On Saturday 12th September, DanceFest 2026 brought together students from Year 1 through to Year 12 for a vibrant day of dance, learning and discovery. Welcoming students from across the school and from a wide range of ages and abilities, DanceFest once again marked the exciting start of our Dance Academy year.
Throughout the day, students danced all day experiencing three professional dance workshops, each introducing them to a different style, vocabulary and way of moving.
Guest artist, Dmitri, brought Latin flair to the studio, introducing students to intricate rhythms, fast footwork and energetic partner work. Students explored steps and routines from his Latin vocabulary, including choreography to the iconic Sway, rising to the challenge of learning complex sequences in a remarkably short time.
Dasha and her assistant, Beebee, introduced our dancers to something completely new: swing dancing. With plenty of partner work, intricate footwork and a great deal of energy and fun, students discovered the joy of social dancing.
Many dancers were particularly captivated by Khun Arm, a Thai Jazz and Contemporary dancer, recently returned from dancing in Disneyland Hong Kong, who introduced students to expressive movement and abstract ideas. For some of our Year 1 students, even saying the word “contemporary” was a challenge – yet they were soon performing beautifully, demonstrating a genuine understanding of the ideas and qualities within the choreography.
The day culminated in an end-of-day showcase, where DanceFest is deliberately about much more than a polished final performance. Our audience had the opportunity to see the real process of putting a dance on stage: last-minute rehearsal, blocking and spacing, choreography being recapped, and guest artists working alongside students to refine more challenging sections before the final run with music and lights. It was a wonderful celebration of how much can be achieved in just three workshops.
We were also delighted to welcome professional dancers from Bangkok Swing, who joined Dasha and Beebee on stage in full costume for a special ten-minute swing dance performance. With a gorgeous soundtrack, humour, energy and plenty of smiles, the dancers demonstrated the joy of social dancing and the magic that comes from interacting with others through movement. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to see professional dancers enjoying their craft so wholeheartedly, while providing inspiration for the next generation to continue dancing – and perhaps even pursue dance professionally in the future.
DanceFest is something we look forward to every year. By inviting artists with international careers and introducing dance styles that may be unfamiliar or less commonly offered at school, we aim to broaden our students’ understanding of the incredible variety that dance has to offer.
We are already looking forward to welcoming new artists – and new students – to DanceFest 2027!
