Wokingham

Thirteen-year-old Eloise from Wokingham is a member of the performing arts group based at the borough council’s Wokingham Youth Centre and she attended the African dance workshop in early March. And impressed by her talent, Eloise was invited to perform as a dancer the very next evening in the show Okan' Nijo (meaning ‘one’) which was showing at South Hill Park as part of its tour.

And last Wednesday (April 2), Eloise performed once again, but this time it was at the Bloomsbury Theatre in central London. The venue is extremely popular with theatre-lovers and regularly plays host to a variety of household names. The theatre company who created the show, Sakoba Dance Theatre, have gained great critical acclaim in the past, with praise coming from The Guardian and The Stage amongst others.

Eloise, who attends The Emmbrook School, said: “I was a bit excited and a bit nervous. I have gained so much confidence from doing the performing arts workshops at Wokingham Youth Centre."

Richard Ferguson, Wokingham area youth worker manager, said: "This is a great example of how youth workers encourage young people and support their personal development. Our aim is to encourage active participation in order to increase opportunities and this is what Eloise has achieved. We are encouraged by her drive to take on this fantastic chance to debut on a major stage. We are very proud of her."

The dance workshops at Wokingham Youth Centre is organised by Cyril Sansum, the performing arts coordinator. The recent dance workshops have been African-themed to allow the borough’s young people to gain more of an understanding of the culture before their exchange in July, when they will meet young Africans who have settled in Ireland.

Wokingham Borough Council