St Albans dance group perform for royalty at Westminster Abbey

NERVES and excitement energised the bodies of a group of performers as they danced down the aisle at Westminster Abbey during a prestigious ceremony this week.

Students from Living the Dream Performing Arts Company entertained thousands of guests, including Prince Philip and Sir Richard Branson, at the annual Commonwealth Day Observance service on Monday.

While the company, which runs classes in St Albans and Harpenden, was the only dance group to be picked to perform at the event, they also shared the grand space with singer Beverley Knight and indie rock band Noisettes.

Zoe Jackson, founder and director of Living the Dream, said: “Westminster Abbey was huge and there were thousands of people there. It was something that was so prestigious and it felt incredible and after the performance everyone was ecstatic.

“I was so proud of all the dancers and it was such an honour for Living the Dream to be selected to be the only dance performance.”

Unfortunately the Queen missed the dancers’ big moment as she was still recovering from a bout of gastroenteritis, but Zoe was lucky enough to briefly meet her at a reception after the event: “She was such a sweet woman, I told her we did the dance performance and she said she wished that she had been there.”