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Freedom

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Highly commended

A Dancer's Freedom

By Abigail Catherine Dowinton
Year 4, Home Schooled

Once there was a girl called Libby. She felt alone and scared. Libby felt isolated because she was being bullied. She struggled at school and had anxiety and panic attacks. She loved to dance, and her favourite was ballet. She felt free when she was dancing. It made her happy. Her biggest dream was to become a famous ballerina! Libby felt like dancing was her dream place, and she danced everywhere she went. She liked designing her own costumes and choreographing her own dances.

Every now and then a vision would pop in her head of a dance she wanted to do. She would hear music in her head and just want to dance. She would go into her own little world when she was dancing. Whilst doing this she was free. Whilst she was dancing all her problems went away. It kind of took anything bad off her mind. Dancing was like dreaming with her feet. It is like she could do anything or be anything in dance. Her imagination with dance was endless. She could feel as free as a butterfly because when she was dancing she could become different characters. She could be as graceful as the White Swan, or as fierce as the Black Swan. It was all in her world of imagination. Dreams and fantasies lived there. Her imagination went as far as she could take it. Everybody has a different imagination, but Libby's was special. In Libby's imagination everything was possible, even the impossible. Libby thought anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Your dreams and fantasies do exist. She always tried to think positively. Libby was determined she was not going to let anything get in the way of her dream. She was never going to give up her freedom.

Listen to the story read by Andy Riley

Guernsey Literary Festival · A Dancer’s Freedom

Judge’s comments - Andy Riley

This story contains the best sentence I’ve read in a while: ‘Dancing was like dreaming with her feet.’ That’s very strong and vivid writing. The rest of the piece glows with the same passion and conviction.
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