Burnley students' dance showcase spectacular had audience on their feet

Some of the cast of from the Dance and Performing Arts course dance showcase at Burnley College.

A glittering evening of dance received a standing ovation from a cheering audience at Burnley College.

Dance and Performing Arts students staged their annual Dance Showcase which marks the culmination of around six months work.

And for many of the students the Dance Showcase marked their swansong appearance on the college’s stage as their studies come to a close and they embark on pastures new after the summer holidays.

Many of the routines in the show were choregraphed by the students themselves with help from dance tutor Sammy Allen who was full of praise for the cast.

She said: “What a fantastic show. All the hard work and effort these students have put in really shone through and I am so proud of them.

Sammy was presented with a bouquet of flowers by student Olivia Walsh who thanked her on behalf of all the students.

Students on the A’level, Btec, AS level and Dance Pathway courses took part in the show which included routines from a wide range of dance genres from modern contemporary to tap and solo performances.

The students drew inspiration from a range of sources for their show, including Akram Khan, an English dancer of Banglasdeshi descent to legendary tap dancer Fred Astaire.

Students from the Dance Academy who had the opportunity to work on a heritage project with a freelance artist from Ludus Dance staged a stunning and moving routine called Baker Calling Stingray which explored cryptography during World War One.

The teenage culture of the 1960s was also explored in a lively routine called Rooster and the rousing finale saw all the cast dance to the This Is Me from The Showman.

The students in the show were: Ilona Browne, Jack Cowell, Lucy Kelly, Gregor McIntosh, Emelia Nurse, Abbie Phillipson, Emily Plum, Elliott Sale, Olivia Walsh, Keiron Watkins, Courtney Yates, Amy Battrick, Mollie Moorby, Luke Whipp, Imogen Burfield, Lydia Johnson Tasmin Slater-Johnson, Genevieve Cross, Maisie Balderston, Elisha Callan, Olivia Clarke, Tom Connolly, Bradley Ellis, Olivia Duffy, Joshua Fielding, Chloe Fitzpatrick., Shannon Hamilton, Chloe Hartley, Lauren Holden, Leighton Hunt, Sophie Jackson, Amy Jefferson, Maisie Leaver, Melissa Mercer, Brad Metcalf. Chloe Morrisey, Jennifer Plunkett, Rebekah Rawstron, Rhys Sage, Zahra Sarrionandia, Robert Smith, Simon Taylor, Kiah Turner, Chloe Bond, Branden Golden, Katie Lister, Courtney Washington, Abigail Mann, Georgia Jarman and Liliana Zenova