Let's Face the Music and Dance

Join us in celebrating the recent success of two of Salford City Academy's talented dancers-Georgina Knight and Abigail Healey, Year 11.

The Broadway Experience

Both Georgina and Abigail have successfully gained places on The Broadway Experience in New York, in summer 2010.

The Broadway Experience was established by British Broadway professional Ben Hartley to give UK and US students the chance to work with a range of Broadway professionals. Ben himself has starred in Broadway shows such as ‘The Little Mermaid'.

The girls will enjoy a week of workshops, working with performers, choreographers, and teachers of a range of dance styles.

Georgina and Abigail go to Danceworks school in Swinton and it was their dance teacher who told them about The Broadway Experience auditions.

The November 2009 audition involved performing a piece from the musical "Sweet Charity". They also had to sing a musical solo.

"After a couple of weeks we were sent a letter. My mum opened it and rang to tell me I'd got the place. She was so proud and I was really excited. The chance to go to America for this is amazing; I will get the opportunity to learn lots of new styles of dance that I wouldn't get to try in the UK," says Georgina.

Abigail adds, "I can't wait to go. Its going to be great making new friends and dancing in New York and seeing some of the Broadway shows for ourselves."

Centre for Advanced Training 

The success doesn't stop there! Abigail has also recently been awarded one of only 32 places on the first year of the new Centre for Advanced Training (C.A.T) in Dance at the Lowry.  There are eight Centres across the country and their aim is to train the dancers in ballet and contemporary, as well as help them in furthering their career in dance.

Salford Dance Festival

Both girls also participated in the Salford Dance Festival as part of another dance group "Commotions Youth Dance Company".

The group performed two contemporary dances: the first was a tango and the second was a piece conveying the efforts of war on children.

They performed this again at the "You Dance North West", again at The Lowry. "You Dance England" is a platform for community dance groups to showcase their work.

Gifted and Talented in Dance

With all the dancing outside of school, it's a wonder the girls have the energy to dance in school as well!  However they lend their talents to school dance activities and were part of the Gifted and Talented group who participated in a workshop with the Birmingham Royal Ballet Company. 

This was another fantastic opportunity to work with a professional dance company and they created a show which you may well have seen at school and local events called the "Still-life at the Penguin Café".

We wish them all the luck with their dancing endeavours!