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Thursday 8 June saw West College Scotland’s Dance students gather at the Beacon Arts Centre for their highly anticipated end of year showcase, Dance Fusion.

HND Dance Res

A culmination of a year’s hard work the dancers put on a phenomenal show, covering a range of genres including, jazz and contemporary, performing choreography to hit artists like Beyoncé and storytelling through dance to scenes from Pretty Women and Mary Poppins.  

Backstage the vibe was electric, with a mixture of excitement and nerves in the air.

Speaking to the students their passion and love of dance was evident, their excitement to get on stage and showcase their hard work, skills and talent to their friends and family.

HND Dance student, Sarah McMenemy, 19 from Langside said, “I’m just so excited to show off what we’ve been working so hard for so long on.

I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”

But above that the feeling of being part of a community and family that they love, respect an appreciate was clear.

Daisy Jamieson, HND Dance student, age 17 from Larkhall said, “What I’ve enjoyed most about my time at college is being with these people, we’re friends for life.

The lecturers are the best in Scotland at what they do, and I’ve loved learning from them.

'I’m heading to Wilks Academy to do a degree in Dance.”

HNC Dance student, Mathew Eden, 19 from Cumbernauld said, “This is my second year doing the show, so I feel calmer this time round as I know what to expect. I’m just excited to get out there with the other cast members and have a good time.

The piece Genesis is my favourite. It suits my style of movement which is combination of hip hop and contemporary.

‘I’m moving to London over the summer to join Bird College to do a degree in Dance. One day I hope to be on the stage as a backing dancer for artists and working on choreography.”

 

Curriculum Quality Leader, Gillian, Desjacques, commented, “It was an honour to present this exciting body of work.

‘I know like me the students are incredibly grateful to the staff behind the scenes who, year after year, work above and beyond to ensure the highest quality learning experience is received.

I'd like to thank the students themselves. They are the heart of our experience and never cease to surprise, inspire, innovate, and excite. The show was a huge success, and we are immensely proud of each and every one of them and look forward to following their journey’s as they embark on what we know will be a successful future in the creative industries.

Behind the Scenes

It takes an army to put on a show like this, and thanks to two of our HNC Technical Theatre students the performance went without a hitch. From the control box students, Christna Chappell and Abbey Kerr seamlessly controlled the lighting, music and timings.

Christina Chappell, 40 from Paisley, commented,

I’ve enjoyed being part of the showcase. It’s great to get firsthand experience like this.

'As part of the course, we spend time at the Beacon, so I was familiar with the setup and the high-tech equipment is great to work worth. We were well rehearsed so I was confident that it would go well.”