Pupils take to the stage at the Camden Schools Dance Festival
Seventeen local schools and youth groups took to the stage at the sixth annual Camden Schools Dance Festival at The Place on Monday 9 February.
Over 250 Camden pupils from five to 19 years old participated in afternoon and evening performances supported and enjoyed by a large audience of parents and friends.
The pupils’ performances were the culmination of months of practice to create a varied mix of original dance pieces. Pupils prepared their performances in workshops led by The Place, B-Better, Akademi South Asian Dance UK, English Folk Dance and Song Society and Candoco.
Acland Burghley School, Swiss Cottage School, Torriano Junior, St Aloysius Junior School, Fitzjohn’s Primary School, Gospel Oak Primary School, Netley Primary School, Regent High School and Christ Church Primary School pupils performed in the afternoon.
Pupils from Brookfield Primary School, Christopher Hatton Primary School, St Paul’s CE Primary School, Mix It from the Surma Centre, Hampstead School, Parliament Hill School and Rhyl Primary School graced the stage on Monday evening.
Councillor Abdul Hai, Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture, attended the event. He said: “It is brilliant to see so many enthusiastic young people sharing their passion for dance at a national dance venue. The festival shows what our young people can achieve when we provide opportunities through working in partnership.”The festival was delivered by our sport and physical activity service in partnership with Camden Dance Development Group. The workshops were funded by Sportivate, a Lottery funded London 2012 legacy project that gives young people access to coaching opportunities. Over the past three years we have also been successful in securing Sportivate funding for other projects including tennis and parkour.
Councillor Angela Mason CBE, Cabinet Member for Children, added: “The standard was incredibly high and shows how much hard work has gone into the performances. Dance is a fantastic way to get active while having fun.”The festival also featured guest performances by students from London Contemporary Dance School and Shuffle, the junior youth dance company, both based at The Place.Maria Ryan, Children and Youth Dance Manager, The Place, said: “It’s rewarding to be part of a project that enables so many local young people and their families to explore dance together.”