Richard Taunton Students Win Dance Live!

A team of students from Richard Taunton Sixth Form College (@RT6thForm) have won #DanceLive! 2021 

This is the ninth year that students from across the college have participated in a dance competition. They performed a piece entitled ‘The Real Emily Rose’ which explores the exorcism of a young girl.

The lead in the dance piece was played by Trinity Bracewell, from Noadswood School. She studies Performing Arts, Dance, and English Literature at Richard Taunton. Recently, she accepted a place at Performers College to study Musical Theatre and Dance.

She said:

‘After the year we have had, with limited opportunities in the arts, it was refreshing to get back on stage and perform again. Working collaboratively together and doing something we are all passionate about is what makes Dance Live! so amazing, along with the excitement of storytelling through dance.’

The team also received two other awards: best ‘Journey to Dance Live’ video and best concept. Macauley Miles, from Redbridge Community School, created the winning video. He studies Performing Arts and Dance at Richard Taunton and in September, he will begin studying Dance and Choreography at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

He said:

‘This year was the hardest we have ever worked to produce a high quality piece that not only looked amazing but felt amazing to perform. Working with the whole cast was such a pleasure as we all contributed ideas and this helped us form a family-like friendship with everyone, even the teachers.’

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition ran as an online event. The students performed their piece at the college in front of an LED screen which displayed their thematic backdrop.

Lisa Fernandez-Adams, Teacher of Dance, said:

‘We are so delighted to have won  Dance Live! this year, after many months of hard work and determination! The theme, staging, and musicality presented our dancers with challenges this year, but we were so impressed with their technical and expressive skills. This experience has really helped them develop as engaging performers. Students with dance and non-dance backgrounds are able to take part in Dance Live! and we work hard to get all dancers to a similar level and to shine in their own ways.’

The students received positive comments from the judges who described their performance as ‘sublime’ and ‘visually striking’ with ‘incredible choreography, a great aesthetic and cohesive inclusion of digital content’.