Some 400 students took part in the biggest flashmob ever at The Trafford Centre, in an effort to boost the image of youth in the northwest. The performing arts students from the Pendleton Sixth Form Centre of Salford City College, performed a choreographed routine put together by tutor Hannah Paice.
Lasting for four minutes, the performance was set to a sound-track of music clips from the last 30 years – including Michael Jackson and Bon Jovi. The flash-dance was held as a challenge to the students to create an event using students from all year groups and subjects – something they had never achieved before. The Trafford Centre is one of the few public places large enough to host a mammoth dance of this kind.
Dance tutor Hannah Paice said: “The idea came last year when I was watching footage on TV of the Salford Riots. I realised that I was teaching young people in Salford who were nothing like what I was seeing on TV. So many young people in Salford are friendly, talented young people. I knew then we had to do something to tell the other side of the Salford story, to show what amazing things young people can achieve.
“We’d like to thank everyone at The Trafford Centre for making this possible, and also our amazing students, who have shown what astonishing results can come from practice and dedication. We have had enormous fun preparing this for The Trafford Centre shoppers. The students have shown real application in coming to grips with this routine, and they loved the spontaneous aspect of the flashdance.
Justin Webb, co-organiser of the event, said: “Our customers were knocked for six when the flashdance started – we began with just two dancers in the Centre of the Orient food court, and within a minute more than 400 were dancing all over the Orient, on the ship and around the balconies. Many customers who knew the classic dance moves even joined in! At a time when local youth seem to get a bad press, it’s great to see these talented youngesters showing the world what they’re made of!”
The Trafford Centre has become synonymous with the craze of flashmobs – hosting a breastfeeding flashmob, a marriage proposal flashmob, and a Children in Need flashmob with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
The show, which took students more than four months to prepare and rehearse, now features in a new video, on The Trafford Centre’s YouTube channel.
