Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts

The 87th Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts will feature a feast of dance delights.

As well as a whole host of music and vocal classes taking place at Cheltenham Town Hall.

The curtain rises at the Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts on Tuesday 7 May 2013, bringing the Regency town alive once again with two weeks of toe-tapping, foot stomping, hand clapping, inventive music, dance and drama.

Celebrating its 87th year of being not only Cheltenham’s oldest festival, but also the south west’s largest community arts festival, Cheltenham Town Hall and Subtone will provide the settings for competitors from as far afield as Holland, as well as more locally within the region.

Hundreds of children, adults, choirs and dance groups are set to showcase their talents at the unique event, where the likes of The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes and Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer Laura Day have competed in years gone by.

Laura said: ‘During my time in Cheltenham I took part annually at the Cheltenham Performing Arts Festival – it was always such an exciting time of year and one I couldn’t wait to come around. Getting the chance to take part in all the solo, duet and group sections and perform on stage in front of an audience was always so much fun.’

Whether you’re an aspiring singer, dancer or actor yourself or just fancy feasting your eyes on some top-class talent, tickets are a snip at just £3 per day or £20 for an unlimited 12-day pass, so don’t miss the delights of one of the county’s – indeed the country’s – most anticipated performing arts festivals.

Classes which organisers say are not to be missed include:

Week One

Tuesday 7 to Sunday 12 May 2013

At Cheltenham Town Hall, music lovers can soak up the sounds of junior and senior school choirs all day on Tuesday, followed by stringed instrument grade eight and over soloists from 12pm on Thursday and adult and child piano duets from 6pm on Saturday.

The impressive dance line-up at the Town Hall includes cabaret dance duets from 6.30pm on Saturday; a heart-warming solo by little ones aged four and under from 3.40pm on Sunday; and cabaret dance groups aged between 14 and 18, from 6.40pm on the same day.

Meanwhile, Subtone will be jumping with jazz and improvisation classes from 2pm on Friday, while the Town Hall plays host to a television news reporting class at 5.45pm, which is expected to be particularly popular with aspiring broadcast journalists across the county.

Week Two

Tuesday 14 to Sunday 19 May 2013

Cheltenham Town Hall will be the setting for the unmissable classes during week two, including a classical ballet solo for five- to six-year-olds at 11.40am on Wednesday; an Open Age Class presentation using performance skills for performers with physical, sensory or learning difficulties, at 11am on Thursday; a recital class aimed at any voice aged 17 and over, from 11.15am on Thursday; songs from the shows for 15- to 18-year-olds from 6pm on Thursday; community and rock choirs from 2.45pm on Saturday; male, female and mixed vocals choirs from 5.30pm on Saturday; and solo mime from 12pm on Sunday.

Visit cheltenhamfestivalofperformingarts.co.uk for further information and the full schedule of events.

© SoGlos

Thursday 25 April 2013