WITH more than 100 young people dancing and beating out the rhythm in a community centre in Haslemere every week, the owners of a street dance school have come to the defence of the Wey Centre.

Last week The Herald raised fears over the future of the centre voiced by town mayor Malcolm Carter, after worries Surrey County Council budget cuts were putting the Waverley Borough Council-owned building’s future in question.

He also questioned a lack of action after Stepping Stones, the Hindhead-based special needs school, offered to bring the building back into use and open it up to youth groups in the town.

But now Streetnation, a dance school which has used the Wey Centre at least three times a week for the past six years – and its business partners Nadeana Simpson and Karen Musco – have also voiced their own concerns over the longterm future of the building.

“We would love to take it over full time,” Nadeana told The Herald this week. But with high rents she said: “That is not going to happen.”

Karen, choreographer and principal of Streetnation Dance School said: “It is a worry to only have a four-weekly contract and we have asked on many occasions to take more time and space for ventures that would benefit the community but have had little response in six years.

“The dream is to run more classes and further ventures out of the Wey Centre, but we feel our time there is limited and there is a real danger of having to relocate outside of Streetnation’s home town of Haslemere,” a concerned Karen added.

Streetnation Dance School was founded in early 2009 by Nadeana Simpson and Karen Musco.

Karen said: “In the past nine years, the company has gone from strength-to-strength, producing dancers that have gone onto esteemed dance schools and universities, joined London dance companies and performed in professional shows.

“The company has achieved some of the highest exams results from the Independent Dance Teachers’ Association (IDTA) in street dance, and was commended on how many boys and young men were part of the company, something the examiner said other schools struggle to attain.

“Not only do pupils have a bi-annual performance that showcases their efforts throughout the year, but they preform in many local events including the fringe festival and Chiddfest.

And in December this year Streetnation will be taking 40 children to dance at the London O2 in front of a packed audience, something they did in 2014 at Her Majesty’s Theatre, in London’s West End.

Streetnation currently has just over 100 children ranging from toddlers to 18-year-olds dancing ever week at the Wey Centre, with classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Karen said: “We are extremely proud of every child’s efforts past and present within the company and very grateful that they have such loyal parents that support all their children’s achievements.

For more information on Streetnation email: streetnationdance@google mail.com or call 07584 283 615.