Dancing has had a huge boost thanks to exposure on television programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing. At any age dance is not only fun, it’s also a wonderful fitness workout with the added bonus of making you aware of your posture. And even if it’s only a hobby, it’s one that, if learned in childhood, will give you poise and elegance that will remain with you for life.

In East Lothian dance is synonymous with Morag Alexander, who founded her famous school of dancing 37 years ago. Morag’s career started early; aged just ten she won a three-year Royal Ballet Scholarship. A Registered Life Member of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and LIST in Ballet, Modern and National and her list of professional engagements over many years includes television, stage shows, pantomime… even a Royal Command Performance at the London Palladium.

The dance school has 600 pupils who between them attend 11 centres throughout the region – in Musselburgh, North Berwick, Gullane, Pencaitland, Gorebridge, Tranent, Haddington, Prestonpans, Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg and Longniddry. Morag is joined at the school by four full-time teachers and one part-time – all of whom qualified with the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society Teachers of Dancing (every member of staff also has Enhanced Disclosure Scotland). Three of the teachers, Karen Ross, Vicky O’Brien and Danielle Locke, were taught by Morag as children, while Christine Bowtle and Caroline Graham, both former professional dancers, returned as teachers and are now school partners. When Caroline returned three years ago she introduced Hip-Hop, a young and vibrant dance style that children especially love.




The school enrols pupils throughout the year but has a policy whereby new pupils are given a three-week trial period before they need to enrol and pay fees. Children are entered for examinations and also perform in the school’s annual show, held in the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh – this year’s event marking the 36th annual production.

Children especially love to dance and are free from the inhibitions that can develop in later life. And as well as being a fun activity, dance also plays a role in a child’s physical and emotional development. Not all children go on to study further and become professional dancers, but the poise, grace and confidence they gain from attending ballet classes as a child, as well as the discipline and attention to personal grooming that goes with it, will stand them in good stead whatever career path they follow in later
life.
 

The school’s achievements are many and varied and include pupils going on to complete further study with the Royal Ballet, Ballet Romberg, Lipa in Liverpool and other prestigious organisations – many also undertake the Royal Academy of Dance teachers’ training. Former students are currently teaching dance in Scotland, dancing on cruise liners, working professionally with ballet companies abroad and appearing in musical theatre around the world, in Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Japan, Las Vegas and London. These achievements have been recognised by the local Chamber of Commerce who presented the school with an award for ‘Business Making a Difference in the Community’. All in all, something to dance about!