The College of Jazz annual school show is always guaranteed to offer colour, spectacle, great music and above all, great dancing.

This year's show certainly did not disappoint and with a theme like Circus one could already sense the audience's eager anticipation.

As always, the first part was dedicated to the junior section of the school. Cute children concentrating on doing their routines just right while decked out in bright costumes on stage can melt even the coldest heart Each class had chosen a popular fairytale, from Puss in Boots to Little Bo Peep and Sleeping Beauty, and the various ballet, jazz and Spanish teachers created just the right atmosphere of magic and innocence. I was particularly pleased that there were "child-appropriate" costumes, because there is nothing worse in my opinion then seeing kids dressed like adults. As a dance academy, The College of Jazz has always been very strong in its ballet and jazz choreography and the early groundwork in these disciplines given to children as young as 7 and 8 can be clearly seen.

In the second half, the senior section showed us what they could do, and here the show really took off, starting with breathtaking choreography by Felix Busuttil to the music of Britney Spears and Cirque du Soleil. In fact, throughout this show, the choice of music was just right, with one dance flowing seamlessly into the other, as dancers moved on and off the stage. Production-wise, the stage was dressed very simply with little scenery and few props, which served to keep your eyes focused on the dancers.

Plastic Valley, to the tune of Barbie Girl, again by Felix Busuttil, with all the dancers dressed as dolls, was witty and fun, and the precise synchronized movements demonstrated the amount of rehearsals put into the dance.

I also enjoyed Jumbie by Anna Galea, who used her dancers as zombie like characters with crazy make-up and disjointed bizarre movements. The costumes were incredible, as in all the other dances, and were provided by Limelight Costumes, Leanne Walker, Erest Camilleri and Maria Pisani.

The precise attention to technique by choreographer and school director Justin Roy Barker were amply displayed in his dances, particularly in the dance featuring an all male cast XY.

Animal Café and Tattoo, also by Justin, used the crème de la crème of the school's YADA dancers in dances which demanded grace, stamina as well as athleticism.

I also loved hip hop choreographer Kristina Schranz's Inhumanly Beautiful with music by Timbaland and Catilena. The dancers showed off the precision and rhythm demanded by hip-hop coupled with flexibility and musicality.

Nina Winter and Alison Bird, the College's ballet teachers led their students through their paces with poise and style while Spanish dance teachers Daniela Farugia Randon, Lana Lanfranco and Annemarie Busuttil created beautiful Flamenco choreography, albeit with a limited number of students. Felix, with his inimitable humour, rounded off the show with a Mad Hatter Tea Party, which required exact timing and flawless execution. All in all it was a magical show, appreciated by parents, family and friends, the result of a year's hard work by one of the top dance schools in the country.