The jangling of bracelets filled the air and dancers twirled ribbons as schoolchildren practiced for their big performance.

Year 5 pupils from Vaughan Primary School, in The Gardens, Harrow, donned glittery dresses, cowboy hats and saris as they showed off a routine they will perform at the opening ceremony of the London Youth Games.

The only school selected for the honour from Harrow, the schoolchildren say they had to put in countless hours of rehearsals to even be selected for the school’s dance troupe.

Pavya, one of the dancers, said: “At the beginning, Mrs Sangani came into our classes and said we were selected to do some dancing for the London Youth Games.

“There was variety pf people who wanted to do it but Mrs Sangani said we all had to audition.

“Now we have a really strong team for dancing and all of us are really proud to represent the school.”

The routine, choreographed by Kalpana Sangani, brings together dances she has put together over the past eight or nine years using all the past props and costumes.

Put to a soundtrack she mixed herself from nine songs, the dancers shake their hips, wave their pompoms, twirl hula hoops and ribbons and lift candles to the skies in a mix of traditional and modern dance moves.

Sammy, one of the only two boys in the dance, said: “We have been training really hard all day and we had to waste our break times, but it has been brilliant.

“It’s a once in a lifetime experience and we want to thank Mrs Sangani for all her hard work.”

The school will head to Crystal Palace on July 2 for the opening ceremony and their role in the Shake It out festival.

Mrs Sangani said: “I’m very proud of them for all the hard work they’ve put in.

“It was a very nervous process waiting to hear back to find out if we had been selected, but they are a great team and I can’t wait to see them perform next month.”