Bridgemary School is a secondary school located in Gosport for 11-16 year olds. Over recent weeks approximately 60 students and staff have been working hard on creating our performance piece to compete at the Dance Live competition which will be held at the Portsmouth Guildhall on Wednesday 5th February 2025.
The theme for our performance this year is to raise awareness of the impact of dementia, a progressive disease that unfortunately far too many families are affected by and as of yet there is no cure for. Dementia is a complex disease and is not solely about memory loss but also other cognitive difficulties which can impact the way a person will speak, think, feel and behave due to an ongoing decline in brain functioning, leading to potentially extreme changes in behaviour, emotions and understanding. Through our piece we want to highlight the journey of the physical, mental and emotional challenges this diagnosis can have on the lives of not only the individual, but their immediate family and friends also.
Dance Live will benefit our students greatly as taking part is a fantastic way to collaborate and come together as both a school and local community. Being part of the team will also help to develop fundamental life skills such as teamwork, resilience, commitment and confidence. Having the opportunity to perform on a stage in front of a live audience at a venue like the Portsmouth Guildhall will give students an unforgettable experience outside of the classroom and will promote our School, our amazing young people and the local area in a positive way.
The 'Danceathon' will be the first of many fundraising events we have planned with a target to raise at least £1,000. We are hopeful that we can achieve this which will get us closer to the £2,000 we will need to raise in total in order to take part in the Dance Live event. The money raised will be used for coach transport to and from the Portsmouth Guildhall, costumes, props, accessories, team t-shirts to wear on the day and make up and hair design products for all team members for the performance. As a community it is hoped that we can pull together to make this happen. Our students deserve the opportunity to showcase their talent and highlight how incredible they are!