On Saturday 15th October, Longcroft School and East Riding Youth Dance joined forces to pilot a Day of Dance.
As an increasingly popular option for students at both GCSE and A-level, the day was aimed at students who want improve their dance skills and techniques in preparation for their examinations later in the school year.
Jonathan Chapman, Assistant Headteacher and Director of the Performing Arts, explained: “There’s a lot of enthusiasm for dance in East Yorkshire. It’s been great to work with June Mitchell and her team from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council to pilot an event that has brought students together from different schools to work with professional dance practitioners. As a school with a reputation for the Performing Arts, we felt this was a natural project for us to pilot.”
With students attending from Longcroft, Hornsea and Headlands Schools, it gave the budding dancers the opportunity to work with new people and take part in an intensive and creative day. The dance specialists who took part on the day were Helen Linsell from Bradford and George and Ellen from Ludus Dance Company based in Lancaster (ludusdance.org).
June Mitchell, Community Arts Officer for the local authority, believes it is important for young people with a passion and talent for dance to work with professionals from the industry: “For young people who are interested in dancing, it is a great way to boost their confidence, enhance team-working skills and bring out their creativity. By working with professionals in the field, they can see that dance can lead to real career opportunities, either as a performer or teacher.”
Students from Hornsea School and Language College felt they had gained a lot from the day. Sammie, Ellie and Kay-lee said: “We think that it has been a great experience to be able to dance with people from other schools and to show our abilities when performing dance. We have enjoyed the day and would like to do it again.”
Megan and Louise from Headlands School in Bridlington described the day as a “fun, exciting learning experience”, whilst their friend Emily felt the day had helped to improve her choreography skills.
Longcroft students also felt it had been a fantastic experience. Aimee said: “I’ve really enjoyed the day and it’s been a fantastic opportunity to meet other people from different schools who share our passion for dance.” Meanwhile, Maddie felt that the event had helped her gain confidence.
As for future events, Mr. Chapman said it is something he would like to pursue: “It’s clear from the experience of today that one-off, creative days with experts in their field can really inspire students and advance their knowledge and skills. I want to talk to colleagues about how positive the day has been and see if we can hold similar events for other curriculum areas in the future.”
