Theatre
Feature
Minimasters have their dream day with Dreamgirls
This half term we sent Minimaster Abigail, 14, to go behind-the-scenes with Dreamgirls for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Dreamgirls tells the story of three friends – Effie, Lorrell and Deena – growing up in the turbulent 1960s, a revolutionary time in American music history. Together, they form The Dreams and embark upon a rollercoaster ride through a world of fame, fortune and ruthless ambition that will test their friendship to the very limits.
Previously turned into an Oscar-winning movie starring Beyoncé Knowles, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy, the Broadway smash hit has finally arrived in London’s West End, where it is sending audiences wild night after night.
Featuring classic songs such as And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going, I Am Changing, Listen and One Night Only, Dreamgirls is a dazzling, extraordinary story that will make your whole family’s soul sing.
This half term, Dreamgirls offered young fans of the show an opportunity like no other with a Dreamgirls-themed dance workshop.
We sent Minimaster Abigail, 14, to see the show during half term – you can read her review here. Her day was then completed by attending an exclusive dance workshop at Pineapple Dance Studios in Covent Garden, led by West End choreographer, Nicky Griffiths.
Nicky – who has worked on shows such as The Bodyguard, Mamma Mia, Hairspray and Dirty Dancing – then helped Abigail and a roomful of aspiring dancers to recreate some of the magic they’d just seem on stage by learning the awesome routine for One Night Only.
“We had a quick warm-up and then started to learn the dance,” Abigail told us. “It was great because Nicky broke down the song into small sections so we could learn bits of the routine individually and it wasn’t too overwhelming.”
With only an hour to learn the routine, Abigail says the time flew by! “We added in the music and the hour went by so fast… but it was so rewarding when we put all the sections we had learned together.
“The music was really blaring in the small studio and we dance through the whole number; I wish I could dance to it every day!”
Looking to inspire your kids? The West End is full of amazing shows sure to delight young audiences – explore or West End Guide now. Tickets for Dreamgirls are on sale now via Ticketmaster.co.uk – and we have an exclusive no booking fee offer running until 13 November 2017 right here. Recommended for audiences aged 14+.