Dancers shaping up as stars of the future
Pupils of an East Kilbride dancing school have pirouetted their way to success with Scottish Ballet.
Mabel Blair, 14, from Whitehills and 10-year-old Grace Fisher are longstanding students at Clare Clough School of Dancing and are well on their way to becoming stars of the future.
Teenager Mabel has been dancing with Clare since she was five and has recently been chosen as a Senior Associate of Scottish Ballet.
The prestigious Associate Programme provides classically-based training for boys and girls from Primary 5 to S5.
Its aim is to develop confident, dedicated and motivated dancers by supplementing the training provided by regular dance teachers.
She was a Junior Associate for two years, a Mid-Associate and now has gained a much coveted place as a Senior Associate, attending classes at Scottish Ballet’s base at the Tramway in Glasgow.
She continues her classes with Clare in Nuffield Studio in East Kilbride’s Boardwalk, where she recently passed her Grade 5 ballet exam with Distinction.
Mabel also attends classes at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
And dancing is a family affair with her three sisters, Harriet, Willa and Dorrie also dancing with Clare.
Mabel said: “I started dancing with Mrs Clough at the age of six and she has been an excellent teacher and always hugely supportive.
“It was her suggestion that I audition for Scottish Ballet when I was nine, and
I was thrilled to get in.
“I’ve been studying with them for five years now and I also take classes at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
“It’s hard work and I train almost every day, but I hope to make it my career so it’s worth it.”
Meanwhile, Grace, who now lives in Newton Mearns but whose family have long ties with East Kilbride, has recently begun classes with Scottish Ballet’s Junior Associates having gained a place for which several hundred children applied.
She began dancing with Clare when she was three.
The 10-year-old is very much following in the footsteps of another family member and former Clare Clough pupil - her mum Louise.
She also became a Junior Associate with Scottish Ballet,even appearing in The Nutcracker with the company.
Grace’s three siblings Calum, Alexander and Anna also dance with the East Kilbride school.
Dance instructor Clare, from Hairmyres, said: “This is an amazing achievement for the girls and we are all so very proud of them.
“Mabel enjoys helping me with the younger pupils in their classes and she is wonderful with them.
“There are several second- generation children now dancing with me whose mums danced with me as children themselves, which is just lovely having been teaching ballet in East Kilbride for almost 45 years.
“I am very proud of all my pupils and thrilled at the present success of Mabel and Grace .
“Many of my pupils have gone on to have careers in dance – hopefully Mabel and Grace are well on their way to joining that list.”