Dance school partnership helps Dagenham pupils discover ballet

PUBLISHED: 15:00 23 September 2018

Sophie Morton

Members of the Royal Ballet with Dagenham pupils who had the opportunity to join in.

Archant

Members of the Royal Ballet putting on a demonstration for local school children.

The Year 3 youngsters gathered at Dagenham Park Church of England School on Friday to watch a group of performers from the Royal Ballet School showcase their skills.

Now almost 400 pupils - from Beam, Godwin, John Perry and Marsh Green primaries and William Ford Junior School - will spend the next six weeks working with the ballet school’s teachers, discovering the dance form through a series of creative workshops.

At the end of the course, 26 of the most talented pupils will then be invited to join weekly Primary Steps classes, held at Dagenham Park, for up to four years.

This is the 13th year that the scheme has been running in the area, and works with more than 2,000 young people across the country every year.