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Over 120 young people enjoyed a day of performing arts for Southend Gang Show’s SHINDIGS at Shoeburyness High School Theatre, Shoebury on Saturday 12 March 2011. SHINGDIGS (SHow IN a Day In Guiding and Scouting) gave Scouts and Guides aged 10-25 the opportunity to perform onstage in front of an audience of over 100 friends and family. This is the fifth time the biannual show has been held and this year saw more young people perform than ever before! The 120 boys and girls came from across Southend, Castle Point and Rochford including Scouts from 4th Southchurch Special Needs Scout Unit.
The young people arrived at 10am and spent a fun day learning and rehearsing dances, songs and moving around the stage as well as making new friends. The young people were split into 5 coloured groups that they worked with all day. Four of the groups learnt a dance, some actions and two sets of songs and the fifth group formed the band. Music in the show included songs from The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins and Oliver, as well as a Beatles medley. All the music was played live by a band of Guides and Scouts who spent the day learning and practicing the music. In the evening all the hard work was brought together in the form of a show for friends and family to watch. For many of the young people SHINDIGS provided an opportunity to do something new; for some it was the first time they had performed on stage, for others it was singing a solo or speaking on stage. Those that had done some dancing before learnt a rock and roll medley dance and others learnt a puppet dance to the Cha Cha Slide!
Josh Hales, 10, 5th Canvey Air Scouts, took part in SHINDIGS for the first time this year, “I was really excited about taking part in SHINDIGS because it was a chance to do something different, I have been in school shows before but never taken part in anything like this. I was really nervous when I first got on the stage but it was great when the audience clapped at everything we did! The best bit was meeting lots of new friends! I am really looking forward to taking part again next time!” Sydney Taylor, 10, 8th Leigh Guides, “I liked taking part in the show in a day because I made lots of new friends. I think the best part of the day was when we got to watch the bits of the show that we weren’t in – some of it was really funny and I would like to be able to do those next time! Before I went to SHINDIGS I thought it was going to be really complicated but it has been much easier than I thought and lots of fun! My favourite song was Yellow Submarine, I hadn’t sung it before but I really liked it. My group did a dance to the Bare Necessities and our team leader dressed up as a monkey, it was really funny but I managed to remember all of the dance and the words to the song! I think everyone should join Guides or Scouts and take part in SHINDIGS because they would really enjoy it!!”
Kate Broderick, 20, Phoenix Rangers, also took part in SHINDIGS for the first time, “I had a fantastic day at SHINDIGS. My friends all told me how much fun it was last time so I wanted to try it out for myself – and they were right! I enjoyed it so much that I am thinking I might join Southend Gang Show for next year’s show. I liked the fact that it was so much fun and being on stage gave us all an opportunity to show-off what we had learnt to our friends and family. The experience was new to me and it was tiring, but so enjoyable. I liked how the people who had done SHINDIGS before helped those of us that hadn’t!” Dan Wanna, 19, Synergy Southend Network, has performed on stage many times with Southend Scout and Guide Gang Show and this year took on the role of a team leader for the blue team, “Shindigs isn't just about coming together and making new friends, but also about learning to sing, dance and be heard! Being a team leader was hard work – helping to look after a group of 30 young people making sure they were in the right place at the right time. Making sure they actually made it on and off the stage was just as important! They loved it though and so did I. It was an opportunity to learn and do something new.” Ashley Bye, 18, Synergy Valley Network, said, “I thoroughly enjoyed my day at SHINDIGS. I think the highlight of the performance for me was running across the stage with a giant teapot and teacup every time we sang the words ‘had a cup of tea’ in the Right Said Fred song – its not something that happens every day! Everyone worked really hard, both the performers and all of the volunteers that helped to run the show, to make it a really fun day!” Jacky Goddard, SHINDIGS Producer said “Everyone worked really hard throughout the day and, after a busy day without stopping, the young people produced an amazing performance in the evening.”
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Southend Scout and Guide Gang Show 2009 |
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