After Basingstoke Academy of Dancing’s Company visiting Alencon last Summer, we hosted a return visit this half term.

 Ecole de Danse Genest-Biard (Principal Nathalie Genest) came to Basingstoke on Tues 25/10/16 from our twin town of Alencon

They were hosted by families from Basingstoke Academy of Dancing’s B.A.D. Company.  All the students are aged between 13 and 18

 We have worked and shared choreography all week (as well as visiting Jump Factory, Winchester, and London!)

Our commercial jazz teacher Dan Keen set a brand new piece with all the UK and French students as well, so it was a hard week of learning choreography for all the students

 They performed two 15 minute sets at The Top of Town on Friday afternoon as part of the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations alongside B.A.D. Squad – our younger performers aged 9-14

 On Saturday 29th Oct , we all performed at a pretty full Central Studio in front of our Mayor Councillor Jane Frankum and a civic representative from Alencon, Michel Gandon the Alencon Twinning Committee leader and about 30 French guests on a Discovery trip from Alencon – B.A.D. and their guests put on an hour long concert, produced by Tanya Schipelbaum, Principal of Basingstoke Academy of Dancing, with a mixture of material from Alencon and Basingstoke  – stunning our audience with their talent and teamwork followed by a short Civic Reception

 On the Sunday the students did some sightseeing in London and we all went to watch “Burn the Floor” in the West End

 They have now returned home (via Brighton) tired but happy and with a great deal of photos and memories and many new friends