AN EXPLOSION OF CREATIVITY

There was a touch of Strictly Come Dancing at the Kings Theatre on Wednesday (20 November) when professional and amateur dancers from across the region joined hundreds of local children for the very first production of Dance Explosion!

 A thousand primary-aged children packed the Kings Theatre in Southsea, and for many of them this was the first time they had the chance to watch a range of dance performances live on stage. Dance Explosion! didn't disappoint, and the children were treated to tap, tango and street dance, musical theatre, jazz and ballroom, Indian dance and the mesmerising beauty of Chinese classical dance.

 Dance Explosion was a collaboration between Portsmouth Music Hub and the Kings Theatre, with both organisations committed to developing cultural awareness and opportunities for children and young people in the city.

 Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub said: "Children love to express themselves creatively, whether with music, art, or drama and most children love to dance. Engaging this creativity, harnessing it and offering opportunities for young people to watch, learn and develop, lies at the heart of everything we do. The challenge is to offer surprising, exciting and inspiring cultural opportunities that ignite a life-long passion for music and culture; and Dance Explosion! has, we hope, done just that."

 Over the past 8 years Portsmouth Music Hub has been providing high-quality musical services for children and young people in Portsmouth. The Music Hub's goal is to transform lives with cultural opportunities, and to give young people the freedom to play, perform, participate and grow in confidence.

 Sue Beckett continued: "This is the first time that the Music Hub has co-produced a dance show, and we have been delighted by the range of exciting performances, and encouraged by the positive responses from schools, parents and their children. The fusion of music and movement has been compelling to watch, and we hope that Dance Explosion! will unlock the imaginations and the creative potential of every child that came and danced along."