A Gershwinning performance

23 June 2008

Pupils from Holland Park School took to the Royal Albert Hall stage to interpret the music of George Gershwin in a dance extravaganza. The performances alongside another eleven secondary schools took place on Monday 16 June.

Although dance is showing massive popularity through its recent TV exposure, opportunities to dance in secondary schools are still few and far between. This project, called Summertime after the mellifluous Gershwin song, was a joint venture organised by the Royal Albert Hall Education, English National Ballet and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD).

"Seeing the pupils perform was a proud moment for all concerned" said Deputy Mayor, Cllr Shireen Ritchie, "The discipline and concentration they showed in preparing their routines was truly awe-inspiring. Summertime was an excellent opportunity to highlight the health and fitness benefits of dance alongside the artistic and cultural spectrum that dance and movement can open up. Our children were introduced to a variety of dance styles from Lindy hop to Latin American".

Professional dance teachers worked with the pupils and their regular teachers for six months before the performance came together. Twelve choreographed routines were performed and then all 200 pupils took part in the grand finale, Rhapsody in Blue, ballet number.

Holland Park's contributions were choreographed by the current UK Latin American Champion, Alex Ivanets.

Alastair Tallon, head of education at the Royal Albert Hall said: "This project has brought dance into the heart of the curriculum and in doing so has not only raised the self-esteem of all the young people involved but encouraged them that by working as a team the results can be spectacular."

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