On Tuesday 11th March, the UP For Dance Junior Dance Off 2008 came to Lux Night Club in the Union and was once again a huge success!

Over 100 children from various schools within the local community took part, and an enjoyable day was had by all.
The event was organised and put together by Community Dance Coach Carly-Ann Purcell and the volunteers committee, which consisted of members of the University Dance Squad and others.

This event was all part of a volunteering scheme, teaching children aged five to ten years old to dance.

Several weeks were spent coaching the school children in preparation for the Junior Dance Off 2008, and from this the coaches gained a nationally recognized dance qualification.

The day commenced with many excitable children and coaches taking part in a group warm-up, before everyone learnt a routine to High School Musical.

The routing was taught to the children by the coaches themselves, so that all the children involved could open and close the competition with a group dance.

The competition then began and each school performed a dance taught by their assigned coaches.

Not only were there performances from all the schools involved, but also the University Dance Squad and “J Squad”, plus the Angels cheerleading team, and Allsorts dance group.

An awards ceremony took place at the end of the event, with awards for not only the school children but also some of the dance coaches; several of the coaches received awards for their Outstanding Service, including Kelly-Marie Baker who won the Coach of the Year award.

Every school put on a brilliant performance and it was a hard decision for the judges to choose the top three dances.

In third place was Northern Parade Junior School coached by Charli Evans, Laura Brownlie and Steph O’Brian and second place was Solent Junior School, coached by Amy Perkins and Claire Rutterford. The school that was awarded first place was Highbury Primary School, who were coached by myself and Claire Tindell.

I was extremely happy when I found out that we had won - the team’s hard work was reflected in their outstanding performance, which deservedly received first place.

At the end of the competition was the after-party, and a disco where some of the children who stayed behind danced the afternoon away!

The University of Portsmouth’s Dance Club volunteering scheme is fantastic, because it brings dance to the lives of children around Portsmouth whose parents may not be able to afford to pay for dancing lessons normally.

This event is a celebration of all the time spent by coaches volunteering and the children’s hard work, and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.