A Festival of Performances and Sounds
With the CultureFest taking place on Saturday 28th June, from 2pm to 4pm on the BGS Main School Field, preparations are now in full swing.
Our BGS community is coming together to finalise the many small details that will no doubt help make the day a success. Students, parents and staff have been working behind the scenes to bring the creative aspects of the day to life. The festival will feature a vibrant programme of cultural music and dance performances, including Years 7, 8 and 9 Hip Hoppers and Contemporary Dancers performing pieces from the recent Step Beyond show. There will also be a Bollywood Dance Group made up of parents and students; Irish Dancing from talented duo Arlana (Year 6) and Bella (Year 11); Sega Dance, which blends Seychelloise and Mauritian traditions, performed by Florence and Amaya (both Year 3); and Venezuelan Salsa Dancing by Miranda (Year 5).
Miranda (Year 5) said: “I will be performing at CultureFest, dancing to Lloraras, a salsa song from a Venezuelan singer. I'm very excited about the performance; not only I enjoy the dancing, salsa music is part of my Venezuelan heritage - salsa brings people together at parties and family gatherings and it tells stories about life and struggles and joy. I always dance with my mum and dad at home and I just love to follow the lively rhythm of the drums and timbales. I feel full of energy. It's like playing strictly at home.”
Florence commented: “Sega is a traditional dance from Indian Ocean islands like Mauritius, Seychelles and Rodrigues. It’s fun, colourful, and danced at parties – it’s part of both our cultures. I’m from Mauritius and Amaya is from the Seychelles, and we’re having a play date to plan our performance and pick our outfits!”
There will also be musical and choral performances from our Junior Choir. Mr Page (Director of Music) adds: “I'm really looking forward to CultureFest! It's been a fantastic experience working on songs from a range of countries, exploring both the languages and musical styles of different cultures. While it’s been a challenge at times, the Junior Choir has shown impressive dedication, and they're going to love performing everything they've been rehearsing!”
The Cultural Parade, organised by our Diversity and Inclusion Team, will once again provide a colourful celebration of the many cultures represented within our school. Isla Campell (Diversity and Inclusion Captain) said: “Similar to our lunchtime fashion show on cultural dress up day, we are planning to facilitate a vibrant and exciting fashion parade, where students are encouraged to dress up in their own cultural clothing, accompanied by a song that the students feel represents their culture.
“Being able to create a student-led event like this is a brilliant opportunity to cultivate a welcoming, proud, and accepting community at BGS. I want to give everyone a chance to learn about others, whilst expressing pride and joy about their own cultures. Moments like this have been a highlight of my time at BGS, and I am ecstatic to provide the same experiences to other students!”
Miss Bream (Teacher of Dance) who is coordinating the dance performances, said: “Having performed so confidently in our Step Beyond showcase last term, our Year 7, 8 and 9 Hip Hoppers and Contemporary Dancers are now busy practising and adapting these pieces of choreography to present at CultureFest.
“Hip Hop is a widely celebrated, internationally recognised genre of dance, known for its complex rhythms, dynamic energy and athleticism. In contrast, and equally well respected, Contemporary Dance often carries deep emotional meaning and requires dancers to reflect on the intention behind every movement. The Dance Department is thrilled to have this opportunity for our students to perform publicly once again. I know they will make us proud.”
