They had put in hours of practice in their own school halls and so were ready for their big moment in the spotlight.
Students from scores of Huddersfield schools took to the stage at the town’s Lawrence Batley Theatre for a dance extravaganza.
The 10th annual Strictly Pennine Dance Festival involved hundreds of youngsters aged four to 18 from 55 schools performing dance routines they had rehearsed in school halls.
A wide variety of dance styles were on show – from ballet, tap and street dance to Morris dancing and even the Lindy Hop. The largest group was a group of 60 children from Wooldale Junior School.
The show, organised for schools which are part of the Pennine Sports Partnership (PSP), was staged over four evenings and organised Sue Weston, a retired PE teacher at Royds Hall Community School in Paddock who now works as sports co-ordinator for the PSP.
She said: “It’s a real celebration of dance. We had 55 schools taking part and several of them did more than one dance.
“They signed up for it last September and rehearse in their school halls before turning up on the night to do their performance on stage – so there’s no dress rehearsal.
“There’s a big wow factor in going to the LBT and sitting in proper dressing rooms with lights all around the mirrors. There’s a great air of excitement and looking forward to performing. They absolutely love it. It’s got a real feelgood experience.”
