0
On Sunday 25th February, Purple Revolver had the opportunity to witness the incredible talent on show at the Rare Studio over in Liverpool. Performing to 1600 people over the weekend Winter Showcase, many of the young people involved pulled out all the stops to give the best show they could. Headed up by Lindsay Inglesby and Michelle Faulkner, Rare Studio is a charity trust that enables students the ability to access high quality training, regardless of their socioeconomic background. Scholarships to LA and the best studios over in California are up for grab, with the Michael Molloy Scholarship. Dancers from Rare Studios have danced with Dua Lipa at the Brits 2018 with some having danced on the MTV Music Awards, and X Factor as well.
The event started with a brief introduction by the Chair of the board, Frances Molloy and the lead choreographer and director Lindsay Inglesby, before the event kicking off with a musical theatre medley by those in the College Musical Theatre group, headed up by Dr Nick Phillips, professor of dance and drama at John Moore’s University, Liverpool. The theatrical performance took inspiration from the La La Land opening scene full of dance and magnificent colour. Following a spectacular performance and non-stop action on stage from children of all ages, the School age children took to perform a dance to a Fergie mashup, titled Fergalicious. Giving it all they’ve got, the teenagers got the audience dancing along with them from their high-energy performances. Following their high-energy performance, the audience were all cooing along for the Bambinos, or the toddlers of the studio when they came out to perform a dance number to the smash song from Moana. Elenka Bennion then joined the stage for a monologue from BBC hit show Fleabag. With the phenomenal acting shown from Elenka, the audience where laughing along to all the jokes and the one-liners from the monologue all about sex.
Dance filled the stage once more from the College and then the School with more high-powered and also emotive pieces choregraphed by Megan Bowers and Sean Taaffe respectively. A choir finished the first half of the evening with a medley featuring popular songs from Charlie Puth and new musical The Greatest Showman. The talent on stage in the first half of the show surely didn’t disappoint with each person filling the stage, whether they were performing as part of a group, or performing a solo piece.
The second part of the showcase was filled with emotive dances from the College second years; and laughs from the Bambinos once more. Daniel Kinsley’s monologue surrounding the impact of Hillsborough on a young boy’s life. Crying and sniffles could be heard throughout the auditorium after Daniel’s powerful performance, with many still feeling the effects well into the evening. The Juniors then took to the stage for a high energy dance to Clean Bandit’s I Miss You, followed by the College performing a dance piece to Judas and other Lady Gaga hits. More powerful performances followed with one being tribute the late Michael Molloy, who was tragically killed by a 19 year old coach tyre on his way back from a musical festival. Frances Molloy, chair of the board, said to Purple Revolver that Rare was so dear to her heart as they had set up a scholarship to honour his legacy, in which young children where able to visit LA studio’s to gain professional standard training in dance and acting. Frances, along with many of the audience where brought to tears by the dance choreographed by Lindsay Inglesby and Sean Taaffe. Frances Molloy has been campaigning for new legislation to brought into effect following the death of her son. Sign the petition at tyred.co.uk.
To lighten the mood, Tom joined the stage to perform a monologue on love and the miracle of love. Light-hearted laughter followed his emotive speech where he filled the stage and the auditorium with a sense of happiness and innocence when thinking of love from his perspective.
Rare Studio was founded in 2011 with the aim to provide talented individuals professional training in performing arts, regardless of their financial positions. Rare Studio is a charity, and are fundraising for their student scholarship programme to help send their students to Broadway and to studios in LA. If you would like to donate to the Rare Trust and make a difference to the talented children today, text RARE11 £5 or RARE11 £10 to 70070 today.
Folllow Rare Studio on Twitter at @RareStudioLiverpool, and like them on Facebook with the same username.