St Mary’s gymnasts show determination and teamwork in stunning display of skill and flexibility

Parents, staff and students at St Mary’s School, Cambridge gathered on 24 February to enjoy our biennial gymnastics display, celebrating the school’s gymnasts from Junior School up to our Sixth Form. Fifty-five gymnasts took to the floor in an evening full of performances that not only demonstrated the wealth of talent in the school, but also highlighted the teamwork, hard work and dedication involved in delivering such an exciting show.

The display got off to an exciting start with Year 6 students performing an exhilarating routine to Rhythm Nation with so may thrilling lifts and coordinated moves that all worked together brilliantly. This was then followed by Leni J-M. and Tendai S. from Year 7 performing a routine to Don’t Shut me Down using the vault, trampoline and ribbons, and then an upbeat trio routine to Sax by Ayla B., Carmen P-S. and Isabella M., who did a daring routine full of balances and handsprings, all linked with graceful choreography.

In the second part of the display, Jessica M. in Year 8 performed a beautiful ribbon routine to Blue, and then Year 9 duet Olivia L. and Phoebe H-M. had the audience on the edge of their seats when they showcased their impressive tumbles and lifts. Carmen in Year 8 followed with an incredible floor routine using a ball as a prop, showing extraordinary flexibility and skill.

Year 9 students Trinity S. and Kiera L. were then Unstoppable with their skilful and coordinated routine, both finishing in the splits. Sarah W. from Year 11 performed an inspirational routine of backward walkovers, leaps and tumbles, followed swiftly by our Year 7 group, who showed us that this is indeed The Greatest Show with their action-packed routine full of lifts, turns and tumbles.

Ruby in Year 11 then provided a moment of reflection with her gymnastic interpretation of Wonderland which showed great depth of maturity, strength and control. Hannah P. and Libbi H. from Year 10 showed real Control with their excellent tumbling and acrobatics, as they told the moving story of a puppet master and her puppet. Our Year 9 group became St Mary’s spies with their James Bond-themed number, which was full of danger and excitement. Olivia L., also from Year 9, performed an excellent floor routine full of impressive tumbling and wonderful choreography.

Our penultimate performances saw Amelia M. and Lizzie S. from Year 10 take on a fast-paced routine with lots of jumps and tricks, both on the floor and on trampolines. Their choice of song, I’m So Excited, reflected well how the audience felt watching them perform.

Finally, our Year 11s display to Finale was an excellent end to the evening. A lovely trio delivered a performance which was an excellent example of teamwork and skill, finishing an entertaining evening with an empowering rendition of Boss Ladies, Dance Moms, with much style, glitter and applause.

As is now customary, the Frances Hawken Gymnastics Salver was awarded to a Year 11 gymnast. This year’s winner was Sarah W., who performed an excellent individual piece and had gone above and beyond supporting the younger gymnasts.

Louise Powell, Director of Sport at St Mary’s School, Cambridge, said:

“It was brilliant to see girls from different year groups performing together and engaging in peer-on-peer learning. The night was a huge success with lots of incredible teamwork and with the girls pushing themselves to do their best. Credit to all the performers for their efforts. Every girl should be very proud of what they have achieved.”

Find out more about Sport at St Mary’s School, Cambridge here. You can view a full album of pictures from the evening here.