Dedicated support will help us dance off with title

THE choreographer behind a city dance group preparing for the two biggest shows of its life has paid tribute to the commitment of parents.

Jenni Inglis, who has arranged a stunning routine for the Edinburgh Dance Academy for this year’s Edinburgh’s Got Talent final, said the achievement would not have been possible without the work of those behind the scenes.

The girls, who are from all over Edinburgh and aged between 12 and 15, will follow up their performance at the live final of the Evening News competition with an appearance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Ms Inglis, who is the academy’s assistant art director, said: “The parents are just amazing, the commitment they show, and that of the girls, is really what makes it.

“They attend something like seven or eight classes a week, and we also do the Christmas pantomime at the King’s Theatre.

“These two events coming up are a real reward for them, to see all that commitment pay off. Of course, I’m really proud of them too.”

The academy, which holds its classes in the Wester Hailes Education Centre, is one of 11 acts vying to be crowned winner at the Edinburgh’s Got Talent final, which will take place at the Playhouse on October 28.

That will then be followed by the first ever Dance Proms in London, which selected the girls’ Jai Ho performance from more than 1000 entries.

“Both events will be an incredible experience for them,” added Ms Inglis, who has worked at the academy for seven years. “They’ve put in so much work, and the whole thing will be really overwhelming for them.

“Both venues are massive. The girls got to go to see Legally Blonde at the Playhouse recently which gave them a real idea of where they will be performing.

“And in London the television cameras will be there, which will add a bit of excitement too.

“We’ll have to come up with differences in the routines though, because it’s a traditional stage at the Playhouse, but round at the Albert Hall.”

The girls have a range of disciplines as part of their training at the academy, including ballet and tap, which gives them “better all-round technique”.

She added: “There are 25 girls in this routine so I’m not sure exactly how they all found out they’d made the top 11.”

Edinburgh’s Got Talent 2011 has already attracted more than 15,000 votes, and was extended from the original final ten entrants by one as two acts finished on a dead heat.

Judges, including Evening News arts and entertainment editor Liam Rudden, said the extension would add more drama to the event.

For more information, visit www.talent.scotsman.com.

[email protected]