Middle 5 pupil, Antonia Christophi, tells us all about the dance workshop and theatre trip that took place earlier this term. On Thursday 11 September M5 and L5 pupils who had an interest in dance and musical theatre had the privilege of receiving a musical theatre workshop. This was run by Lauren she was an excellent instructor with a high level of energy that kept all of us going after a long hard-working day at school. Lauren taught us a dance from the musical ‘The Wild Party’ using the song ‘A Wild, Wild Party’. The workshop though challenging it was also an enjoyable and uplifting way to end the school day. After our workshop Miss How and Miss Smith took us all to watch the amazing dance production of The Midnight Bell, produced and choregraphed by Matthew Bourne through his company new adventures. The production of The Midnight Bell was a modern ballet inspired on the novel written by Partick Hamilton. This production was set in late 1920s in Soho and Fitzrovia London which presents the tale of several interconnected characters who are either employees or regulars at the pub ‘The Midnight Bell’. This production had an extraordinary representation of schizophrenia and other challenges that was civilians were faced with at the time; such as prostitution and homophobia. This was represented with the regulars at the pub displaying the secretiveness and hurt being attracted to those of the same gender would bring at that age period or how prostitution meant having to give your self away to keep living though other women would look down on you and men would never see you. This production was truly a life changing insight on how many people lived without being accepted or not wondering what is your consciousness or real life whilst all being communicated through precise and graceful movements that can express more than words could define. These agile movements inspired many of Norwich Schools young dancers to use more emotion to communicate through our dance.

As the final curtain falls on Gather festival, Gala Night was promised to be an evening of entertainment and celebration of our school community. A highlight of the year for many, countless hours of hard work and dedication, went towards making the infamous Gala Night bigger and better than ever! With a cast of over 300 pupils from the Lower School to the Sixth Form, the evening brought back the best hits of the 24/25 academic year as well as some fantastic new pieces! With the sun shining as the perfect backdrop, the evening began with Nights from the cast of our Senior Musical Grease, this upbeat, energetic piece had audiences singing along, well prepared for the show ahead. Just a few of the highlights from the first act include… The Lower School Choir transporting the audience to a tropical rainforest with their rendition of Africa by Toto. The Fourth Form took us on a magic carpet ride with their lively dance, Friend Like Me, which we saw a glimpse of at the Royal Norfolk show. The phenomenal Mary Poppins melody which showcased the talents of our Upper 3 pupils. The Senior Dance Company bringing the magic of La La Land to Cathedral Close with their showstopping performance, Another Day of Sun After a spectacular first half, audiences treated themselves to refreshments, brought raffle tickets and enjoyed the sounds of the Senior Jazz Band which brought us into the second act, reviving some favourites from the Lent Term Jazz Night. Some of the highlights from the second act include… School Days, a dance collaboration between Senior and Lower School pupils, which beautifully captured the Norwich School experience and passing on the baton to the next generation. The Upper 6 Leavers Song, What I Did for Love, a heartwarming farewell that encapsulated the friendship and community in our Upper 6 cohort, as well as the exceptional talent of our vocalists. Senior Dance Games powerful contemporary performance ‘Rise Above’, which featured earlier this year in the Senior Dance Festival. The evening ended with a Medley from the successful sold-out Senior School Musical, Grease, which has audiences swaying their arms to Hopelessly Devoted to You one minute and clapping their hands to Greased Lightning the next. With the rest of the cast joining for one last dance in We Go Together, it was the perfect way to end the evening and the 24/25 academic year. You can catch a glimpse of the evening in the video below...