On a grey January Monday morning this week, the Royal High Dance Department burst into energy as they welcomed Emily Goodenough — West End performer and co-founder of the EDGE Associate Programme — to teach the girls inspiring choreography straight from the West End.

Travelling straight from her Sunday matinee performance of Wicked, Emily gave the girls a real taste of a vocational day, including what it would be like to take part in an audition.

The girls were challenged with a huge amount of choreography to learn in a short space of time, with a strong emphasis on performance. They learned short sections of stylised jazz technique with musical theatre flair thrown in, and spent the afternoon pulling everything together to create a dazzling final piece.

The session sparked incredible energy, sparkle and creativity among the dancers, whose feedback showed just how much they gained from the experience:

• “It was a whole new experience for me. Emily was so inspiring and so friendly. She taught us new technique that was so fun.”
• “She was professional but not intimidating — she was friendly and energetic.”
• “It was an amazing vibe: fun, upbeat, with great choreography. She made it all seamlessly come together for us whilst making it fun.”

Dance teacher Charlotte Hough added:

“We were so lucky to have Emily at Royal High for the day. The girls and I can’t wait to showcase the piece they created at our dance show in March. I was so proud of all the dancers involved. They showed remarkable levels of talent, energy, commitment and professionalism. Well done to everyone.”

Emily is the co-founder of the EDGE Associate Programme, an elite training programme designed for dedicated dancers ready to push their limits. EDGE offers young dancers the opportunity to work with leading industry professionals, train to a vocational standard and gain invaluable audition experience.

She is also currently performing the role of Swing in Wicked in the West End — one of the most demanding roles in dance, requiring her to cover nine dancers’ tracks at any one time. Last week alone she performed in eight shows, making the energy she brought to this workshop even more inspiring.