SCHOOLCHILDREN at Wickham Church of England Primary School are part of a drive to breathe new life in to an old tradition.
At Wickham’s Famous Horse Fair on Monday (May 20), the children were seen dancing on the platform usually reserved for dodgems.
Traditional step dancers have metal on the soles of their shoes, but the resourceful Year 4 pupils having been dancing with coins stuck to their shoes.
Headteacher, Maria Ackland, said: “We are delighted to be able to join with local gypsy and traveller communities to revive this energetic tradition at Wickham Fair and are extremely proud of our young dancers.”
She said that the children have been learning to step dance with assistance of folk dance enthusiast Jo Harmer, and fiddler Cath Watkins.
“Each year we include Wickham Fair in our local history studies and this year our children’s learning has taken on an entirely new dimension with step dancing. The children have thoroughly enjoyed learning and improvising steps in this local tradition and we are honoured to be able to perform at Wickham Fair this year,” Ms Ackland said.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here