Winter Gardens crowd are wowed by talent at SPAR Lancashire School Games Dance Finals

A large crowd of 1,200 at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens were left wowed by the talent and technique on show in the SPAR Lancashire School Games Dance Finals.

Twenty-six schools from across Lancashire took to the stage to demonstrate their flair and finesse in a series of high-quality dance routines based around a wonderland theme.

A mixture of primary and secondary schools performed on the night, with the aim of finding the best competitive dance piece from each to close the Lancashire School Games celebration finale in Blackpool’s Stanley Park on Tuesday 5th July.

Performances were between two-and-a-half and four minutes in duration and were judged by an expert panel with marks handed out for concept and soundtrack, choreography and floor use, performance skill, and overall impact.

The secondary school category winners on the night were the 14-strong team of girls from Hodgson Academy in Poulton-le-Fylde and the winners of the primary school category were Sherwood Primary School in Preston.

Second and third place respectively in the secondary schools were Parklands High School in Chorley and Alder Grange School in Rawtenstall, while runners-up in the primary school competition were Ansdell Primary School and completing the podium were Waterfoot Primary School.

Katie Eccles, from Hodgson Academy, said: “I am beyond proud of the performance. The girls have been so committed to perfect the routine and I’m thrilled with the result. They really have earned it.”

Rhianna Bell, who is in Year 10 at Hodgson Academy, said: “I’m really excited that we’ve won the dance competition and I’m so happy for everyone that we will be dancing again soon in Blackpool at the Lancashire School Games Finale to close the event.”

Sarah Lovejoy, from Sherwood Primary School, said: “I’m delighted for the group who have worked so hard for the final, and they are a credit to the school. To win the competition in front of a huge audience at the Winter Gardens Opera House is a huge achievement.”

Gemma Stokes, Lancashire School Games Organiser for the Chorley district, said: “What an incredible night of dancing we witnessed in Blackpool. The standard was exceptional, and it was obvious for all to see how much time and effort had gone into putting together such amazing dance routines.

“Congratulations to all of the performers on the night, and to our winners who we will see performing again in July. A big thank you must go to everyone who attended on the night to cheer on the dance finalists, and to SPAR as sponsors of the Lancashire School Games for their continued support.”

The SPAR Lancashire School Games are run by Active Lancashire and the School Games Organiser Network. The Games provide children and young people with the opportunities to have fun, develop skills, and achieve personal bests through activities and competitions across the academic year.

The aim of the 2022 Games is to help young people recover from the effects of pandemic, and support those who may have been impacted the most.

You can find out more about James Hall & Co. Ltd, SPAR UK’s primary wholesaler and distributor for the North of England, at www.jameshall.co.uk.

Further information on Active Lancashire can be found at www.activelancashire.org.uk.