Strictly Dance Fever hit Wallace High Schoool last week with a special gala evening held to raise funds for the NI Children’s Hospice. Inspired by the continuing success of past pupil Rebecca Leonard on BBC1’s Strictly Dance Fever, the eight Wallace couples, each a staff pupil pairing, took to the dancefloor in front of a capacity audience.
Several weeks of intensive training by the dances certainly paid off . Some of the pupils involverd are actually pupils of Rebecca’s and have enjoyed working with her in both Lisnagarvey Operatic and Fusion Theatre productions. Ballroom dancing was also on display in Wallace’s recent production of George Beranrd Shaw’s Pygmalion. The gala evening was hosted by Lower Sixth pupils Joel Robinson and David Mulholland and the judges were teachers Debbie Wallace, David Cleland and Jonny Reid.
Following a drinks reception, the eight couples took to the floor for the opening dance with an elegant waltz.Subsequent rounds included the tango and the cha cha cha. Interval acts included “Random”, a contemporary dance group and “Edge City Dancers”, who are taught by Rebecca Leonard. Upper Sixth pupil Kerri Anne Troughton alos gave a moving rendition of Eva Cassidy’s “Songbird”.
Making it through to the final were Vice Principal Elizabeth Ramsey and her partner Gareth Patterson from Year 12 and Head of Year 8 Norma Cairns partnered by Year 12 pupil Richard Hunter . Echoing the BBC format, another couple – Head of Lower Sixth Margaret Mitchell and Deputy Head boy Keith Lunn, had the opportunity to impress the judges following a wild card vote from the audience.
The wild card couple, Margaret Mitchell and Keith Lunn, danced a cha cha cha to the current Number one single ,”Show me the way to Amarillo”, whilst Elizabeth Ramsey and Gareth Patterson entertained the audience with their technically superb twist on a cha cha , dancing to “Summer Nights” from the hit musical “Grease”.
Norma Cairns and Richard Hunter impressed the judges with their American jive to Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood”, and were duly crowned Dance Champions of 2005.
A delighted Richard commented, “The quality of all the dancing was superb and we all took our rehearsals very seriously as well as having lots of fun. I can’t wait to tell Rebecca Leonard , who I’ve worked with for years, about the competition. Her success is a real inspiration and I’d like to thank Miss Bill and the charity committee for their hard work in organising this event.”
Norma Cairns added, “There was a tremendous atmosphere at the event and the audience was very supportive.It was great to be able to help raise so much money for such a worthy cause.”
Charity co-ordinator in Wallace High, Miss Grace Bill concluded, “Raising £1355 was a fantastic achievement and I’d like to thank so many local businesses who offered their support for the hospice. The photographer Ed Smyth was brilliant and we also received donations from Green’s , Walls, Bells, Snappy Snaps, Birthdays, Lisburn Museum, Daltons, Tesco, Sainsburys and The Card Warehouse as well as Mrs McCarroll and Mrs Robertson. The enthusiasm, talent and energy of our competitors was second to none and credit must go to our interval acts and our hosts, Joel and David, whose wit rivalled that of Strictly Dance Fever Host Graham Norton. The Charity Committee’s work in organising the whole event was alos incredible. We ‘d like to encourage people to keep voting for Rebecca, thereby raising money also for Comic Relief”
Last modified: May 15, 2007
