Pupils from 23 city schools took the spotlight with their best dance moves yesterday at the annual Stages Gala Show.

The event, which celebrates achievement in dance in Bristol schools, is now in its 13th year and organisers say the quality of the dances never fails to amaze them.

Showcasing the work of pupils from reception age to 19-year-olds, an audience of family, friends and councillors watched 25 different groups perform, with a finale by St Bernadette's RC School, Whitchurch. Some of the youngest dancers were 16 reception class pupils from Westbury Park Primary School, on Bayswater Avenue.

Jacquie Bell, learning support assistant at the school helped co-ordinate the group who performed a line-dance to Achy Breaky Heart.

She said: "I'm so proud of them. They have been rehearsing hard and they are only four and five years old, so its quite nerve-racking."

Shona Symons, Bristol City Council's Partnership Co-ordinator for the Arts and Music Service, organised the event.

She said: "It never ceases to amaze me, the amount of hard work put in by the young children and the technical capability of the older ones is phenomenal.

"Teachers give up their spare time and put so much effort into it. The last act is St Bernadette's secondary, who have performed at quite a few stages and always brought the house down. This is the last year they will be taking part."

Emma Liddle, second in learning PE at the school, organises the group who performed a street dance to a mix of songs by artists from Britney Spears to Missy Elliot.

She said: "We'll never find a group like these again, they've been together since Year 9 and they are so talented.

"They've been training since December and I'm very proud of them."

The event has such a loyal following, pupils return year after year even after leaving school. Ms Symons said: "Joe Walking, a former student at Cotham School, went on to achieve great things in the dance world and has now come back and choreographed the Kinesis act – that just shows the support the event gets."