MOVE IT is the world’s biggest dance event, celebrating all forms of dance and the performing arts across three amazing days. Big names in the dance world grace the stage at the Excel London every year and 2019 was no exception. This years headliners included Strictly Come Dancing power couple Neil and Katya Jones, JLS frontman Aston Merrygold and Greatest Dancer winner Ellie Ferguson. Needless to say that once we had been accepted to perform on the Main Stage and teach at this years show I felt excited, nervous, honoured and a bit sick…

When you are dancing and sharing a stage alongside the hottest artists and talent in the UK we had to pull out all the stops. Planning started back in December with Fiona and our dance captain Rachel on what our show stopping performance was going to be. After hours of brain storming we chose the song ‘Hold that Tiger’ by the California Feetwarmers and put together a circus themed routine: The Ringmaster and her Tigers. 

Over the next 9 weeks the team worked endlessly on every little detail on the performance. Rachel put together a fantastic routine and our 12 piece troupe worked extra hours in bringing it together. Alongside of this everyone chipped in on the finer details. One afternoon Elena and dance troupe member Mila spent 6 hours preparing the dresses and making 22 tiger ears! Another dancer, Serafine, was awake until 1.30am the night before sewing the ringmasters costume whilst Rachel spent the day painting a barrel to turn into a podium. These may seem like small things to worry about but all the small details bring the performance together. Alongside of music, there is also the logistics, the extra studio bookings, the music that needs cutting, the transport to get there and the hair and make-up which needs to uniformed.

The energy on the day was electric however the team were controlled, prepared and pulled out what we consider one of our best performances to date. Our number was between the Greatest Dancer finalists and we delighted by the crowds energy and enthusiasm for us on stage. We were the only Charleston act there, nearly everything else was contemporary or street so we felt we brought something totally different to the stage. We were properly also the oldest dancers there, most performers where bendy 16 year olds auditioning for stage school but we felt proud to show that dance is for everyone regardless of age… and how unbendy you are!

After the performance I felt quite emotional. I am so proud of our dancers and of how far our team have come together. Fiona, Rachel and I started working together 5 years ago and I never dreamed that MyCharleston would be on the Main Stage of MOVE IT. It really was a dream come true… and to top it off we even got a snap with Neil and Katya from Strictly!

After the performance we taught a sold out workshop which was a master class in Charleston where Portsmouth and Ryde teacher Mel joined us. It was great fun and a privilege to be the only people teaching Charleston over the whole weekend. 

Our video from the performance will be released soon so keep an eye our for the final video! 

Elena