Six members of Highbridge dance group Kazdanz, based at King Alfred School, have just returned from a week in Russia where they were hosted by students and dancers from a secondary school in the town of Pereslavl-Zalessky, near Moscow.
The group consisted of Ceridwen Plested, Holly Keane, Carrie Keane, Charlotte Sinclair, Danny Plested and Alex Fletcher.
There were also joined by a dozen dancers from Danzatak, a group based at Cheddar’s Kings of Wessex School.
Julian and Jas Plested were among the adult members of the group, which was led by Dr Alec Brice.
The trip follows a visit to Burnham-On-Sea and Cheddar a year ago by the Russian dance group Orchid. A year before that, Kazdanz and Danzatak members made a first visit to the Russian school to establish the exchange.
Ceridwen Plested, a KAS Sixth Former and member of the Organising Committee, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “It was so good to catch up with our Russian friends and to make many new ones.”
“We enjoyed warm Russian hospitality and went on many interesting excursions and visits. We were treated to amazing dance performances from Orchid and other dance groups based in the town.”
“On the final evening there was a wonderful concert and we were able to show off our dances. The finale was a joint piece which we had prepared together with the Russians. It was exciting and very moving.”
“We are hoping there will be a return visit from the Russian dancers next year. We are very grateful to the British Council for sponsoring the exchange.”
Pictured are members of Kazdanz performing in the Russian School; English and Russian dancers performing together in the finale; and the Burnham members on an excursion to the Sergiev-Posad Monastery near Moscow
