Ralph Allen School student correspondent Beatrice Peacock reports from a theatrical showcase of young talent
Watching the Ralph Allen School annual dance show was always going to be a treat, with a wonderful cast of talented students taking to the stage of The Bath Forum, right in the city centre.
Emerging from the school’s dance club, the students had spent six months choreographing, mentoring and practicing their dances to perfection. Mrs Tanner, a Ralph Allen PE teacher who runs the dance shows yearly, told me that every dance was choreographed by students, while the show consisted of routines put together by prefects and auditioned pieces.
Teachers took on the role of guiding the students towards their fullest potential and helping to create a positive and confidence-building environment. By allowing the students to audition their own pieces, creativity was put at the forefront of the performances, and the personal interests of the students shone through in their passion of their dances.
This was evident in my visit to the dance show on their opening night, as I sat among dancers who cheered for their friends after every performance. It was amazing to be surrounded by such an encouraging club and witnessing the Year 7 to 13 dance members displaying a real sense of togetherness.
The community created by the dance club extended to an ex-Ralph Allen student from St Brendan’s College, who practiced with Ralph Allen students every week in preparation for the school dance show. Additional support was supplied by past students who came back to watch the show.
The Ralph Allen stars opened with a group dance performed and created by the prefects. Each set represented a particular time period, beautifully detailed with era defining outfits and songs such as Thriller By Michael Jackson and Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It by Will Smith. Wow, what an opening set!
Throughout the number of props used in the sets helped to imbue an extra element and edge. A perfect example came with the group dance Wish You Well, performed by the lower school, where glow sticks combined with the effect of the stage lights to create a colourful and exciting effect.
Meanwhile the performances followed a thought-provoking story through dance, including the rendition of Ed Sheeran’s Visiting Hours, telling a story of love and loss using a bouquet of flowers as a prop.
One of the most memorable dances was the AC/DC barnstormer Thunderstruck, inspired by the Dallas Texas Cheerleaders. This dance involved Years 9-13 using flashy blue pom-poms as props. The number of students involved was incredible to see, and the effort put into the dance was impossible to miss – what a way to send the show off on with an electric finale.
Speaking to Mrs Tanner, she was keen to promote the overall student effort, both on the stage and elsewhere. “We’re all very proud of all involved including the dancers and front and backstage crew,” she said.
“From start to finish the students have been amazing. They’ve shown resilience, courage and have worked so well together to create a fantastic show and a lovely dance community.”
Which felt like the perfect summary of the dance performance this year.
