Shrewsbury High School and SHS Dance Academy dancers took their production of Winter Dance to the Walker Theatre at Theatre Severn for the first time last week and performed to a full house for two nights running. This is the third year the school has put on a dance production, and the first time it transferred to a theatre. The students spent many months putting together a variety of different dance styles and genres in preparation for the production. Head of Dance at Shrewsbury High School, Michelle Reece, put together the show along with Head of the SHS Dance Academy Alexandra Scully. Dance Academy pupils performed alongside SHS pupils with tap, ballet and contemporary pieces amongst the many highlights. For Michelle, one of the pieces she particularly wanted to draw attention to was a piece that was first performed in 1910 by Margaret Morris called Ecossaisen and Jacqueline Harper from the Margaret Morris Movement helped the girls perform this piece as it would have been performed 100 years ago. The show also included a 20 minute contemporary dance piece by Alexandra Scully called Platform Exchanges, capturing the emotions of long goodbyes and sweet hellos in their first venture into a longer dance piece. The dance production featured pupils from the Prep and Senior Schools and from the SHS Dance Academy, which is based at the school but is open to any pupils from any school, from the ages of 4-18. The Academy runs on Saturdays in term time and for more information please email dance@shr.gdst.net. You can visit the Prep and Senior Schools at their forthcoming Open Day on Thursday 8th March. Call 01743 494 038 to book your place.
