Dream Disney date for dance school

A group of 20 young students from a Fylde dance school are off to Disneyland Paris this weekend to take part in the resort’s annual International Festival of Dance and Performing Arts.

As well as competing against similar schools from all over Europe, the youngsters from the Rarity School of Dance and Drama will be dancing in the colourful parade featuring Disney characters which traditionally closes each day at the popular attraction.

Rarity, based at Lytham St Annes Technology and Performing Arts College in Ansdell, has raised more than £3,000 towards funding the trip in less than 12 months since receiving the invitation to take part and Rarity principal Rebecca Liddell said: “It’s a dream opportunity and everyone is so much looking forward to it.”

As Disneyland Paris celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, the International Dance Festival is a decade old and is expanding for the first time this year to be held twice a year.

Rebecca, who ran a dance school at St Annes YMCA before establishing Rarity in 2013, added: “Invitations go out to dance schools based on their exam results but with the cost of the trip costing thousands of pounds, it is very often not possible to take up the invitation. That actually happened while I was at the YMCA. But the Rarity parents have been wonderful and it has been a great effort to raise so much since we heard last April that we had been invited.

“The students involved are aged from seven to 18 and rehearsal have been going really well. It’s going to be something they always remember and I am so proud of them.”