My journey to Delhi 2010
Hannah Littlejohn (South Wales Branch and until recently a student in Edinburgh) describes her experience at the Commonwealth Games. On 14 October 2010 I performed on a world stage to a crowd of 60,000 and a worldwide television audience of 1 billion! I was part of a mass choreographed display to showcase Glasgow as the next host city of the Commonwealth Games. It was a huge success and an experience of a lifetime! In May last year I was approached by the RSCDS and offered the opportunity to take part in a dance display for the Commonwealth Games Flag Handover to Glasgow. The initial details were vague, I needed to be free from the middle of September 2010 and willing travel to and dance in Delhi on the 14 October. It sounded like an exciting opportunity so I agreed. Before my place was confirmed there were extensive forms to complete, followed by two induction days. During induction we were introduced to the Handover Team and told a little about the performance, why we were doing it, where it would take place and a little about the scale of what we would be creating. The Glasgow 2014 Handover Team required us to perform a mass choreographed creative piece to showcase Glasgow in anticipation of the forthcoming Games in 2014. The vision of the creative team was to ‘celebrate Scotland’s history and the spirit of innovation’ through the performance. It was emphasised that this was a job not a holiday, and we would need to invest a huge amount of time, energy and dedication. I was one of 352 volunteers selected from local authorities, sport and community organisations, higher education establishments, dance schools and dance organisations all over Scotland. We came together at ‘Bootcamp’ 27 days before the performance in India. We were organised, trained and prepared for our trip by the creative
Hannah with one of her fellow performers, Gary Coull (Banff & Banffshire Branch). team. Training was intense due to the limited time frame and took huge commitment from everyone. During Bootcamp we were kept up-to-date on the issues around security at the Games in Delhi and about how to stay healthy and safe on our trip. As Bootcamp continued our team spirit and camaraderie grew as we all learnt more and our friendships strengthened. After the long journey to Delhi we arrived the afternoon before the performance. The following day we had an early start, leaving the hotel to be at the stadium and through security for a 9am rehearsal. We then had to wait until 7pm for the Closing Ceremony to begin. A few hours before the start of the Ceremony the stadium began filling up, the sun went down and the lights came on turning the stadium into our stage. We eventually got the call to start after the formal Flag Handover and the speeches, after all the nervousness and anticipation we were actually there! The performance was great fun. Afterwards we were full of pride to have represented Scotland so well and pleased to receive such positive feedback from the media as well as from friends and family. Having been part of the RSCDS for as long as I can remember I am extremely proud to have represented the Society on a world stage. I would like to thank the Society for allowing me to be part of such a major international event and to meet so many new and interesting people and to make friends for life. A huge thanks to my RSCDS family who supported me with my application and throughout my training. The 2014 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow 2014. As well as hosting the Games, Glasgow aims to create a legacy of a healthier Scotland by engaging the whole country with initiatives for fitness, fun and friendship. To find out more about Glasgow 2014 and opportunities to get involved visit www.glasgow2014.com
Hannah, second from the left, in costume and ready for the show.
Glasgow Branch is planning a series of events during the Games, and there are discussions at HQ about possible legacy projects.
www.rscds.org
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