Lanesend Primary School has been named runners-up at this year’s Dance Live junior heats, impressing judges with a powerful and thought-provoking performance titled ‘The Shadows of Doubt’.
The Cowes school received praise for the children’s facial expressions, the intricacy of the choreography and their creative costumes, which also earned them a separate award on the night.
Each pupil designed their own ‘dream’ as part of the concept, working alongside teacher and art lead Miss Squibb. The individual designs were then printed onto their costumes, ensuring every child wore something unique to them on stage.
The performance was inspired by the Isle of Wight Council’s 2030 education goal of ensuring all children have high aspirations and are supported throughout their educational journey.
A summary of the piece, written by Year 6 pupils Eden Salter and Vasco De Jesus, explained the message behind the routine.
They wrote:
“In a world brimming with aspirations and endless possibilities, we believe that we’re capable of anything – until the shadows of doubt begin to creep in and entangle our minds. As hope and fear collide, we’re faced with a decision – do we let doubt take hold of us, or do we trust that our big dreams really are worth chasing?”
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Miss Routledge, Dance Live coordinator at Lanesend Primary School, has said:
“We are incredibly proud of what our children accomplished on stage this year. Their achievements are a testament to their hard work and determination in the lead up to this competition. They were up against some fantastic competitors and so we were elated to place second, scoring highly enough to advance to the junior finals in April!”
By placing 2nd in the heats, Lanesend Primary School has now secured a place in the junior finals, which are set to take place in April.
