Stagecoach

For the first time anywhere in the Stagecoach international network, some new ALL BOY dance classes were launched here in Darlington in October 2006 for boys aged 8 and over. Our Head Office did not even have a class - but they do now, since I have told them what the boys have achieved. This may now be a forerunner for other groups around the country.

The object of the classes was to attract more North-East boys into Dance. By choosing Street Dance, which is the style with the most street `cred`at the moment, and by training the boys all together, we hoped to remove many of the obstacles which stand in the way of boys wanting to learn to Dance. The class has been a huge success and I have been astonished by the achievements of the boys in terms of focus, commitment, team work and progress - and all that from 7.30pm until 9.00pm on Fridays at the end of a long week at school!

Jamie Bell, the star of the film “Billy Elliot”, won a BAFTA for Best Actor for his role in the film. Jamie trained at Stagecoach Yarm for a year we sent him to the film`s audition. Now the casting personnel from the West End stage show of “Billy Elliot” are very interested in our new classes. They are very keen to find the first North-East boy to play the role of “Billy” in London. They have offered us the advice of their choreography team and promised us regular visits from their casting team.

If you are one of the boys from the class then tell us

Why you enjoy being in an ALL BOY class
What type of Dance you like
How you think the class has helped you
What you would say to other boys who might like to try Dancing
If you are a boy who is interested in the classes, ask us any questions that you may have

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The Northern Echo included a photo of our All Boy Dance Class in their account of the Vibe Award recipients recently. They had entertained on the Wednesday evening of the two night event.

This year the organisers of the Vibe Awards made a video of the two award nights and here is some preliminary footage on this link. (Other more detailed stuff will follow). The All Boys Dance Class and STARE performed at the Vibes this year on the Wednesday evening and the following students who live in Darlington, and are therefore eligible, were nominated by me for an award in various categories, either for exceptional achievement in a Performing Arts sphere this year or for achievement within their private life:-

THEO CLOSE

TIM RUSK

JAMIE LOCK

LUCY MOSS

CAITLIN MORROW

ANNABELLE CROSBY

VICKY MCINTYRE

 http://www.radiowaves.co.uk/story/108487/title/VibeAwards2010

Elliot Allinson, recently of Darlington Friday School, and Boys Only Dance Class, but now attending Sylvia Young`s Drama School in London, has been successful this week in being chosen to play Jeremy Potts in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in the West End Production on tour.

Elliot has already played the same role 2 years ago when the show came to the Sunderland Empire. He starts soon in a contract that lasts until September 2010. I`ll let you know if it is coming anywhere near us. Here is Elliot pictured below

Jacob Storr of Yarm AM school and Boys Only Dance Class featured in the Evening Gazette last week. I had sent a press release out about our Billy Elliot project and the reporter asked if we had any potential Billies in their readership catchment area. I told her about Jacob who is an outstanding little dancer for his age and they wrote about him in the paper last Saturday. The coverage was so big that I had to cut it in half to display for you and he even featured under the banner on the front page.