IT WAS a week of well-choreographed strutting as young dancers filled Southampton Guildhall with a blaze of colour.

The 1971 Southampton Dance Festival saw competitors don national costumes from numerous countries including Russia, Romania, Norway, Hungary and Tibet – and that was just the dazzling first section of the show.

There were fears a recent postal strike may have affected the number of entries – despite the concerns 1,000 youngsters taking part in the dance showcase.

11-year-old Jean Brown, pictured above, won the solo dances as well as the character section where she portrayed the native American leader Hiawatha.

Jean then went on to win the duet dances of the non-cabaret section with her partner Helen Joyce.

Adjudicator Maude Wells was impressed by the “very good grooming of the children and the attention paid to detail in the national costumes.”

The six-day event was organised by the Entertainments and Publicity Department of the City of Southampton.