Shaking it up with Zumba
Out of the Classroom, into the Spotlight! Tanglin’s Senior house events are designed not only to raise money but to encourage an ethos of support and participation, and last term’s ‘Strictly Come Teacher Dancing’ competition was a wonderful example of this. Organised for Alexandra House Charity Week, over 30 Senior School teachers performed in, judged and hosted the event, supported by a crew of Operations Staff, students and colleagues. The three-show extravaganza stretched over a month and kicked off with ten brave couples stepping outside the comfort of their classrooms to put themselves in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of a judging panel and a packed theatre of students. The spectacular show covered all styles of dancing from salsa and paso doble to ceilidh and waltz; the hip-hop and disco moves went down a storm, as did a surprise gangnam-style finale. Costumes were outrageously fabulous and the dancing was extraordinarily professional. David Fourie, Head of Alexandra House, organiser and finalist in the competition, commented, “A huge amount of effort went into the production. Every couple
Samu, Y10.2, who danced in the show said, “Strictly had an outstanding impact on the Tanglin community. Students and colleagues were entertained to ultimate limits from watching their teachers on the stage.”
practised several times a week. No one wanted this to be a token effort; we wanted to put on a quality show and the dancing spoke for itself.” Finalist Phil Edwards, Head of Year 7, said the experience was,“more nerve racking than a bungee jump, but lots of fun and an event I will remember for a long time.” Luke Hensman, Year 8 teacher, added, “It was a physical and emotional rollercoaster: stress, strain, laughter, nerves and exhilaration.”
Simon Hatton-Burke, Y11 tutor, said, “My partner was a guiding light and never once giggled at my bandy legs or my complete lack of rhythm. Neither did she grumble about the constant treading on toes or my profound belief that I was (and am) the new Nureyev or Joaquin Cortes!” Students’ votes reduced the competitors to four couples for the Grand Final which saw entirely new dances, again drawing on the support of students both as mentors and as back-up dancers! Jordyn
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Sports and Activities Manager, Julie Clark, talks about Tanglin’s Zumba group. “It’s great fun. Every Tuesday, about 20 teachers and support staff get together to let loose a bit. I had done some Zumba before and loved it, so when I found out that one of our parents, Zuri Kurmaly, was happy to teach us, I jumped at the chance. Some people do it for fitness, some because they love to dance, and some for the music. You don’t have to know how to dance to get a workout. The music hooks you from the first note and the hour goes by incredibly fast. Zuri is full of energy and makes the sessions great fun. We have all improved a lot and come out of each class feeling really energised, not to mention considerably fitter!”
The audience made the final decision as Anna Strawson and Andy Goodliffe, Heads of Year 10 and 8 respectively, were crowned champions.
David said, “Strictly was a fantastic team effort raising almost $6,500 for the Rainbow Centre, a local organisation which provides vital support for children with autism, a range of disabilities and developmental delays. The money will support scholarships and early years intervention.”
1/18/13 4:36 PM