One School of Performing Arts dancers

A GROUP of youth dancers are set to perform under the bright lights of the world’s entertainment capital – as long as they can raise the money to get there.

The One School of Performing Arts (OSPA) trains more than 200 young people in dance, gymnastics, musical theatre and football on a weekly basis.

Now, after 10 years on the floor, OSPA, which is based at William Tyndale Primary School on Upper Street, has been nominated for dance school of the year, meaning 50 of its most dedicated dancers have the chance to travel to Las Vegas to perform in the International Entertain­ment Awards next year.

There’s just one problem – the round trip will cost £50,000, and that’s money that this local performing arts school doesn’t have spare.

“It would just be the icing on the cake if we could raise the funds,” said school founder Danielle Looker, who is also a music teacher at William Tyndale.

“I’m really not great at boasting about what we do, I’d rather let the work speak for itself, but it would be amazing if we could get the message out there because the kids, they really do deserve it. It would be an incredible moment for them, and these are families that wouldn’t be able to afford it.”

Founder Danielle Looker with OSPA dancers

Ms Looker, who began teaching dance and music in her early 20s after a professional career in girl bands, started OSPA a decade ago when the Hackney academy where she worked closed suddenly. “I don’t think I paid myself until 2021, but I just really believed in it,” she said.

More and more families joined up through word of mouth during and after lockdown, when all the classes moved online and OSPA has gone from strength to strength since then, working with Islington Council to offer up to 800 free holiday camp spaces and free school meals to local young people.

Ms Looker students have gone on to join dance troupes like Diversity (of Britain’s Got Talent fame), Boy Blue and Flawless, and the school brings in professionals from Wicked the Movie and West End shows Hamilton and Six to help train the teenagers.

“That’s inspirational for the next generation – they see [these former students] and what they can do,” said Ms Looker.

“Once upon a time my secondary school teacher told me ‘you’ll never make a living in dance’. It’s very different here – we show them where they can go. A lot of our kids have been in commercials, some auditioned for the new Harry Potter.

“But it’s not just about being in the dance industry – we’re teaching life skills here.”

There are two youth groups who could travel to perform in the desert city where Elvis once reigned – one street dance crew and one musical theatre troupe, all of them aged between 7 and 14.

Ms Looker added: “We look at the news and it’s crime after crime – some of these kids could have gone down very different paths. But if they have the opportunities and the activities, they can feel a sense of achievement. We offer that friendly, safe atmosphere they need as teenagers.

“They do put in the hours of training, but they want to come and see us on a weekly basis. I like to say I’m fun but firm. Kids need to understand how to have respect, learn morals and decencies, but have fun with it.”

OSPA will be competing for Dance School of the Year at the O2 in Greenwich this October and is raising money to go to Las Vegas in 2026. To contribute to the fundraising effort go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ospa-get-to-the-international-awards-in-las-vegas-2026