From the tiniest pupils as adorable clowns, elves and reindeer to the lyrical ‘waves’ of the adult class, all were part of something memorable as Bristol Ballet Centre (BBC) put on quite a show to celebrate 25 years of its principal, Alexandra Sherman, heading the school in Westbury-on-Trym.
Two sell-out performances at Trinity Academy’s theatre saw students of all ages showcase their skills in ballet, tap and modern dance, with numbers including tributes to The Greatest Showman and Disney shows, contemporary fire, wind and earth dances and a festive celebration. Irish tap, Spanish tango and Italian tarantella took the audience around the world, while little ones hopped and skipped with smiles as bright as the lights, often supported by older pupils to guide into place anyone a little overwhelmed by the occasion.
The final performance ended with a film montage of parents, friends, colleagues and pupils past and present recalling their memories of BBC and thanking Alex for her dedication and nurturing of the school for the last quarter of a century.
Asked how she felt about reaching this milestone, Alex Sherman – who was herself a pupil of the school under its original owner, Lorna Martin, before training at the Royal Ballet School – described: “Taking over the school that Lorna founded in 1983 has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. Every day, I hope I’ve made her proud and continued to grow the school in a way that honours her vision.”
She explained how she took over the school “armed with a big dream, a small studio and the firm hope that people would actually continue to turn up to class” and thankfully they have done so for 25 years.
Having had to cancel the show marking her 20th anniversary due to a certain global pandemic, Alex was determined to celebrate the humour, resilience and vitality of the school community for her ‘silver’ anniversary. She paid tribute to her “fantastic teaching team for their creativity, artistry and tireless hard work”, but most of all thanked her dancers, past and present, saying of them: “whether they’ve taken one class or trained for years, they are the heartbeat of BBC and watching them grow in confidence, technique and artistry has been one of the great joys of my life.”
Many young people will recall fond memories of their own classes with Miss Sherman at Bristol Ballet Centre (which have inspired several former pupils to train at top vocational schools) and will no doubt join Alex in toasting “here’s to the next chapter”. The show will go on…….
Rosie Watson