John Weaver Festival celebrates Shrewsbury’s thriving dance scene

The John Weaver Festival, now in its third year, is testament to the vibrancy of Shrewsbury’s dance programme.

This year’s showcase was bigger and better than ever before, with over fifty students involved on stage. There were beautiful performances at all levels, from beginners who started dancing in September to our most advanced solo performers. The range and quality of the choreography was particularly impressive and huge credit must go to Sian Stanhope and Olivia Newton, who created and taught so many different routines. Highlights included a joyful rendition of ‘Mama Makes Three’ from the Advanced Jazz class and a splendidly sassy performance from the Advanced Commercial group.

It was lovely to see some new soloists coming forward this year. I particularly enjoyed Mia Z’s (QEH, IV) immensely elegant classical Chinese piece and Andrea L’s (QEH,V) beautifully expressive contemporary work. Kazuha O (G, III) and Hannah M (MSH, V) impressed with their balletic technique, making pointe work look easy!

Many of our most experienced performers also returned to the stage, and it was wonderful to see the progress they have made over the years in their technique and performance quality. Faye P (G, LVI) showed off the sophistication of her port de bras in her ballet variation, whilst Ellie L (EDH, V), Clara G (G, UVI) and Will O’H (Ch, LVI) presented performances from the Musical Theatre canon. Will’s Fosse-inspired piece combined incredible jazz technique with great wit and charm, and Clara and Ellie’s work was notable for the clarity of their story-telling. There were gorgeous lyrical pieces from Cordelia H (MSH, LVI), India Q (EDH, V) and Saara W (EDH, V) which showcased their flexibility, musicality and ability to express emotion through movement.

The climax of the evening is always the performance of the competition team. The group is made up of the school’s strongest fifteen dancers, from any year group. In September, last year’s returners were joined by Isla M (G), Mia Z, Sophia W (G, IV) and Kazuha O, who each bring their own unique skills and talent to the group. This year’s piece is inspired by Alice in Wonderland, featuring Hannah M as Alice. The choreography is incredibly clever and engaging, and I very much look forward to seeing the piece develop throughout the year as the students perform at various local and national competitions.

After the showcase on Friday and Saturday night, students took part in a dance masterclass on Sunday morning, followed by the John Weaver Open Competition in the afternoon. This year’s adjudicator was Jon Clayton, a Musical Theatre dancer and teacher who trained at Laine Theatre Arts and Guildford School of Acting, before working in the West End and around the UK. We are very grateful to him for his excellent, constructive feedback on all of the entries. Congratulations go to the overall winner of the Weaver Cup, Katie Crosland Dance Centre, and to the best Junior and Senior Dancers, Harriet and Kazuha O.

Thank you to our Head of Dance, Sian Stanhope, for masterminding the whole event and providing the school with such a wonderful weekend of dance.

Dr Helen Brown

Deputy Head (Co-Curricular) and Director of Drama