Bravo! Sellout showcase for talented young performers from schools, youth companies and colleges
Young Performers’ Showcase
at the Corn Exchange
on Tuesday, July 1
Review by ROBIN STRAPP
The Corn Exchange was sold out for the annual Young Performers’ Showcase. The evening was a joyful celebration of dance, music and theatre curated and produced by Reuben Spencer. It brought together performances from schools, youth companies and colleges from West Berkshire and surrounding areas.
Starting with Park House Elite Senior Dance, Visualisation was a contemporary upbeat routine enthusiastically received.
By contrast, Aligning by Dance Collide was a stylised haunting duet exploring their connection.
Wishing You Well by Senior West Berkshire Youth was a fluid well-choreographed piece examining how to stop somebody from walking away.
Singer Olivia McBeth’s solo rendition of Feeling Good had all the sultry tones of a jazz singer with a voice to match.
Relationships were a recurring theme and The Downs School’s Bad Blood was a modern interpretation of the ups and downs experienced during friendships.
The theatre contribution came from Trinity School’s extract of Hilaire’s Belloc’s Cautionary Tales featuring the story of Matilda. Great energetic and playful fun.
ORB’s impressive Borderline, a poignant physical movement piece was a powerful story of the displaced people forced to flee their homes and find refuge in unknown, unwelcoming lands.
Spiking was the important topic from RS Dance Company’s Unknown, emphasising the need to be prepared, in a powerful performance.
Kingsclere Youth Dance gave a high energy disco jazz dance number, Le Freak , followed by Hampshire Youth Dance Held By The Divide, examining what we hold onto in time of loss.
Razzamataz dance pieces were performed with total energy and commitment.
Siren by Indigo Movement was inspired by the enchantment of moving water. A striking athletic solo piece.
Trinity School’s Jude’s Life was a heartfelt portrayal of one person’s journey through relationships.
Ebb and Flow was an enchanting piece from Park House Evolve Junior Dance, reflecting water and waves.
Finally, Fuzzylogic’s futuristic Enter Intelligence was a thrilling, unsettling journey of artificial intelligence as it begins to take over the world. Visually stunning.
This highly entertaining evening performed by talented young people who should be congratulated on their achievements.
The future of the Performing Arts is in safe hands.
Bravo!