Over 100 dancers, from Richmond School and Sixth Form College, brought Richmond alive with energy, excitement and drama during their recent double-dance extravaganza.
An ‘Evening at the Oscars’, by the school’s highly-popular Evolution Dance Company, showcased performances from Year 7 to Year 13 student. A packed programme delighted audiences with a huge variety of genres and music including: Avatar to Alice In Wonderland, Black Swan to Bugsy Malone and Life of Pi to Lion King.
The contrast of performances was beautifully orchestrated, taking the audience on exciting journeys, from the high-intensity, colour and power of Pirates of the Caribbean, to the joy and fun of the Great Gatsby and the incredible grace, beauty and tenderness of Into the Woods.
The cast were surrounded by an incredibly-supportive lighting and technical team, who created striking backdrops and sound, coupled with a talented back-stage crew who helped create the stunning make-up and costumes and ensured scene changes ran like clockwork. Nicola O’Malley, dance teacher, and Stephen Birdsall, drama teacher, worked tirelessly alongside Danni Fox, Head of Dance, in the management and choreography, to guarantee the smooth running of the event.
Bohemian Rhapsody united the full company for a vibrant and exciting finale and the audience could be forgiven for thinking that they were actually stepping out in Hollywood, as the show had all the hallmarks of a professional, Oscar-worthy production. The show raised over £700 for the dance department to purchase a new lighting system, for the dance studio, to create a more specialist performance space for dance students and make lessons even more exciting an interactive.
Miss Fox commented: “I would like to congratulate all students involved in the Evoloution Dance show. It really was mesmerising to see over 100 students across all year groups performing together on stage in the show-stopping ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ finale. A huge thank you must also be sent out to our brilliant Sixth Form Evolution leaders: Brandon Sutherland-Parker, Izzy Walton and Sophie Wright, who were a credit to the department with their maturity and professionalism when leading the younger students.”
Hot on the heels of the Oscars was the GCSE and A-level Evening of Dance at the Georgian Theatre, which did not disappoint either! This event was particularly significant for the Year 13 A-level Dance students who performed their final ‘swansongs’ with Richmond School, after being in the department for seven years. The evening celebrated the success of this cohort of students whose performances were supported with a selection of GCSE pieces who also impressed audiences with their creativity and professionalism. The show included a wide range of pieces and demonstrated great storytelling and meticulously crafted and polished performances.
Brandon Sutherland-Parker, Year 13 A-level dance student and choreographer, concluded: “I was involved in nearly all aspects of putting together the Oscars showcase, even when it came down to the music. All the dancers I choreographed were amazing and it has been a great few weeks working on such fabulous pieces. I am really going to miss working in Evolution Dance, over the last four years choreographing different groups and creating pieces has been something I’ve become well known for and something thatI have loved to do. I am truly going to miss my Richmond School dance family!”