Challenge keeps dancers on their toes

A contemporary performance to Rhianna’s Diamonds (in the Sky) by Erin Durand, Olivia Gallagher and Amelia Meierdirk won the junior competition.

Erin said: “We have spent three weeks practising in the drama room at Church Street during our breaks, so are very pleased to win.

“It is our first time performing and to be in the show is even more pleasing.”

In the senior competition, it was so close, two winners were selected in the end.

Tamsynne Searle, who performed a solo Irish dance, shared the honours with a group who all attend the same dance school. Laura Vickers, Abigail Thompson, Hayley Thompson, Becky Darling, Kim Style and Milly Robinson, performed a contemporary piece to Guillemots’ Made-Up Lovesong.

They said they were pleased to have won, as the standard was ‘really high this year’.

The winners took part in Just Dance, an evening of energetic and varied performances, at the school on December 19.

During the show, there was a mixture of class work, mainly contemporary based, and work created especially for the show.

Also taking part were students studying GCSE and A-level dance, the key stage three dance club, tap dancers from the SGS Tappers and Liquid Dance Company, made up of gifted and talented pupils.

Show organiser Anna Morris, head of dance at the school, said she was extremely pleased with the depth of talent in this year’s show.

Mrs Morris added: “The students at Steyning are such a pleasure to work with. Every year they improve, allowing Just Dance to be filled with challenging choreography.

“They have all showed great commitment and I would like to thank them for all their hard work.”

Dance by Chance, a group of 24 year-nine students, created a very technical performance to the music Insomnia and a creative chair-based dance, inspired by the film Rosas danst Rosas, was performed by year 11.

Songs from musicals featured strongly, with sixth form students performing to West Side Story, a lively rendition from Hairspray by year-nine students and a foot-tapping piece by year-ten students to Footloose, finishing with some excellent acrobatics.

Sixth form students also choreographed a performance to The Lion King by students in years seven and eight .

The SGS Tappers, comprising 12 dancers from years ten to 13, performed a rhythmical fusion of street and there was a jolly performance of Jingle Bell Rock, featuring Father Christmas.

Head teacher Nick Wergan said: “Our students so often inspire us, and again this happened. It was such a pleasure to end term on such a show of student creativity, artistic interpretation, teamwork and sheer skill.”

Funds raised from ticket sales will go back into dance at the school, contributing to costumes and resources. Top priority this year is to purchase ballet bars for the dance studio, to help A-level dance students.