MORE than 700 pupils from 38 schools across Wiltshire took part in the West Wiltshire Schools Dance Festival last week.

Primary and secondary schools from Trowbridge, Westbury, Warminster, Melksham and other towns and villages from Wiltshire took part in the tenth running of the festival on February 25-26.

Held at the Forum Bath for the seventh time, each school performed a four minute dance routine to an audience of more than 800 over the two day event.

Caroline Newman, also known as The Dance Lady, has been organising the festival since 2004 and said: “It was absolutely brilliant, unlike Madonna I managed to keep all the kids from falling off stage and it was just really good.

“There were some fantastic performances especially from Matravers School who had an all boy squad and they were absolutely inspirational and I think inspired other boys there.”

Schools were given the theme of children’s books to take inspiration from, with a number of different performances incorporating themes from the film Frozen and The Jungle Book amongst many others.

Mrs Newman, 41, of Copheap Lane, Warminster, who has been going into schools to teach dance for almost ten years, said: “The kids were just crazy for it, they got to sit up top and for a lot of children this will be the first time they have been to a theatre before.

“It is very much their event and it increases every year as more new schools want to take part.

“We had to turn away some school this year because we just didn’t have the room but next year we have booked to have a three day event and make it the biggest festival yet.”