Special date will keep Blantyre dancers on their toes

Apr 16 2008 By Graham Fraser

BLANTYRE’S Young and Aitken School of Dancing are gearing up for their 25th anniversary.

The group, who were formed by Caroline Young (now Starr) and Hazel Aitken in March 1983, will celebrate with a fun day and a dancing show at East Kilbride’s Village Theatre in June.

This week, Caroline (44) looked back at the school’s history.

“Back in 1983, Hazel and I were looking for a hall for a new dance school. We had both been dancing since we were three and wanted to keep it going.

“I had a friend at Bellshill YMCA who managed to get the YMCA hall in Blantyre and we were very happy there.”

However, in November last year, the Christian charity decided to close the doors of their facility in Blantyre.

All of the groups who used the YMCA, including the dance school, were suddenly made homeless.

“That was certainly a low point for us in our 25-year history,” added Caroline, who works as a classroom assistant at Sacred Heart Primary School in Bellshill.

“We tried to find several other halls but none of them would allow the dancers to do tap dancing on their floors. Then we found Blantyre Old Parish Church Hall in January, and it has been fantastic for us.”

The Young and Aitken School of Dancing currently have 103 members aged between three and 23.

All of them are girls, with the exception of 17-year-old Andrew Starr who is Caroline’s son.

Caroline and Hazel teach the group tap, Highland and modern dance.

Between January and June, the dancers prepare to show off their talents in an annual dance show, held in the Village Theatre.

For the rest of the year, the members prepare for various dancing exams.

On Saturday, May 10, the dancing school are holding a fun day to raise money for a trip to Loudoun Castle and donations would be appreciated for the bottle stall and children’s tombola. Toys, non-perishable food, toiletries and home baking would also be welcome.

The fun day will be held at Blantyre Old Parish Church between 2pm and 5pm.