New Hall School in Chelmsford has an enviable reputation for its outstanding co-curricular programme, particularly its award-winning Sports, and Performing Arts provisions. The School competes and excels in a variety of styles of dance performance in both national and international competitions.

On Sunday 12 May, New Hall School’s Festival Dance Team, of 30 dancers, competed at Supreme Dance Competition in Hampshire. The youngest of New Hall’s dancers, the Year 1 & 2 Festival Team, performed three routines in the ‘8 Years and Under’ category, all routines placed in the top three. Older dancers in the Intermediate and Advanced Dance Companies also performed a variety of routines, which all placed in the top three of their categories.

Although gaining podium places is a regular occurrence for New Hall dancers, their talents were recognised even further as four dance numbers performed by the Year 1 & 2 Festival Dance Team, Intermediate Dance Company and Advanced Dance Company were selected to be performed, next year, at MOVE IT Dance Convention – the largest of its type in the world, bringing together over 32,000 dancers – students, teachers, and professionals.

In March 2024, Old Fish (New Hall alumna) Sophia Adzoa-Moore was selected as one of the Faces of MOVE IT 2024, as well as a Main Stage Headliner and teacher. Sophia is a musical theatre student living with Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, and dances using her crutches, inspiring others along the way.

“Performing on the Main Stage in front of so many people, on crutches, was just magical.”

Led by Head of Dance Sarah Molina, New Hall’s Dance Department continues to go from strength to strength. Many of her students have gone on to train professionally at institutions such as the Royal Ballet School’s Associate Programme and Laine Theatre Arts, London, as well as to perform in professional productions internationally and on London’s West End.

Sarah Molina said:

“I could not be prouder of the students and their achievements. Both their individual and collective successes are a testament to their dedication, talent, and teamwork. We are very excited for the coming year and look forward to finding new opportunities for our dancers to excel.”

New Hall School’s dancers have twice competed at the Dance World Cup and continue to rank highly within national competitions such as Xcite Dance Competition and the ISA Dance Competition, having won both the KS3 and KS4/KS5 categories.

Read more on the Boarding School’s Association website.