New routine for dancers as show must go online
Pandemic brings together classes for virtual lockdown extravaganza
A DANCE school boss has made sure her pupils weren’t disappointed when their annual display show had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Dance Addiction’s founder Lauren Black, 27, has brought together 80 of her dancers for an online show which will be released on social media next week. Lauren from East Renfrewshire usually holds classes in her home area of Newton Mearns as well as Castlemilk in Glasgow and Mosspark, East Kilbride. She said: “Usually, every June, we have an annual sellout show, normally held at Eastwood Theatre and over two nights. “The pandemic has made that impossible this year and we are unable to go ahead with our show because of lockdown. “But I came up with the idea of trying to replace it with an online offering instead.
“I started Zoom classes with my dancers from the start of lockdown. And from this, we grew the idea of the online show.”
With help from her cameraman husband Aidan Black, 27, the online show, called Together, We Are Better will feature dancers aged three to 21.
Lauren added: “I’m not sure but I think nothing like this has been tried before but it would have been awful if the kids had been left without nothing after working so hard all year.”
Lauren and her coach Lily Yuill, 22, taught the kids the routines over Zoom. The dancers then videoed their routines. Aidan has added an intro and synced up all the dancers videos to recreate a live show.
Lauren said: “I wanted to take this on, regardless of the hard work involved, to create special memories for my dancers during lockdown.”
Instead of ticket sales, the video will raise money for STV Children’s Appeal.
The virtual show will be released on June 12 through Facebook, YouTube and Zoom channels at 7.30pm.