Curtain comes down on dance festival

THE curtain has come down on this year's Grimsby Dance Festival, with organisers hailing it as a "massive success".

Dozens of youngsters from across North East Lincolnshire, representing many different dance schools, have taken to the stage at Cleethorpes Memorial Hall.

The event started on Friday, October 23, finishing with a flourish on Saturday.

Beccy Burns, who organised the festival alongside her husband Dave, is already looking forward to doing it all again next year.

She said: "It has been a massive success and all of the competitors have been brilliant. "I am already looking forward to the Cleethorpes Dance Festival in April, then this one again after that.

"The standard has been really high throughout the week, and we have been really pleased with how it has gone.

"I would just like to thank all of those who have helped on a voluntary basis, it really is appreciated."

Those taking part say they are sad the event has come to its end.

Erin Shepherd, nine, of Grimsby came top in Saturday's modern novice split class for eight to nine-year-olds.

The Nicky Stevens School Of Dance student said: "I have been involved in a lot of dances over the week.

"It has been really good, I have really enjoyed myself. "I'm happy that I won, it is really exciting being on stage in front of everyone but I didn't expect it.

"I started dancing when I was four. It is something to do and really good fun."

In second place was Sukanya Rollinson, eight, of Cleethorpes.

She is a member of the Clee Academy of Dance. She said: "It is good to finish second. I was ill on Friday but came back because I really wanted to.

"Dancing is good fun and the festival has been good. I have taken part in a lot of different dances. I have done ballet and tap. It has been a good week."

For festival news and results, visit www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/dancefestival

Dance Festival results

Thursday

Classical Trio, under 16 years: 1 Danielle Wallace, Amanda Kent, Grace Swaby-Moore; 2 Chelsea Millman, Lauren Smith, Ellen Smith; 3 Alice Jackson, Kirsty Boddy, Alicia Taylor-Reese; 4 Lauren Haigh, Sophie Merrison, Jessica Pinder.

Classical Trio, under 10 years: 1 Anouska Allison, Harley Stephen, Libby Tice; 2 Niamh Merriman, Victoria Keal, Mollie James; 3 Charlotte Lowther, Harriet Cope, Madeline Gallant; 4 Evie Grant, Ellie Mumby, Olivia Meggitt and Georgia Easton, Amy Read, Emily Heinzman.

Greek or Natural Movement, 14-15 years: 1 Victoria Paine; 2 Alicia Taylor-Reese; 3 Alice Jackson; 4 Ellen White.

Character Open, 16-18 years: 1 Rachel Barlow; 2 Michaela Webb; 3 Emma Bendle; 4 Emily Bennett.

Prouduction, under-16 years: 1 Swaby Dance Centre; 2 Swaby Dance Centre;3 Happy Feet Dance School; 4 Clee Academy of Dance.

Friday

Modern Novice, 8-9 years: 1 Natasha Sleeth; 2 Olivia Evans; 3 Mollie Stansfield; 4 Rebecca Spurrell and Victoria Keal.

Character Open, 10-11 years: 1 Grace Swaby-Moore; 2 Jasmine White; 3 Ashleigh Hallam; 4 Eleanor Wilkinson.

Song and Dance Open, 14-15 years: 1 Rebecca Gray; 2 Victoria Paine; 3 Chelsea Millman and Ellen White; 4 Amy Garnett.

Ballet Group Without Theme, under-10 years: 1 Clee Academy of Dance; 2 Swaby Dance Centre; 3 Swaby Dance Centre; 4 Pat Yarborough Theatre Dance School.

Cabaret Duet Without Song. 16-18 years: 1 Michaela Webb, Emily Jackson; 2 Emma Bendle, Aimee Vickers; 3Sophie Scott, Kirsty Boddy; 4 Victoria Gladwell, Lauren Brewitt.

Cabaret, under 6 years: 1 Lucy Mitchell; 2 Mia Kendall and Lottie Winterton; 3 Jenna Ornsby and Alice May Wright; 4 Aaliyah Cuthbert and Scarlet Wilkins and Ayanna Sargent.

Modern Novice, 10-11 years: 1 Ebony Codling; 2 Sophie Smith; 3 Tia West; 4 Hollie Beckett and Eleanor Tatman.

Cabaret Duet Without Song, under 10 years: 1 Victoria Keal, Niamh Merriman; 2 Megan Gray, Saffron West; 3 Georgia Easton, Bethany Brewin and Erin Shepherd, Ebony Webster; 4 Madeline Gallant, Charlotte Lowther and Scarlet Wilkins, Lottie Winterton.

Song and Dance Open, 16-18 years: 1 Michaela Webb; 2 Sophie Scott; 3 Emily Bennett; 4 Aimee Vickers.

Troupe, under 13 years: 1 Swaby Dance Centre; 2 Happy Feet Dance School; 3 Nicky Stevens School of Dance; 4 Swaby Dance Centre.

Saturday

Modern Novice, 8-9 years: 1 Erin Shepherd; 2 Sukanya Rollison; 3 Ruby Burchell and Isabella Murphy; 4 Lucky Rollison and Caitlin Gledhill.

Cabaret Trio with Song, 16-18 years: 1 Emily Bennett, Rebecca Gray and Victoria Paine; 2 Demi Leigh Cross, Lauren Smith and Lizzy Jervis; 3 Sophie Scott, Kirsty Boddy and Victoria Gladwell.

Tap Novice, 6-7 years: 1 Poppy Warrender; 2 Alisha Nayyar; 3 Georgia Caines; 4 Summer Thomsen and Teegan Goodey.

Cabaret Trio without Song, under 13 years: 1 Eve Smith, Eleanor Wilkinson and Caitlin Woods; 2 Ellys Cartwright, Annabel Easton and Rosie Pettinger; 3 Phoebe Aisthorpe, Ellis Robinson and Chloe Gibbon; 4 Kezzia Dennis, Tia West and Jade Young.

Non-Cabaret Group (except ballet), under 16 years: 1 Clee Academy of Dance; 2 Happy Feet Dance School; 3 Swaby Dance Centre; 4 Pat Yarborough Theatre Dance School.

National Novice, 6-7 and 8-9 years: 1 Chloe Mason; 2 Harley Stephen; 3 Niamh Merriman; 4 Olivia Dutton and Isobel Templeman.

Character Novice, 6-7 years: 1 Harley Stephen; 2 Fleur-Elise Frankland and Georgia Easton; 3 Amy Read and Maddison Bane; 4 Izzie Westcott and Evie Linfitt. Acrobatic, 10-11 years: 1 Georgia Wood; 2 Kye-Olivia Thompson; 3 Hollie Beckitt; 4 Georgia Wood.

Acrobatic, 12-13 years: 1 Nieve Boyd; 2 Isobel Emeny.

Troupe, under 16 years: 1 and 3 Swaby Dance Centre; 2 Estelle Jayne Theatre Dance School; 4 Pat Yarborough Theatre Dance School.

Modern Open, 6-9 years: 1 Seraya Culshaw; 2 Chloe Sharp; 3 Chloe Harvey; 4 Harley Stephen.

Ballet Open, 14-15 years: 1 Alice Jackson; 2 Victoria Paine; 3 Alicia Taylor-Reese; 4 Kirsty Boddy.

Tap Novice, 12-13 and 14-15 years: 1 Jasmin Griffin; 2 Ellie Robbinson and Lauren Haigh; 3 Amanda Kent, Emma-Lee Cox and Samantha Wright; 4 Georgia Hanley and Millie Margetts.

Production, 16-18 years: 1 and 2: Pat Yarborough Theatre Dance School