Dance, drama, and music pupils deliver showcase performance for Oxfordshire town

The showcase, held at the town’s Cornerstone Arts Centre on Friday, March 21, featured pupils from Aureus School and followed months of rehearsals.

Amy King, head of creative and expressive arts, said: “Whether it’s dance, music, or drama at Aureus, we believe that a showcase encourages students to choreograph, compose, or devise their own work.

Aureus School’s showcase at Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot (Image: Aureus School) Aureus School’s showcase at Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot (Image: Aureus School) “The process requires them to be creative, explore different artistic ideas, and make decisions about how to express emotions or tell stories through their own art.”

The showcase marked the fifth year Aureus pupils have performed at Cornerstone, and some pupils have now been taking part in the event from Year 7 through to Year 11.

This year, the group included the BTEC performing arts students alongside musicians and singers from the school, which is a member of the GLF Multi-Academy Trust.

Performances included a Year 10 rendition of Jamie the Musical, and a piece from Flashdance by the Jazz Dance Club.

Aureus School’s showcase at Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot (Image: Aureus School) Pupils who took part in Aureus School’s showcase at Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot (Image: Aureus School) Assistant headteacher Hannah Powell started a group called Voices of Aureus, offering pupils extra singing lessons during tutor time, and also ran rehearsal sessions at break, lunchtime, and after school.

She said: “Dance, drama, and music students all took part and dance genres included street, tap, jazz, and contemporary.

“Voices of Aureus, the school choir, performed two songs, including one from Coldplay.

“Arts subjects at Aureus encourage creative thinking and problem-solving. Students learn to think outside the box, experiment with new ideas, and explore different perspectives.

“These skills are transferable to other areas of learning and life.”

Aureus School’s showcase at Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot (Image: Aureus School) Pupils who took part in Aureus School’s showcase at Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot (Image: Aureus School) Ms King also highlighted the role of dance in allowing students to express themselves creatively, saying it provides a platform for them to explore and communicate their emotions, ideas, and experiences through movement.

She added: “It helps develop creativity, which is important, not only in dance but in many other areas of life.”

This year, the school collaborated with Grace Clarke of the Step in Time School of Performing Arts for a piece on musical theatre performed by Year 7 pupil, Benjamin.

Looking to the future, Ms King said: “I hope that the arts showcase continues to grow in terms of participation, not just in numbers, but also in the diversity of students involved.

“Every student, regardless of their background or previous experience in the arts, should feel encouraged to participate.”

Auditions for the December show, Aladdin the Musical, will take place during the summer term.