Dancing in New Places: Turku, Finland Thornhill Dancers in China

On Sunday 13 October 2013, 23 members of Thornhill Scottish Country Dancers started their long journey to Shanghai to take part in the Shanghai International Folklore Festival. This high-profile festival attracts television viewers and large live audiences as well as sponsorship from companies like the Baosteel Cooperation and the Municipal Administration for Culture, Radio, Film and TV. We were the sole representatives of the UK, and we joined another 13 international teams. It was a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate to people from across the world what Scotland has to offer. A typical day at the festival started with a buffet breakfast which was always early –too early for some! The food was generally pretty tasty, although not always authentically Chinese, and often included fried rice (surprise surprise), noodles (even more surprising), fried vegetables, fried eggs (which were excellent), fried tofu, fried meat, fried green vegetables and chips. The saving grace was the abundance of delicious watermelon, and of course the best part of any mealtime, watching some of the group members ’ feeble attempts at manipulating chopsticks. Each afternoon we gave a 15–30 minute performance in a different part of the city, sometimes with last-minute itinerary changes. Most stages we danced on during the day were outside, at parks or sports grounds for example, and temporary facilities were set up for us and the crowds which gathered to watch us. Our shows are choreographed to be energetic and entertaining, and include a mixture of traditional set dances, military and Highland sword dances and more modern routines. As we were also one of the few dance groups to provide live music, the ceilidh band and bagpipers also got a great reception from the crowd. Officials and dignitaries from the local government and local businesses were always in the first few rows. It was great to see the crowd cheering and clapping and waving flags after each of our shows. Between the afternoon and evening performances our bus took us back to the hotel for a change of outfit and then we were on the road again. Some evening shows were in more intimate locations in front of sponsors and officials, others on large theatre stages for a more varied audience. The final show of the trip took place in the Theatre of Shanghai University. The audience was seated steeply up from the front of the stage, with a brilliant view of the dances. That kind of arena provides a real spectacle, and our display was followed by resounding applause. One day was described as a Team activity day and cultural experience. We visited a community centre within Shanghai to meet people engaged in fan-making and decorating, traditional dancing, and painting. We were also shown the traditional tea-making ceremony and watched a performance by local musicians. We were then split into smaller groups to have lunch at the homes of several local residents; this was a real Chinese meal and the food was fantastic. Many of the team ’ s lasting memories are not only of dancing but of interacting with the other performing nations and glimpsing a little of their culture. The official parties gave us the chance to teach each other our different routines and form friendships with people from every corner of the world. Our group included dancers and musicians aged 15 to 25, and the younger dancers in particular grew in confidence and became more self-assured as each day passed. The life skills that they develop on a trip like this will last them well into the future. Sinclair Barbour

Well-known dancer, teacher, and musician Angela Young has recently hit the high spots with a major award in television production. At a prestigious event in the Hilton on Park Lane, London, she and her team were awarded a BAFTA (British Academy Film and Television Award) for an Easter Special for CBeebies, a children ’ s channel. The programme featured Northern Ballet and was aimed at introducing dance and movement to youngsters through the classic story of the little bird who tries to discover what she really is. Alongside the main programme Angela produced sections for the CBeebies website to show children how to learn the dance moves, find out about the dancers and see behind the scenes, as well as creating the first CBeebies Dance App. The BAFTA now has pride of place in Angela and Graham ’ s new home in Glenfarg!