Pro-dance company wows pupils as term starts

The head teacher hoped the show would inspire pupils to put down any devices and "get active"

An outdoor dance show at a primary school by Matthew Bourne's acclaimed theatre company has provided "a brilliant start to the term", its head teacher said.

New Adventures has teamed up with Norwich Theatre to bring performances of Hum to schools across Norfolk.

Pupils at Mile Cross Primary School in Norwich described the event as "amazing" and "entertaining".

Head teacher Stuart Allen said: "You could see the looks of awe on their faces."

Choreographer and movement director Anjali Mehra said: "Bringing dance to people that would not normally experience theatre is hugely important."

Jo Reil said it was "a wonderful opportunity to reach children who couldn’t normally have access to live productions"

Ms Mehra has performed in Swan Lake and Play Without Words, and choreographed Lord of The Rings at the Watermill Theatre.

She said the shows were "doing incredible things for many communities who, for a variety of reasons, would not otherwise be able to see live dance".

Jo Reil, from Norwich Theatre, said they wanted to break the perception that theatre was only for middle class people with plenty of money.

"It’s so important to us that quality dance and performance is accessible to all; there are so many children who don’t get the opportunity to come to the theatre," she said.

"If people can’t come to us, we go out into the community.

"This seemed a wonderful opportunity to reach children who couldn’t normally have access to live productions."

Mr Allen said it was "absolutely amazing to see world class dancers from the Matthew Bourne company".

"You couldn’t have had a better start to the term, how inspirational," he added.

He said bringing theatre to school would help children to have "a broader experience of the curriculum" as well as inspiring them in movement and fitness.

"We’ve got to get our children more active, as they’re so sedentary now with iPads, TVs, and so on," he said.

"It’s a beautiful day – let's get them out!"