Ref. 71818-31A VARIETY of dance styles taught by Swindon's own home-grown talents have proved extremely popular with 11 to 16-year-old dancers throughout Swindon.

Dance Fusion has been taking place at Swindon's Town Hall every day this week.

Top industry names, such as Banxi, Kialea Williams, and Helen Parlor, have been gracing Swindon with their presence, filling young dancers of all abilities with enthusiasm and new inspiration.

The classes consisted of 26 students taking two technique classes in the morning for example, one hour of contemporary dance and another of ballet then a lunch break.

This was followed by a two-hour creative period, beginning with a video of a dance company that had already fused two styles of dance together.

The young dancers were then given the opportunity to discuss the video and try to recognise the two dance styles before attempting a similar fusion themselves.

Emma Carter, the dance education and access officer, said: "It has been a very positive experience for dancers and teachers alike. It's been a unique opportunity for young dancers in Swindon as all the teachers began with us. It shows them what they can achieve.

"It's been an intensive course, with at least four hours of dance a day, but it's been a great week with all our classes booked out more than a month in advance. It just goes to show that a small start can lead to big things."