Charity concert Saturday 9 June

Concert for CRP Bangladesh

An Evening of

Music • Dance • Song

On behalf of

The Valerie Taylor Trust

Plus meet and hear Dr. Valerie Taylor OBE

Founder of the Centre for the

Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, Bangladesh

Adelaide’s

209 Bath St,

Glasgow

Saturday 9th June 2012

Featuring Doors open 6.45

The Rodney’s Start 7.15

The David Latto Band

Glasgow Youth Choir

Donation Ticket £7.50

Bangla Bidya Niketon Includes refreshments

Tickets Available at the door or call Ross 07913 518382 / Bryan 07931 664381

www.crp-bangladesh.org www.valerietaylortrust.org

Voters on the button on Sunday 4 March!

Everyone reading this is encouraged to watch Sky 1HD at 6pm on Sunday 4 March when Glasgow dance group ‘Fear of the Unknown’ will be finalists in the ‘Got to Dance’ competition. They need viewers’ votes to win the £250,000 prize!!!

They are the only Scottish dancers to get to the final which will be in the London Olympia before 6000 people.

Chosen from the best dancers in the Robert Hamilton School of Dance in Gorbals, the ‘Fear of the Unknown’ are rehearsing five hours at a time on four days every week. Said Lorna Munn who at 24 is one of the senior dancers: ‘ We are focussed on the final and making our presentation perfect. It is breath- taking to reach the final. It’s a dream come true. We can’t wait!’

One of the male dancers, Pierce Meehan (24) who is studying for his HND in dance at Anniesland College said: ‘It is an incredible achievement to get to the final. Only a handful of dancers have got there! It is also a wonderful experience working with the television people. That’s very interesting and they couldn’t be better to work with.’

The group make all their own costumes which are stunning. But the theme for the final will be a closely kept secret till they hit the screen on Sunday 4 March at 6pm on Sky 1 HD.

In addition, the dancers at the School do a lot of charity work and have raised more than £200,000 for a variety of good causes.

To see the ‘Fear of the Unknown’ audition performance: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DurvxAbSB-gQ&h=mAQH5012yAQEmPLHu-v8souU1sx9qLq-0rOkJLwSwgOicgw

And take a look at their Facebook fan page for updates – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fear-of-the-Unknown/269468063113061

Schools line up for Molendinar Awards

The third year of the Molendinar Awards marked a successful celebration of the life of Glasgow’s Patron Saint – Saint Mungo.

More than 30 schools entered with the final 12 schools being showcased at the awards presentation in the city’s Banqueting Hall.

Molendinar is the name of the burn that runs into the Clyde and it was alongside it, near what is now the High Street area, that St Mungo (who was also known as St Kentigern) is thought to have settled.

For Primary and Secondary schools, the Molendinar Awards enables children to become more aware of Glasgow’s rich cultural heritage and the vital links between the school and the neighbouring communities.

Entries ranged from posters, power point presentations and DVD animations to songs and poems.

Winners of the Molindinar Awards were: Primary 3 – 1st Barmulloch Primary, 2nd Keppoch Nursery, 3rd Greenview Learning Centre

Primary 4 – 1st St Paul’s Whiteinch, 2nd Drummore Primary, joint 3rd – St Mungo’s and Kelbourne Park Primary Schools.

Secondary School winners: 1st St Mungo’s Academy, 2nd Ashcraig Secondary, 3rd John Paul Academy.

Framed certificates were presented for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Primary and Secondary. Winners also received a plaque to display in their school.

Bailie Jean McFadden, Executive Member for Education, is delighted by the enthusiasm shown by pupils. She said: ‘The Molendinar Awards are a tremendous opportunity for our schools. We have some very creative and talented young people as shown by the standard of entries this year. I know the judges had some very hard decisions to make. I hope the enthusiasm continues and that we will see more and more young people participating in the Molendinar Awards over the next few years.’ Glasgow City Council Leader, Councillor Gordon Matheson, joined Bailie McFadden in presenting the winning pupils with their framed certificates on Friday 13 January. He said: ‘The pupils have enjoyed all aspects of this competition.’

Other ways the Patron Saint was feted included a beautifully choreographed promenade performance by dancers from Visual Statement for shoppers at St Enoch Centre.

They told the tale of the city’s coat of arms – the Bird, the Bell, the Fish and the Tree. The medieval monk’s miracles involved, at different times, a bird, a tree and a fish. The inspirational performance by Nicola Gilmour, Brian McIntyre, Pauline McGlinchey and Cheree Thompson as the respective symbols, along with a dozen other dancers aged from 10, was a modern symphonic piece by Danny Dobbie assisted by Brian McIntyre and Wendie Reid. A movable sculpture commissioned by Visual Statement and designed by Andy Scott added an extra dimension as the dancers moved in and out and on to it.

Around 350 young people saw a performance of the tales by five Glasgow schools with a senior pupil from Lourdes Secondary being the compere, in the City Chambers.

 

Blaze dancers are red hot

A children’s summer school for dance and stand up comedy has been a brilliant success. Run by Blaze Dance Academy in Dance HQ’s studios at Glasgow Green’s famous Templeton Carpet Factory building, the eight young performers confidently showed what they’d learned at this week’s sessions.
Aged around 9, they cracked jokes, performed comedy sketches of their own devising and danced with discipline and good energy.
Said comedy tutor Mark Robertson: ‘There was talent in every single one of them. We guided and pushed but the ideas came from them through a little brainstorming.’
Blaze founder Susan Elena said: ‘I learned things from them and I’ve been running dance schools for ten years! Their abilities and ideas far outweighed anything we expected.’
Said Marcus Hyka (9): ‘The teachers were really fun and cool. This was great to do and I’ve made lots of friends.’ His Mum Lesley commented: ‘He really enjoyed the sessions. He was nervous at first but this has boosted his confiedence.’
Added Anne Lawson (9): ‘I really enjoyed myself and liked the experience of learning to dance. One of the best things was just making friends.’
The Blaze Dance Academy is having a free enrolment day on Saturday 20 August from 12 noon till 4pm when youngsters from three upwards can join the autumn classes. There will be a choice of ballet, tap, modern, street and contemporary dance. Students can also aim for the Intermediate 2 SQA certificate as the Academy now has accreditation to teach to that level.
Susan Elana said after the summer school’s performance: ‘It is an surprising fact but more people dance in Scotland than play football.’ And the Blaze Dance Academy aims to add to their number.
See their website: www.blazedance.co.uk. The young performers were: Marsha Cates, Ellie Dickson, Marcus Hyka, Anne Lawson, Alex Mc Donach, Andrew McDonach, Euan McDonach and Lewis Webster.

World Cultures Day

Glasgow Museum’s World Cultures Day

Glasgow Museum’s Resource Centre
200 Woodhead Rd
Nitshill
Glasgow
G53 7NN

Saturday 16th October from 10am – 5pm

The day is to celebrate the handover of the Commonwealth Games flag from Delhi to Glasgow. Classic Indian Dance or Ghanaian Folk Dance lessons are available, however advanced booking is advisable.

For more information call: GMRC on 0141 276 9300 or email GMRCbookings@glasgowlife.org.uk

Scottish Ballet settle into new southside home

Scottish Ballet has taken up residence in their brand new headquarters at the Tramway in Pollokshields on the Southside. The LOCAL NEWS GLASGOW had a preview in advance of the company’s Ruby Anniversary season and Doors Open day.

Costing £11 million, the building incorporates B listed tramway stables accommodation dating back to 1893 as well as the 21st century, eco friendly, specially designed core studios and offices overlooking Pollokshaws Road and the railway line.

The company and friends raised £5 million of the total themselves. Two sales of costumes brought in £100,000 alone.

Sharing the Albert Drive entrance with Tramway and the Hidden Garden, Scottish Ballet is settling happily into their new home. Once inside the common foyer – where trams once were garaged – access to the Ballet’s HQ is via a stairway or a lift from the busy common meeting space.

‘There is something special here,’ said Cindy Sughrue, Chief Executive and Executive Producer of Scottish Ballet. ‘In the West End, where we were before, we didn’t feel a part of the community. But we do here.’ The café in the central foyer has even devised a ‘dancer’s special’ menu. That has become a hub for everyone connected to the company and gives them a chance to meet, mix and mingle with others working in or visiting the Tramway and the Hidden Garden which is behind it.

Architect Clive Albert of Malcolm Fraser which won the competition to design Scottish Ballet’s building, is clearly delighted with the outcome of his company’s work. ‘This is not a public building. It is working space for the company. It is backstage, education, creative space.’ With a tight rein on finance, many simple elements have been incorporated to keep running costs down. Biggest expense was Douglas Fir which was used to clad the heart of the building which is a big communal lounge area leading off to the green room, wardrobe, offices and upstairs to major studios and fitness suites and break-out spaces.

At key points, huge windows allow the passer-by to see at a glance what is happening inside the scenery production and transport department below or one of the studios above.

Because of the cross flow of people through the warm, wood panelled core, one company worker said they’d spoken to more co-workers in the first two days in the new building than they’d done in the previous two years in the old West Princes Street premises.