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Home  News  College Students have the Dance Factor

News & Events - General

College Students have the Dance Factor

22 January 2010

Two Kingston College students are eagerly anticipating this Sunday evening as the country’s biggest ever dance competition, Got to Dance, moves to the semi-final stage with its first live show.

Valentine Olukogo; front right and Jemma Samuel; top second from left, with the rest of dance group, Status
Description: Valentine Olukogo; front right and Jemma Samuel; top second from left, with the rest of dance group, Status

The students, who are members of the multi-award winning street dance group, Status, beat thousands of other hopefuls across the UK in the qualifying rounds, and will now compete against incredibly fierce competition on Sky 1’s dance show hosted by Davina McCall.

Valentine Olukoga, 20 from Southwark, who is studying for a Higher National Diploma in Computing and Jemma Samuel, 20 from Carshalton, who is studying for an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Science are both members of Status, a street dance group created seven years ago.

A nervous but confident Valentine says: “It’s only now that we’re about to compete in the semi-finals that I’ve realised the enormity of what we’ve achieved. I guess I’m feeling more scared than excited at the moment - it’s such a big show which is being broadcast across the whole of the UK!

“It’s been difficult for us all trying to balance work and uni studies as every spare hour is spent rehearsing, mostly at the Royal Academy of Dance in Battersea who have been incredibly supportive.  We’ve been focusing on gymnastics to make the tricks better with lots of new untried stuff planned for Sunday.

“It’s been an amazing experience especially working with Supple and Del Mak, the professional choreographers. We’re all looking forward to Sunday and are very confident we’ll do well.”

The show boasts a world-class trio of expert judges: West End star and movie actor Adam Garcia, Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Banjo, lead dancer and choreographer of street dance crew Diversity.

Status have gone from strength to strength and over the years have taken part in many competitions and performances as well as community and charitable events. The group have won a number of dance competitions, most recently South's Got Talent Championships 2008, Broken Silence Talent Contest 2008, Dance Challenge 2009 and UK Street Dance Championships 2009. 

Not only content with reaching the Got to Dance semi-finals, Status are also currently involved in the new 3D Street Dance Movie alongside Britain’s Got Talent stars Flawless. Having taken part in a club scene as 'extras' they were then chosen to be one of the groups (with 5 being chosen in total) in the movie competition filming. Status performed to their own music and choreography as part of the movie storyline.

When asked recently what they felt their biggest achievement to date has been, the group unanimously agreed that winning the UK Street Dance Championships 2009 was the highlight. With a little luck, plenty of hard work and a bit of magic let’s hope by the end of the show, this could also be Got to Dance Champions 2010.

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Kingston College, Kingston Hall Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. KT1 2AQ Telephone: 020 8546 2151 Email: info@kingston-college.ac.uk

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