Day of Dance 2022

More than 340 dancers from Pre-Prep to Year 12 leapt, skipped, tapped, pirouetted and spun in 45 performances over a weekend, for Somerset's annual Day of Dance.

Three concerts were presented to audiences over two days in this year's event. Concert featured Senior School students of our dance community, dancers from Year 7 to Year 12, with a sprinkling of Junior School students in our Cheer routine.  

Our Junior students performed a variety of styles of dance, including ballet, hip-hop, jazz, tap, contemporary and cheer.  

Concert 3 saw RAD Intermediate, Open ballet classes, Senior and Advanced classes in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, cabaret with our Senior and Advanced Performers’ Group. The culmination of our boys’ programme was highlighted from the Senior and Advanced classes. Cheer dance performers and Senior Eisteddfod group, Xchange also took to the stage.

During the programme audience members were treated to solos from two of our exiting Year 12 students, Kaye Amores and Emily Mai. To all of our exiting Year 12 students, Amaani Bhasin, Kaye Amores, Emily Mai, Lauren Chan, Eliza Young, Thomas Gray and Hamish Folliott, we say thank-you for your support of the dance programme throughout the years and we wish you all the best for wherever your future leads you but we hope that dance will always hold a special place in your hearts.

Thanks must be given to our stage manager, Noa Chester-Haviv, our Theatre Manager, Ms Josephine Flynn, Mr Sam Cash for his amazing lighting design for the show. 

Many thanks to Ms Melissa Parkinson – our Dance Co-ordinator, and our dedicated dance team, Miss Phoebe Young, Ms Corina Burgess, Mrs Christine Flint, Ms Hayley Wallace, Ms Lucy Hourn, Ms Isabella Scanlan, Ms Maddi Sintome, Ms Tara Beyne and Ms Mackenzie Ecob – Encore!  

It was announced during the final performance, Miss Phoebe will be leaving us at hte end of the year to move onto the next adventure in her life. Phoebe is an alumnus of the College who spent 13 years at Somerset, from Prep to Year 12, starting her foray into dance at this time. She returned to the College to teach dance and has been part of the dance team for the past eight years.  We thank Phoebe for her time and dedication to the dance programme at the College and wish her all the best for the future.  

The event closed with a very special performance choreographed by  Year 12 student, Xiaoxiao Wang. We could well be seeing Xioaxio following in the footsteps of alumni Kate Wormald, whose recent work has included the choreography and movement on the recent Elvis film. 

You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,

Love like you’ll never be hurt,

Sing like there’s nobody listening,

And live like it’s heaven on earth.