THE final week of the Isle of Wight Music, Drama and Dance Festival saw the dance portion of the event get underway.

Bea Meredith, ten, and Emily Burrows-Mucogllava, eleven, won the Miming Pairs category, with Bea also winning the Verse Speaking Girls' Solo award, delivering a gripping presentation of The Frog Prince by Gervase Phinn.

Both girls are taught by Ellen Weeks, with Emily attending Cowes Enterprise College and Bea a pupil at St Helens Primary School.

Amelie Jones, 11, had a productive week, entering six piano classes to secure a hat-trick of top spots, and three further second places.

In a kismet twist, one of the cups she received was the same one bearing the name of her piano teacher, Kathy Grimshaw, who won the Miss Damon Cup in 1981. Amelie was awarded the trophy for her Mozart class.

Amelie said: "My parents thought I'd taken on too much by entering six piano classes, but I enjoy practising and, with the help of my brilliant piano teacher, Kathy Grimshaw, all the hard work paid off.

"It felt great to do so well and the adjudicator was very encouraging and kind — I love performing!"

Grace Dempsey, a pupil at Ryde school who sings with Fusion Arts Academy, received 89 points for her Festival X-Factor performance. She played a rendition of Waltzing Matilda on the piano and sang Wouldn’t It Be Loverly from the musical My Fair Lady.

She said: "I am very happy with what I have achieved so far, and look forward to being involved with the dance part of the festival."

Grace was due to start rehearsals for Annie the Musical at Kings Theatre in Southsea following the festival.

Obie Woodward, six, of St Helens Primary School won the Boys Solo Song with a rendition of Shoot Shoot Shoot, ending the recital on his knees pretending to have scored the winning goal for his beloved Pompey.

Obie is a student of Joanna Willey at Fusion Arts Academy.

The Solo pre Grade Violin class hosted a friendly dose of sibling rivalry, as Jasmine Woodward, nine, narrowly took the title ahead of sister Fleur, eight. Both talented girls are students of Joanna Willey.

Fleur did even better in the Singing Girls' Solo class, securing first place with a stellar delivery of Teddy Bears Picnic by the Kiboomers.

Others to flourish included Niton Primary School duo Tabatha Williams, who won the Beginner Piano class, and Esme Hambley for her performance in the pre Grade Piano class.

Island Free School's Millie Fradgley, was the winner of the Grade One Piano section.

Another Niton Primary pupil heavily involved in the musical elements of the competition was Isla Truckell, who vanquished all rivals in the Contemporary Film/Show/Pop class with her piece from the film Amelie. In addition, Isla came second in the Grade Three piano class.

Winning her first solo titles, Christ the King College student Louise Parkes, 14, won two singing classes at the festival — scooping the Chorister Girls 11-13 and French/German/Italian song 13 and under categories.

Due to the coronavirus, organisers announced sessions on Tuesday, March 17, were to be the last, with the last four scheduled days postponed, hopefully to be rearranged at a later date.