May 03, 2024

LET'S DANCE COMPETITION 2024

Lionheart secondary school students laced up their dancing shoes and celebrated International Dance Day at our Trust-wide ‘LET’s Dance’ competition on Monday 29th April, wowing a packed audience of families and fellow students.

Following earlier ‘heats’ held at the individual schools, more than 120 students assembled at The Cedars Academy’s Palmer Tomkinson Theatre in Birstall to compete against one other in the competition’s grand finale.

Given the unenviable task of choosing winners was the judging panel, comprising Mike Gamble – Co-Head at The Newbridge School – Vanessa Glynn – Trust Expressive Arts Lead – and Lorrine Douglas – Schools and Community Co-ordinator from Curve Theatre.

In front of an electric crowd of more than 200, our young dancers dazzled and showcased an exemplary repertoire of skills, showcasing a wide variety of dance styles and genres such as contemporary, classical and jazz.

Performers were judged against four criteria; choreography, performance, musicality and timing, and Lionheart’s student values - the 4Rs – being resilient, resourceful, reciprocal and reflective.

“I definitely saw the young people shine,” said Lorrine from Curve Theatre.

“There was some amazing talent on stage and it's brilliant that Lionheart’s created a platform for young people to share their creative ideas through dance.

“It was great to see the support all the dancers showed each other, and the many parents, guardians and carers who came and cheered them on.”

Lionheart’s CEO, Kath Kelly, commented: “Collaboration between Lionheart’s schools enables enriching events, such as LET’s Dance, and brings great benefits to students.

"Our young people are not only able to meet people from other schools with similar interests, but also gain wider holistic skills, such as confidence, respect and resilience. We know that developing these qualities at school are important foundations that go hand-in-hand with academic achievement.”

Ultimately, on the night of the competition, despite the high standard of performers, there could only be a handful of winners, and they were as follows:

Juniors (Year 7 and 8)

Bronze – Lexi (Sir Jonathan North) AND Lauren, Paige and Tia (Cedars)

Silver – Amelia and Una (Humphrey Perkins)

Gold – Martha, Niamh, Josephine, Jemima, Ella and Katie (Sir Jonathan North)

Inters (Year 9 and 10)

Bronze – Isla (Martin High)

Silver – Millie (Castle Rock)

Gold – Phoebe (Newbridge)

Seniors (Year 11+)

Bronze – Olivia (Beauchamp College)

Silver – Year 11 Group Dance (Beauchamp College)

Gold – Maycee (Castle Rock)