Spotlight on dance stars

Jun 17 2009 by Kaiya Marjoribanks, Stirling Observer Wednesday

SPOTLIGHT ON DANCE STARS

DANCERS at a Stirling dance schools are preparing to display the skills which have earned them a perfect record with examiners.

Dancestar Academy, led by principal teacher Wilma Hannah, is holding its annual show in the Albert Halls on Tuesday and Thursday, June 23 and 25.

Established in Glasgow for 24 years, Dancestar came to Stirling four years ago and has gone from strength to strength.

Wilma studied dance from a young age, competing to the highest levels and performing, but she realised her real passion lay with the teaching side.

Wilma and the rest of Dancestar’s teaching team are delighted with the success being enjoyed by the school and its dancers, particularly its 100 per cent pass rate in British Association of Teachers of Dancing exam results.

She said: “It’s family-run and that’s what makes it different. Teaching and performing is our life.

“We are very personal and very approachable to pupils and parents and are able to give kids the highest standard of training at a very reasonable price.

“We train boys and girls from as soon as they can walk and can take them all the way to being a qualified teacher and professional dancer.

“Lots of our students have gone on to full-time dance schools and colleges, have danced all over the world and taken part in everything from panto and television work.

“Each year pupils have the choice of sitting examinations and the academy is extremely proud of its 100 per cent pass rate over 24 years.

“The annual show gives all the students a chance to show off their talents.

“It has been a busy season. Last year a group of ballet students went to Portugal and took part in a week’s course which was so successful that in July we are taking more students to France to participate in five full days of dance and be part of a show at the end.

“We also took part in Go Dance 09, a showcase of dance which ran for a week in the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, where we performed our famous can can which has become our trademark.

“What is so good about Dancestar is we teach ballet, tap, jazz, modern, disco, majorette, cheerleading, hip-hop plus much more so this enables the kids to get a taste of all types of dance.”

Dancestar Academy holds classes in the Ochil Centre, Raploch, and Ladywell Church in Bannockburn.