Recession? Not at Dansworks! Dance Academy

Date published: 18 February 2010

Dansworks! Dance Academy continues to go from strength to strength after holding its very first show at The Riverside in Whitworth. The show saw a Dansworks! group of youngsters display their talents in a variety of disciplines from Ballet, Tap, Streetdance and Musical Theatre. Pupils taking part were from as young as two years old and for the majority of the pupils it was their very first time on stage. There was a great mixture of performances from many different groups and also some solo performances in Streetdance, Ballet and Musical Theatre. The show also featured a wonderful tribute to the late Michael Jackson as 25 Streetdancers performed to a medley of some of his biggest hits, with Michael Jackson being played by Declan Ashton aged 12. Two numbers in the show saw a group of 22 pre- school children on stage performing a song and dance routine and a tap routine; this brought a tear to many an eye in the audience!
An audience of over 200 that included Rossendale’s Mayor Cllr. Joyce Thorne and Mayoress Mrs. Luba Reeder thoroughly enjoyed the performance, that also included a spectacular tap duet to ‘Barnum’ by Principal Karen Scott and teacher Becky Kay. After the show, the Mayor presented the pupils with their exam and annual awards for 2009. The awards included two annual shields that were won by Leanne Cahill aged 8 for highest exam mark in Ballet and also Paige Murray aged 14 for attendance. A total of 68 awards were presented on the night.

As well as highlighting the talents of the Dansworks! pupils, the audience did themselves proud by raising a total of £243.00 from programme sales and a raffle. Raffle prizes were very kindly donated by Janet Anderson MP, Mario’s Italian Ristorante (Bacup), Fake It Tanning Salon (Rochdale), Tufties Hair & Beauty (Rawtenstall), Pioneer Health & Fitness Studio (Bacup), The Co-op (Bacup), Fit Therapy (Rawtenstall), Bello Hair & Nails (at the Pioneer Health & Fitness Studio), Mrs Yvonne Price and Mrs Helen Hughes. The money raised will be donated to the Rossendale Mayor’s Charity.

Dansworks! Dance Academy which is now two years old, has approximately 150 pupils and teaches a variety of dance styles, fitness classes and musical theatre to children from 18 months old and also holds adult classes. Dansworks! holds classes in Bacup at Pioneer Health & Fitness Studio and in Rawtenstall at Fit Therapy as well as working in Schools for After School Clubs and P.E. lessons and providing pre-school dance classes in Nurseries throughout Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

You can find out more by visiting www.dansworks.co.uk or by contacting Dansworks! by email: info@dansworks.co.uk or by telephone on 07843 263 714 or 07795 165 082. Dansworks! will also be participating in this years revived Bacup Carnival in June and a Summer Spectacular at St. Paul’s School in Rawtenstall in July.