Dancers show what they’re made of on stage

A fantastic show of ballet skills by the dancers.

That was the message loud and clear last weekend which saw pupils of Fiona Henderson School of Dance make a long-anticipated return to the stage performing the packed shows at the Eastgate Theatre, Peebles.

Senior school pupils performed ‘Eclipse’ which was an impressive and technical ‘tour-de-force’ through a wide range of dance styles and musical tracks including ballet, tap, Highland, Scottish national, Irish, street, contemporary, jazz and modern.

The return to the stage delighted school principal Fiona Henderson.

The dancers took to the Eastgate stage last weekend.

She said: “We were overjoyed to see our seniors back on stage where they belong – doing what they love to do.

"This year’s show was the most technically varied and complex we’ve ever produced with 36 dances in total including solos, duets and group dances.

"Their teachers and I were delighted with their performances, and I know from the various messages and emails that their parents and other audience members thought likewise.”

The weekend also saw the youngest dance pupils perform in their first ever dance show.

‘Forever Friends’ was a wonderful and uplifting performance which saw the 3-5-year-old dancers perform Highland, ballet, jazz, tap and acrobatic dances to their audience.

Fiona enthused: “Our Little Stars Show represents a real milestone for our youngest dancers – it is the first-time they have ever been on the theatre stage and with all that entails, including the loud music, lighting and stage curtains, and then being faced with a packed audience watching them.

“They always rise to the occasion and never fail to disappoint.”

2021 has been milestone year for the dance school which has seen it open new branches across the Scottish Borders as well as recently being announced as UK ‘Dance School of the Year 2021’ in a recent glittering awards ceremony.

The Fiona Henderson School of Dance was established in 1985 and now has over 350 pupils ranging from 13 months old up to adult.

It offers over 100 classes a week in a wide range of dance styles in Biggar, Galashiels, Jedburgh, Melrose, Moffat, Peebles, Hawick and Selkirk.