Dancers brave cold and snow to raise hundreds for Sport Relief

Children, parents and grandparents all busted some moves at Matthew Arnold School in Botley as part of a fundraiser organised by Oxfordshire dance school, the Mini Professionals Dance Academy.

Bethany Gorton, the principal of the academy and organiser of Saturday’s fundraising bid, said she had expected about 100 people to turn up but that the final figure had far exceeded that.

She said: “It was so good. Everyone loved it and had so much fun and it was such a good time.”

Fundraisers who attended included Ms Gorton’s grandmother and many parents of the school’s keen pupils.

They enthusiastically bopped to songs by world famous acts including Michael Jackson and Tina Turner, along with others by funk and R&B artists.

Ms Gorton led some of the dancing, while other parts were headed up by Groove Aerobics’ director, Daniel Browne, and one of the school’s teachers, Emily Thresher.

Ms Gorton added: “We got parents and everyone we could get involved to come along. I had my auntie and I got my 84-year-old grandmother here – so it really was for everyone.”

Officially it was free to attend with a £5 donation suggested. But on the way into the event, which was being held in Matthew Arnold School’s gymnasium, there were a substantial number of £20 notes handed over.

When the cash had been counted, just over £785 had been given but it is hoped that more donations will be given to Sport Relief before the fundraising bonanza is completed for another couple of years this Friday.

It was the second time in less than a year that dancers at the dance school, which teaches about 400 children across Oxfordshire, have help raise a substantial total for charity.

In March 2017, some of the school’s pupils embraced the fashion of the 1980s, donning leggings and pastel shades to recreate Emu’s Pink Windmill Kids dancing to Can’t Stop the Music to raise £1,138 for Comic Relief.

A rendition of that song became an internet meme.