Second place for Lanesend pupils

Pupils from Lanesend Primary School have been named runners-up at this year’s Dance Live junior heats in Portsmouth with their performance, The Shadows of Doubt.

Judges commended the children on their facial expressions, the intricacy of the choreography and their costumes, for which they also received an award. Each child designed their own dream, with teacher and art-lead, Miss Squibb, printing the designs onto their costumes to ensure every outfit was unique.

The piece was inspired by the IW Council’s 2030 Education goal of ensuring all children have high aspirations and are supported in their educational journey.

In a performance summary, written by Year 6 pupils, Eden Salter and Vasco De Jesus, they explained: “In a world brimming with aspirations and endless possibilities, we believe that we’re capable of anything – until the shadows of doubt begin to creep in and entangle our minds.

“As hope and fear collide, we’re faced with a decision – do we let doubt take hold of us, or do we trust that our big dreams really are worth chasing?”

Miss Routledge, dance live co-ordinator at Lanesend Primary School, said: “We are incredibly proud of what our children accomplished on stage this year. Their achievements are a testament to their hard work and determination in the lead up to this competition. They were up against some fantastic competitors, and so we were elated to place second, scoring highly enough to advance to the junior finals in April.”