Amateur documentary by Brian Dunckley that follows four teenagers from around the Morpeth area who share a common interest in contemporary dance and attend Morpeth School of Dancing to train as a dance troupe. Includes commentary and interviews with the young women. Credit: Brislot Present Title: Take Four Schoolgirl Karen Creighton helps out at her parents’ farm, Maidens Hall, near Morpeth, Northumberland. She feeds the new chickens, stroking one. Fifteen miles away, at Matfen, 15 year...

Amateur documentary by Brian Dunckley that follows four teenagers from around the Morpeth area who share a common interest in contemporary dance and attend Morpeth School of Dancing to train as a dance troupe. Includes commentary and interviews with the young women. Credit: Brislot Present Title: Take Four Schoolgirl Karen Creighton helps out at her parents’ farm, Maidens Hall, near Morpeth, Northumberland. She feeds the new chickens, stroking one. Fifteen miles away, at Matfen, 15 year old Elissa Taylor steps out of a modern house into the garden to read. Her friend Venessa arrives to see her friend. Both girls have curly perm hairstyles and wear short denim skirts. Venessa shows Elissa new make-up she has. Nineteen year old Clare Turnbull from Blyth works in an office in a job with the Civil Service. Portrait shots of the four women who all share a common interest in dance. Each girl peers out from behind a stage curtain. All are wearing strong make-up. The four now perform a can-can dance to Offenbach’s Can-Can, from Orpheus in the Underworld, dressed in Moulin Rouge style burlesque dresses. The four girl dance troupe train in leotards and leggings at the Morpeth School of Dancing under teacher Christine Barron. In voiceover, the girls explain their love of dance and the hard work that goes into training. The dance troupe perform a very 80s choreographed bubble gum pop dance number (a little Cyndi Lauper) on a set dressed like a back street garage lot, complete with motorbike. The piece starts with one of the girls spray painting graffiti (‘Ace Rules OK) on a mock brick wall and some West Side Story style finger snapping. The girls exit with the same finger-snap routine, one remaining to complete the graffiti (‘Dance Rules OK’).  A group photo in costume ends the film. A voice over commentary lists what the girls are doing since completion of the film. Karen is a student dance teacher, Elissa has joined a full time ballet school. Venessa has embarked on a modelling career. And Clare still dances just for the sheer joy of it. Credit: Take Four Karen Creighton Credit: Take Four Elissa-Kate Taylor Credit: Take Four Venessa Tindale Credit: Take Four Clare Turnbull Credit: trained by Christine Barron Credit: Take Four filmed by Brian Dunckley