South Downs Dance Festival

03/12/2024

31/10/2024

Forms for the festival are now available for download! Please take time to familiarize yourself with our syllabi to ensure a smooth entry process.

Entries will initially be open for one month to dancers who attended the 2024 competition. After this period, any remaining spaces will be offered to those who have expressed interest. Once the festival is full, we will be closing entries, so secure your spot early.

Please do not make payment until you receive confirmation of entries from us. We look forward to an exciting festival!

Link to forms: https://shorturl.at/Ku3q7

28/10/2024

Entries open 31st October for returning dancers!
The festival has become very popular so we will be closing entries when we reach capacity!

07/05/2024

Adjudicators Choice Awards

Most Promising Junior 10 & Under: Darcie Gregory
Most Promiosing Inter 14 & Under: Amelia Mackay
Most Promising Senior 15 +: Phoebe Stoner
Endeavour Award: Alicia Depper
Most Entertaining: La Bamba - Theatre Express
Stand Out Performer: Mia Farley
Tanya Allen National Dance Award : Amy Trott

07/05/2024

Age 5 & 6 Aggregate: Emmeline Montengale
Age 7 & 8 Aggregate: Ellie-Rose Bayley
Age 9 & 10 Aggregate: Roxie Scogings & Darcey Gregory
Age 11 & 12 Aggregate: Mia Farley
Age 13 & 14 Aggregate: Seren Gordon
Age 15 & Over Aggregate: Eefi Filby

Highest Mark Primary: Emily Braden
10 & Under Highest Mark in Ballet: Phoebe Rimmer
10 & Under Highest Mark in Tap: Willow Smeaton & Ellie-Rose Bayley
10 & Under Highest Mark in Modern: Darcie Gregory
10 & Under Highest Mark in Lyrical: Roxie Scogings & Fienne Hall
10 & Under Highest Mark in National: Amy Trott
10 & Under Highest Mark in Greek: Bonnie Brooker
10 & Under Highest Mark in Character: Phoebe Rimmer
10 & Under Highest Mark in Song & Dance: Ellie Rose Bayley & Roxie Scogings
11 & Over Highest Mark in Ballet: Mia Farley
11 & Over Highest Mark in Tap: Keiana Hollobone
11 & Over Highest Mark in Modern: Eefi Filby
11 & Over Highest Mark in Lyrical: Katie Parks
11 & Over Highest Mark in National: Mia Farley
11 & Over Highest Mark in Greek: Seren Gordon
11 & Over Highest Mark in Character: Eefi Filby
11 & Over Highest Mark in Song & Dance: Twyla Bradley

Highest Mark Contemp: Louise Kavanagh
Highest Mark Commercial/Street: Ella Baca
Highest Mark Choreography: Louise Kavanagh
Highest Mark Acro: Mia Farley

Highest Mark Classical Duet all Ages: Phoebe Wise & Gretta Bradley
Highest Mark Stage Duet All Ages: Gretta & Twyla Bradley
Highest Mark Classical Trio: Marley Brooker,Koko Titherley & Isla Cottrell
Highest Mark Stage Trio/Quartet: Twyla Bradley, Gretta Bradley, Phoebe Wise, Isabelle Ireland

07/05/2024

Thank you to everyone who attended the festival over the last two weekends! . We're thrilled to hear such positive feedback about the friendly, relaxed and supportive atmosphere.

A special thank you to adjudicator Carrie Ellis for her invaluable encouragement and expertise throughout.

Thanks also to our dedicated team of volunteers whose hard work and enthusiasm made the festival possible. You're the backbone of our event, and we couldn't have done it without you! Here's to many more festivals filled with the joy of dance. ❤️

2024 Trophy winners will be posted this evening and delivery/collection for any not awarded on the day will be made with teachers and or parents.

06/05/2024

‼️The main roads approaching Turing School and the entrance are very wet, please drive carefully and with caution, especially if apporaching from the A22 and Willingdon Drove as only one side of thr road is accessible currently. ‼️

05/05/2024

There are significant amount of trophies which have yet to be returned. This is really disappointing and unfair on this year’s competitors.

All of these trophies were newly purchased in 2022 or 2023.

Please make arrangements to return these by midday tomorrow, any un returned trophies will be invoiced for accordingly.

Contact was made with all trophy winners via email and there has been ample time to either alert us to any issues or make suitable arrangements to return.

Thank you to all last year’s winners who have returned them ready for this year’s dancers! X

05/05/2024

We are taking a much shorter lunch break at the adjudicators request and will resume at 2.20 after lunch, which will mean we are running to time.

Many Thanks for your cooperation this morning

05/05/2024

We are in and set up!
We will start the first section at 8.45

We will keep times updated as best we can throughout the day.

Thank you everyone for your patience

05/05/2024

IMPORTANT:

The caretakers at Turing school have still not yet turned up and so we are unable to set up or even enter the school car park at present.

A member of our team is coming along the current line of cars to explain the situation, please understand this is beyond our control. All our booking references say 7.00 am arrival

We are hoping they arrive extremely soon but it is likely we will be running at least 30-45 minutes behind schedule this AM

Many apologises for the inconvenience

26/04/2024

A polite reminder that South Downs Festival is a nut free zone. We have competitors with severe allergies. Thank you for your cooperation

24/04/2024

🎭We can’t wait to see you all on Sunday!🎭

⭐️Please remember we are a cash only event.

⭐️Entrance is £8 for adults and £5 for children

⭐️Refreshments will be available all day in the kitchen including fresh sandwiches, jacket potato’s and hot dogs.

⭐️ Programmes will be available to purchase at the festival and will not be on sale in advance of the event.

28/03/2024

Dear All,
We are excited to welcome you to the South Downs Festival next month at the Turing School.
Please use the following link to upload your music files. We kindly ask that all files are title with child's name and section, please see example below;
GrettaBradley12Modern
The deadline for all music is April 14th. After this date we will presume music not received is due to a competitor's withdrawal.
Dropbox link for music upload
https://www.dropbox.com/request/Na4r463PRwcLpIf0WAQ6

Kind Regards
South Festivals Team

27/03/2024

We are being inundated with requests to add dances or for late entries. Unfortunately we have a very tight schedule and entries did close in Jan. We are unable to accommodate any requests. At this time it is also unlikely we will be able to accommodate our waiting list. Whilst some sections may appear small on the timetable it is the overall timing of the day we must be aware of. Many Thanks

20/03/2024

We are delighted to announce this years adjudicator will be Carrie Ellis.

CARRIE ELLIS, BA (Hons) FIDTA (Dist.) LIDTA, CertEd, Dip Arts Ed, SAC Dip. DWC Judge, Examiner and Adjudicator.
Formerly trained by her Mother Noeleen Ellis-Balshaw at the Carlotta School Blackburn Lancashire, Carrie was tutored in ISTD and BBO, to Advanced level, she then went on to finish her training at Arts Educational School London on the Musical Theatre course.

Having had more than 38 years of a career performing in London’s West End, National UK Tours, Repertory Theatre, Television, Radio, Concerts and Films. Some of her favourite professional roles include Velma Kelly, ‘Chicago’, Carlotta, ‘Phantom of the Opera’ Peaches/Baby Jane, ’Jerry Springer the Opera’, Jellylorum & Grizabella, ’Cats’, Lady Jacqueline, ‘Me and My Girl’, Golde, ‘Fiddler on The Roof’, Lesley Pynchon, ‘The Fix’, Ida, ’Honk’, Consuela, ‘West Side Story’, Val, ‘Chorus Line’, Lianne Dexhleman’s, ‘Gigi’, Mavis, ‘Stepping Out’, Mrs. Molloy, ’The Matchmaker’. As well as numerous pantomimes including playing principal boys, baddies, and fairies. Carrie has also been lucky enough to perform in concerts in Britain, Europe and onboard the QE2.

TV works includes: ‘Cutting It’,’ Highly Sprung’ ‘Tonight at 8.30’ ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Jerry Springer the Opera’.
On Radio: Lead roles in ‘Chorus Line’ ‘Follies’ ‘Sweet Charity’ and ‘Take It up the Octave’.

After residing in London for many years, Carrie now lives in beautiful Lytham St. Annes where she continues to pass on her passion and knowledge for performing to her students. Focusing most of her time choreographing competition work, master classes, audition technique, drama, and musical theatre, choreographing and directing shows in various colleges all over the country. Carrie is also an Examiner for The Dang Musical Theatre and Dance Exams.

She has worked at colleges such as, The Hammond, (MT tutor) Northern Ballet School, (MT tutor) LCPA (head of drama), LTS, (audition technique and MT tutor) Shockout Arts (head of musical theatre), Theatre Works (head of drama and MT tutor) and Arts Educational. (Audition technique) In addition Carrie is also busy in her role as a Federation, All England, TDCI Championship, Miss Dance Adjudicator and DWC judge.

19/03/2024

The festival timetable is here!

Access Google Drive with a Google account (for personal use) or Google Workspace account (for business use).

30/01/2024

Entries are now closed and any payments that have not been received will be removed from the programme. Any monies received after this time will be automatically refunded.