Bringing Books to Life:
Dance workshop

✓ Nursery - Year 6
✓ Led by a professional West End Dancer
✓ Literacy, Book Week
✓ Delivered in your school hall

Dance and movement workshops for primary schools inspired by books

Our Bringing Books to Life dance workshops give children a unique insight into books by using dance and movement to tell stories. During the dance workshop our choreographer will work with each class, developing responses to some of our most beloved children's books through language, movement and dance. Schools can choose a mixture of books for the dance workshops at no extra cost.

The children will be inspired to use their imaginations as they explore the chosen book in a new and vibrant way. We use a range of techniques and music, and differentiate each session to suit the interests and age of the children.

Each workshop session concludes with a performance moment, when the children perform aspects of their work to themselves and to their class teacher. 

Choreography by: Mairi Cowieson & Emma Cannon


  • We work with individual classes for sessions of between 35 and 50 minutes.
  • We can run up to seven 35 minute sessions per day.
  • Online sessions are up to 50 minutes each.
  • To work with fewer classes we can visit for just an afternoon or morning session.
  • To work with more than seven classes we can visit across multiple days.
  • We will send you a suggested timetable when you enquire and will work with you to create a timetable that works for your school day.



  • Develop an understanding of the chosen story by recreating the narrative from start to finish.
  • Collaborate with classmates by creating a shared retelling of the story.
  • Develop creative ownership and the imagination by working alongside a professional dancer.
  • Gain confidence in physical literacy as an expression of meaning and emotion.



This year, World Book Day is celebrated Thu 6 March 2025, and between 24 February and 14 March we’ll be running workshops inspired by our specially chosen selection of children’s books. For more information, please head to our dedicated World Book Week page.

 

Watch us in action!

Get a flavour of the West End in Schools experience with our new workshop highlights video.

 

Book Options

Alice in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll
Nursery, Reception, KS1, KS2
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
by Roald Dahl
Nursery, Reception, KS1, KS2
Coraline
by Neil Gaiman
KS2
Dinosaurs and all That Rubbish
by Michael Foreman
Reception, KS1
Flat Stanley
by Jeff Brown
Nursery, Reception, KS1, KS2
Gangsta Granny
by David Walliams
KS2
Handa's Surprise
by Eileen Brown
Nursery, Reception, KS1
How to Catch a Star
by Oliver Jeffers
Nursery, Reception, KS1
Kensuke's Kingdom
by Michael Morpurgo
KS2
Man on the Moon
by Simon Bartram
Nursery, Reception, KS1, KS2
Pinocchio
by Carlo Collodi
Nursery, Reception, KS1, KS2
The Arrival
by Shuan Tan
KS2
The BFG
by Roald Dahl
Reception, KS1, KS2
The Butterfly Lion
by Michael Morpurgo
KS2
The Enormous Crocodile
by Roald Dahl
Nursery, Reception, KS1, KS2
The Gingerbread Man
by Mairi Mackinnon
Nursery, Reception, KS1
The Iron Man
by Ted Hughes
KS2
The Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling
KS2
The Lorax
Dr. Seuss
Reception, KS1, KS2
The Troll
by Julia Donaldson
Nursery, Reception, KS1
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Eric Carle
Nursery, Reception, KS1
Tiddler
by Julia Donaldson
Nursery, Reception, KS1
Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendank
Nursery, Reception, KS1, KS2