Let’s DANCE

Absolutely Sussex witnesses talented pupils at Windlesham House School take centre stage in an epic entertainment showcase

Talented pupils at independent West Sussex prep school, Windlesham House, recently delivered a spectacular showcase of dance and gymnastics performances as part of a live event designed to stretch them creatively while allowing them to display their talents to sta , parents and other pupils at the school. Choreographed by the pupils themselves, around 40 children at Windlesham took part and followed a range of specific briefs to create their bespoke piece, such as building tension, conveying narrative, flight, a canon, unison and animal influences.

The result saw an incredible array of dance styles performed, including classical ballet, commercial, lyrical and ribbon work as well as a hip-hop solo finale performance (given by the recent winners of ‘Windlesham’s Got Talent’ – a fun school talent show) and a large group lyrical jazz piece. The showcase also included club level gymnastics solos, and a demonstration of specific gymnastics techniques.

Ben Evans, Headmaster at Windlesham House School, says: “Dance has always been an integral part of Windlesham’s culture, and it was fantastic to see the incredible range of talent and the breadth of styles on display. The children were thrilled to perform their best work in front of a live audience and to stretch their imaginations beyond the classroom.”

Head of Dance at Windlesham House, Fiona Jenkins, who has also been teaching drama at the school for the last 17 years, adds: “Dance features regularly within our drama lessons and this showcase was a wonderful extension of everything our children have been putting into practice as part of the dance syllabus within the PE curriculum. We try to incorporate dance into other aspects of school life too. The Pre-Prep children usually open their sports days with a whole-school outdoor dance, and more recently our youngest children performed 'Riverdance' with green silks in undulating river patterns and concentric circles.”

Windlesham House is also about to open a Saturday morning dance class ‘Made 2 Move’, where pupils of all ages are invited to enjoy tap, stage, contemporary (including hip-hop/ street dance and Irish dancing) and jazz styles, as well as helping them to work towards future live performances. windlesham.com

With an ongoing passion for all things dance, pupils at Windlesham House also took part in a local dance display, ‘Time to Dance’ held in Worthing recently, which included dance performances from across the region.

Windlesham House is a leading independent day and boarding prep school for boys and girls aged 4-13 years. Set in 65 acres of beautiful grounds in the West Sussex countryside, the school was established in 1837 as the first ever UK prep school. It was also the first to admit girls in 1967 and is still one of the few prep schools in the UK today not to have a school uniform. While the school exceeds pastorally and academically, Windlesham is passionate about creating a happy, safe and rich learning environment where children have the space and freedom to be children. The school also encourages its children to make a di erence in their world and nurtures them to flourish as confident, curious, kind and clever people.