This
year’s summer school had a theme of “Musicals” with the students producing
their own amazing performance at the end of the 5 days.
Doing 5 workshops a day in jazz, musical theatre, drama, ballet,
choreography and hip-hop, it was a very intense and exciting week.
The fantastic team of guest teachers Pat Hickman, George Hulbert,
Vikki Fisk and John Brolly took the musicals “Oliver”, “Wicked” “Singing in
the Rain” “Cats” and “Moulin Rouge” as the starting points for over 15 song
and dance pieces. And to give more variety Edy Bratu created two amazing
hip-hop routines with both groups learning locking, popping and breaking.
In complete contrast the dancers also learnt some ballet repertoire
from Frederick Ashton’s “La Fille mal Gardee” a beautiful comedy English
ballet set on a farm.
“What I
love about our Summer School is that the dancers get to experience a whole
different side of dance and theatre.
Seeing them working together across the age ranges, letting their
hair down, attacking different dance styles, being really creative and
forging new friendships is so inspiring” said Vice-Principal Melissa Glover.
Bev-Lyn
also held a 1-day “Elite Chance to Dance” workshop for the seniors of the
school, some of whom are leaving to go to university or full-time vocational
dance college. “It’s been great
just getting together and doing what we all love...dancing for pure
pleasure. It’s been such a
success we’re going to do an annual summer dance day as a reunion for all
our old students who are away at Uni and missing Bev-Lyn” said Melissa.