Basingstoke Academy of Dance hosts showcase at Anvil Theatre

A hundred and sixty dancers from the award winning Basingstoke Academy of Dance (BAD) performed in the school's Keep Dancing end-of-year showcase, which took place on Sunday, July 24.

The showcase gave the dancers a chance to demonstrate everything they had learned in the many courses offered by the academy.

For many of the performers this was their first opportunity to dance on stage, due to lockdown restrictions, with the performers ranging in age from four to adult.

Students at the academy range in age from 4 to adult. Dance academy principal Tanya Schipelbaum called the showcase “great fun”, saying: “It went down well with everybody, and the kids enjoyed it.

“I’ve had lots of really great feedback saying how amazing it was.

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“Lots of people appreciated that we got the kids back on a stage.

“It was good to get everyone up there and dancing, just seeing what they could achieve, as the little ones got to watch all the big ones, they could see where they are aiming for, and we can showcase all our different subjects.”

BAD also collected money at the performance to donate to Hook-based charity Victoria’s Promise, which raises money to support young women and their families going through cancer.

Tanya Schipelbaum (right) alongside Charlotte West (left) and Ava Wilson (centre) The showcase also saw the family of photographer Syd Chapman awarding a £500 bursary to one of BAD’s students, Amelia Bywaters.

The annual bursary was set up by Syd’s family to leave a legacy with the school after his death in 2020.

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Tanya explained: “Because he had been really close with us over the years, his daughter danced with us, the family wanted to have something to keep Syd’s memory at the school.

“So, they have an annual £500 bursary that they are giving.

“The children had to apply for it by explaining what they do at the Basingstoke academy and why they think they should get the bursary and also what they would do with the bursary.”

Bursary winner Amelia Bywaters Bursary winner Amelia will use the money to follow her dream to attend a vocational college to study dance professionally.

She will use the money to attend auditions and pay for extra training.

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