The Leeds Rhinos Foundation’s Rhinestones Dance Academy’s senior members have been hard at work this week preparing for a once in a lifetime dance performance at half time in the Ladbroke’s Challenge Cup Final at Wembley on the 29th August.
The Rugby League Cares ‘Join the Momentum’ programme has seen the Rugby League charity collaborate with 12 Rugby League Foundation’s from across the country along with the Phoenix Dance Theatre to host a series of unique Summer Camps throughout August and July.
The Rhinestones Dance Academy have been working through 6 hour days of intense training this week lead by Phoenix Dance Theatre Youth Academy Coordinator Tanya Richam-Odoi in preparation for their performance on one the biggest stages Rugby League has to offer – The Challenge Cup final at Wembley on the 29th August.
The young dancers aged 12 and upwards have been working on a contemporary dance routine choreographed by highly acclaimed Artistic Director and Choreographer Sharon Watson that will celebrate the 120th Anniversary of Rugby League.
The routine has been a new experience for many of the girls who normally work through a series of street dance and cheer routines in line with the classes they take part in at the Rhinestones Academy throughout the year – with many going onto graduate to the Leeds Rhinos Spencer Properties Dance Team who perform at Leeds Rhinos fixtures during the season.
The next step after the camp which finishes on Friday, will be a mass rehearsal on Sunday 23rd August with the other dance groups from across the country, that have also been working through the routine this month.
Speaking at the camp at Ralph Thoresby High School in Leeds, Tanya Richam-Odoi commented:
“I have thoroughly enjoyed working the Rhinestones a really great group of girls.”
“They have worked super hard and have pushed their bodies to new limits, working like a professional dance company, dancing all day long. It's a totally different experience for them, contemporary dance is a new style to them as they're used to doing street and cheer dance."