Oldham dance school prepares for Disneyland Paris trip

Thirteen young dancers from the Jayne Barnes School of Dance are preparing for a dream trip to Disneyland Paris in June, where they'll perform in front of thousands of visitors at the iconic theme park.

The group of 13, selected from the school's 60 members, will present a 20-minute show featuring dances inspired by Mary Poppins and Toy Story. The performance has been months in the making, with rehearsals already underway.

This isn't the first time the school has graced the Disney stage-they performed there in 2018 before a crowd of 6,000 people. The trip is being organised through Perform in the Magic, an official Disney Performing Arts partner that helps dance schools arrange such performances.

For many of the young dancers, this will be their first visit to Disneyland Paris. The school has been fundraising for months through Disney-themed events, tombolas and scratch cards to help cover the costs of the trip.

Teacher Rachel Riley, who runs the school with her mother Jayne Barnes, says the excitement is building. 'When they talk about it, I can see the faces-they're like: We're actually doing this, we're really going to dance there,' she told The Oldham Times.