Young Starz shine in 24-hour danceathon
Students at Starz Drama School have taken part in a 24-hour “danceathon” in a effort to raise money for their new studio.
Pupils danced for 24 hours straight on Saturday, in an effort to raise money to kit out a new studio.
The school, which is currently based at Adelaide Row in Seaham, has over 300 students aged from four to 18 – with business booming following the pandemic.
As a result, owner Kym Cuer now has a waiting list of around 80 wanting to join, leading to a move of premises to a unit in the Seaham Grange Industrial Estate.
However the cost of fitting out the new studio is high, leading to the fundraiser being planned by Kym and her fellow dance instructors.
Kym said before the danceathon: “We got some quotes for the flooring of the new studio and they ranged between £10,000 and £25,000 so I thought that a 24-hour danceathon would be a good way to get everyone involved.
"Hopefully the full 24 hours will be enough and we shouldn’t need to do any further fundraising after that.
"So far everyone is quite keen to get involved so we’ve given everyone an hour time slot, with some of the older students doing more and coming in during the night.
"I know that some of them are planning on bringing sleeping bags and pillows in with them in case that they need a short break during the event.”
As well as raising funds for the school, Kym hopes that the event will allow those who take part to grow in confidence.
She added: “The main focus of all our sessions is to develop a child’s confidence using performance, something that I think it key following the Covid lockdowns.
“Throughout the fundraiser, there will be things ranging from Just Dance videos to our own choreography for everyone to get involved in. Everyone is really excited.”
Starz offers classes in drama, dancing, gymnastics and singing.
Starz Drama School students are also invited to take part in annual musical and pantomime performances in professional theatres across the UK.
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