I spent an inspiring evening on Thursday 30th April as a guest of Woodham Academy’s Dance Showcase, and in front of a packed audience was treated to a brilliant display of dance and musical gymnastics.
Most of the routines were choreographed by students themselves as part of their examination course and each piece demonstrated talent, commitment and hard work in rehearsals.
It was amazing to witness the thought behind each dance theme and how well the music was interpreted and conveyed to the audience.
There were some profound performances based on war, slavery, animal hunting and mythical warriors. The show, attended by the Mayor Wendy Hillary and her husband Jed, had a rich mixture of music which kept the audience enthralled from start to finish.
The students can be proud of the very high standard they set and the school along with parents can be equally proud of these young people who showed dedication and discipline beyond their years.
There were over fifty performers and among them one lone extremely talented young man, Daniel Wilkinson a year 8 student destined for stardom. He is representing Woodham in a national event.
A special additional dance number was introduced by a group of students specially for Dance Tutor Miss Minervini who was leaving Woodham for a new post in Dubai. She was deeply touched by this tribute and bade everyone a fond farewell.
She will remember her time at Woodham and the Academy will always be grateful for the superb contribution she made to the standard of dancing which brought the school to a new level.
It was a memorable evening and tutors can take credit for the quality of this production and the future of those students who will take dance and gymnastics into their future education and careers.
