confidence of the students. But WOW we were all so impressed!

Our 2 judges this year was Sarah Palmer who trained at Elmhurst Ballet School and then further coaching from a teacher of the Royal Ballet School, danced professionally round Europe and New Zealand; dancing with the Stuttgart Ballet Company and also Festival Ballet now known as English national Ballet ( ENB). She still is very much enjoying dancing now and working with Silver Dance Company as well as performing with Matthew Bourne’s Workshops with New Adventures.

Judy Palmer (not related), our second judge trained at London College of Dance and worked for many years as a freelance dance teacher, initially with the Inner London Education Authority and various other schools with both adults and children and teaching ballet, jazz, ballroom, disco and tap, not to mention keep fit, notably with a group of novitiate nuns. From London she went onto teach at Guildford School of Acting teaching different forms of as well as historical dance and choreographing many shows based on projects devised by the students. She also taught Bice Bellairs and the Adult Learning Institute and was the dance therapist for what eventually became the Challenging  Behaviour service.

Both judges throughly enjoyed their afternoon and commended all the students how beautifully they all danced and shown such courage to come and demonstrate their creative work with integrity and passion. We are all super proud of all the students and all the imagination as well as creativity shown with their own choreographic ideas as well as using their class steps too. To see the progression right from our youngest student of 6yrs through to our seniors as they return again to perform is a real joy and parents must have been so proud too. Hard work, dedication and their joy shown through their dancing and to perform again! Well done again!!!

Our Commendations were – Amy Santos Eagle with ‘Bad Habits’ & Eliza Kay with ‘Ain’t No Sunshine”

Runners Up were Sophia Nelson & Alice Kay with ‘Wondering’ 

Our Winner was Simona Lamaj with her magic wand and ‘Sugar Plum fairy Dust!’

Thank you to Lilybelle Morley who took some photos of the event, we hope to have them on our website shortly and Miss Franki for organising the music (not an easy task with iPod, Phones, iPads etc).

Thank you again to the judges and all that were involved make our Choreography Competition happen this year, whether to win or just enjoy performing; taking part is just as important as we are so lucky that dancing enhances us all is so many different ways.