Biography

Kirsty Craig grew up in Glasgow and is a passionate dancer with strong determination.

Kirsty began attending The Studio in the West End of Glasgow in 2007 and continued through to her Award in 2019. During this time, Kirsty danced lead roles and achieved exceptional marks in her examinations, up to and including the Advanced 2 vocational Cecchetti Classical Ballet exam. She also worked towards her teaching Diploma in Dance Education (accredited by the ISTD).

From 2016 to 2019, Kirsty attended Dance Studio Scotland at Anniesland College and achieved an A grade in her HND Dance Artists course. Her versatility and skillset were broadened, including jazz, tap, contemporary and choreography skills. She also began tuition in singing and acting, enabling her to be a multi-faceted performer in preparation for auditions.

Alongside her many dancing commitments, Kirsty sustained a part-time job in retail to help her save money. A keen student, Kirsty was Head Girl at school and achieved 5 As in her Highers. She has also taken part in volunteering, completed both the Duke of Edinburgh Award and the Youth Philanthropy Initiative, and raised thousands of pounds for charity.

In Spring of 2019, Kirsty successfully auditioned for a competitive BA (Hons) Professional Dance and Musical Theatre course at Bird College in London. The panel (including the Principal and Artistic Director) were so impressed, she was offered a place on the day, without waiting the customary three-week period to hear an outcome.

Bird College offers excellent performance opportunities, world class facilities and leading industry professionals who equip their students with a plethora of skills and connections with the industry. Through studying at Bird College, Kirsty aims to achieve her dream of becoming a professional performer.

How the Award Helped

Biography

Born in Glasgow in 2002, Karah started her dance career in competitive freestyle at the tender age of three.   Showing a natural flair and talent from the outset, Karah won every major title she set her sights on throughout an impressive ten-year career.  She was scouted to participate in a Channel 4 documentary following her dance lifestyle.

Karah retired from competitive freestyle to pursue a dance education at the prestigious Dance School of Scotland, and after a successful audition was one of only nine students selected from thousands of auditionees to attend.

While at the Dance School of Scotland, Karah gained Adv 1 Ballet and Adv 1 Modern with Distinction.  She also earned the opportunity to tour Scotland with Scottish Ballet and was the youngest inductee of their Youth Exchange Programme touring New York and performing in the Joyce Theatre.

Karah then auditioned for the best Dance and Musical Theatre Colleges in the UK and was accepted for both Laine Theatre arts and the Urdang Academy.

How the Award Helped

Biography

Jennifer became interested in the performing arts from a young age and began dance lessons when she was 5.  While at high school, she sought out additional opportunities to build her dance/performance skill set, and in 2014 successfully auditioned for the Scottish Ballet Youth Exchange with Singapore School of the Arts.

Continuing to improve her skills, Jennifer gained a place in the National Youth Dance Company of Scotland. This  allowed her to find her own artistry and confidence with improvisation, as well as performing internationally. Jennifer performed in India for the International Dance Bridges Festival, Australia with Yellowwheel Dance Company, and Groupe Grenade in Marseille, France.

Jennifer also expressed an interest in musical theatre, and in 2013 she had chance to perform as part of the Tom Daniels Musicals ensemble in Scotland’s Young Variety Show, followed by their annual musical production and Christmas show. She continued with singing lessons and annual showcases.

In June 2019, Jennifer completed her HND Dance Artists from Glasgow Clyde College. She went on to gain a place on the BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre at Bird College, one of the top schools in the UK to study the performing arts. This brought her another step closer to her dream of being a professional performer.

Jennifer loves the freedom of expression and escapism that performance provides, allowing her ‘to be anyone, anywhere at any time’ and share this with an audience.

How the Award Helped

Biography

Hailing from Alexandria, Robyn began studying jazz, tap and ballet dancing at just two years of age. Her dream became to perform in one of her favourite musical theatre shows in the West End.

At the age of 17, Robyn joined Anniesland College to study an HND in Dance. This opened her eyes to other styles of dance as well as choreography.  She went on to audition for the BA Hons in Theatre Dance at London Studio Centre, and was successful in gaining a place.

In order to fundraise for her studies, Robyn taught regular classes in jazz and contemporary dance whilst in Glasgow.  She then supported herself through her first year by working in a local pub. This proved challenging, as she would finish college, work until 2am and then be up at 6:30am for her first class the next day.  The second year was set to be even more physically demanding, and so Robyn applied to the Dewar Arts Awards for financial assistance.

How the Award Helped

Biography

Haling from Glasgow, Karen started her dance training at the age of three and studied jazz and tap, developing a growing passion for stage musicals such as Chicago and Hairspray.  At 16 Karen decided she wanted to make dance her profession and began to take lessons in ballet.  She enrolled at the Anniesland College to study dance, keeping up a number of jobs in the meantime to support herself.  This allowed her to train in a variety of additional disciplines, including contemporary dance, singing and choreography.  She became an active member of the Glasgow dance community, not only by attending workshops and masterclasses to enhance her training, but also by working with and inspiring other dancers.

Through hard work, talent and determination Karen achieved a place on the BA Hons in Theatre Dance at the London Studio Centre, offering her an opportunity to further develop her technique and experience to the level necessary to achieve her ambitions. Karen’s financial circumstances proved a hindrance to accepting the place, and so she applied for a Dewar Arts Award with a glowing recommendation from her tutors.

Karen is described as having outstanding focus, natural ability and musicality with a sense of style that conveys emotion and passion. She is driven to achieve her ambition of performing on stage in London’s West End.

How the Award Helped

Karen received a Dewar Arts Award to support her dance training at the London Studio Centre.

Since the Award