Welland School of Dancing’s 60th anniversary gala show

Enjoyment and enthusiasm shone through at a gala show put on by one of the area’s most enduring dance schools.

Members of the Welland School of Dancing celebrated its 60th anniversary with a whirlwind of routines on stage at Stamford Corn Exchange.

Performers from primary school age up to young adults entertained a packed house with Regency-style ballet dances through to modern jazz, a Barbie dance and a tap version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Each number was greeted by huge applause, as talented soloists were interspersed with ensembles, all demonstrating keen choreography by the dance school teachers, and plenty of practice by their pupils.

Short intervals provided time to play recordings of dance school members talking to camera about what Welland School of Dancing meant to them: friendship and confidence were clear winners.

Maggie Purr, principal of the school, was joined on stage by Anna, daughter of Susan Mitchell Smith, who founded it back in 1964 at the YMCA in St Peter’s Hill, and Anne Desbruslais, principal until 2012.

The gala show was a fitting tribute to the school, which has enhanced the lives of many people over the years.

It was followed by a drinks reception in the Corn Exchange Theatre Bar.