Dance students at St Ivo Academy welcomed in professional teacher Megan Griffiths from ‘Dance East’, one of the UK’s leading dance organisations.

Megan is a technical contemporary tutor with Dance East as part of the CATs scheme, the National Centre for Advanced Training.

The scheme was set up to help ensure young people can access high level specialist training as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.

Based in Ipswich, Dance East’s mission is to help and educate all young people and are running workshops with students in years 9 to 13 from St Ivo.

Students in Year 9 who have worked really hard this academic year have been rewarded with a technique and class to improve their technical and performance skills.

Later in the day, Year 11 and 13 BTEC students worked with Megan on a creative session to help them with their final choreography assessments, later in the Spring. 

Head of dance Lindsay McAdam said: “These workshops are so beneficial to all students at St Ivo, for those thinking of a career in dance or just being able to access a great experience. 

"Dance, creativity and movement can play a part in developing positive self-esteem, mental health and wellbeing and it’s been so brilliant having Dance East here to work with our students.”

Principal Tony Meneaugh added: “Our dance department goes from strength to strength at St Ivo and I’d like to congratulate Lindsay on all her hard work securing these excellent sessions for our students.

This is all part of the enrichment and well-rounded curriculum that we’re pleased to offer students at St Ivo.”

Students will be putting the practical choreography skills they’ve learnt to the test as they finish up their final work for the BTEC exams in the Spring.