Fast-footed flingers enjoy first theatre show
Kirkjuvagr Dancers cap off busiest ever summer with full stage performance of over 70 dancers
A Highland dancing school has hosted its first-ever theatre show, after enjoying its busiest summer yet!
In the past two years, Kirkjuvagr Dancers has quickly embedded itself into Orkney’s vibrant calendar of community events.
Fast-footed students have been spotted flinging their limbs here, there and everywhere throughout the summer — including entertaining cruise passengers at Hatston pier.
A two-show billing on Sunday, September 13, gave the school’s roster of over 70 youngsters the chance to fulfil a long-term ambition.
“Since we started, our aim was always ‘we must do a big theatre show’ — just to give the bairns the opportunity to perform on the big stage,” said Dawn Wood, teacher and founder of Kirkjuvagr Dancers.
“We do lots of community performances throughout the year, and we’ve got our dance team that does the cruise ships as well, but it’s a great chance to do it in our own theatre and to show mums, dads, grannies and granddads and the general public what we get up to and what we’re all about.
“It’s great to be able to show the two sides of the Highland dancing. You’ve got that more traditional stuff, and we’re very focused on keeping those traditions alive.
“Then, in the second half, we did the show pieces which is the more modern stuff. It keeps the kids interested and adds some sparkle — just to show what you can do with Highland dancing as well.”
It caps off an exciting summer for the dancers, who have had a packed schedule of entertainment duties these last few months — but it’s not quite over yet!
“It’s been a crazy summer,” said Dawn.
Students have had a busy summer, packed with performances at community events and entertaining cruise passengers.
“We’ve done more performances than ever down the pier for cruise ships. We had 16 of them that we’ve done.
“We’ve done loads of the community events, and the last few weeks especially have been mental! We did Dounby Show, County Show, we were at Stronsay Massive Weekend, St Rognvald’s Peedie County Show — which is always a highlight of our year.
“Then, we thought that after this show we could relax and take a breath, but we’ve been invited aboard another cruise ship on Saturday night to entertain with the whole team, our whole cruise performance team — all 40 of them! So we’re looking forward to that as well.”
While Dawn is pleased that her students will be able “go into hibernation in October”, once the cruise season is over, the tremendous efforts involved in teaching dozens of youngsters this traditional style of Scottish dance will continue.
A summer’s hard work, which involved not only the students and teachers, but their parents and others involved in running fundraising events, helps pave the way for the youngsters to develop their talent.
The show was a chance for all students to show off their skills to family and friends, as well as the general public.
“We get paid by Orkney Harbours to do the cruise ship performances and some of the community events give us donations,” Dawn explained.
“That all goes back into the development of dancers. We call it our opportunity fund.
“One thing we were able to do with that is put on this show and all the dancers could take part. They don’t have to pay for costumes, they don’t have to pay to take part and we’ve been able to keep the tickets affordable for parents.
“The other thing we do with our opportunity fund is sponsor dancers to attend scholarship events. So, if our dancers get honours or distinction in their exams, which they do twice a year through UKA Dance, then they get the opportunity to attend scholarship events in Aberdeen. It’s like a different type of competition, and a different experience. We give £200 bursaries towards each dancer towards their travel.
“We have also put on extra classes for free and we get other teachers up, like Tanya Horne across from Wick, and we subsidise that.”
For Dawn, the biggest reward is the response the dancers themselves had to completing their first full length theatre show.
“Just to see their faces, especially when we finished there, and getting the reaction from the crowd,” she said.
“Their reaction makes it all so worth it.”