The Newcastle Festival : A new dancer's perspective

The weather in Newcastle was rather dreadful last weekend. However, locals might have noticed that it rained a little more than water: indeed, a downpour of dancers fell over the city.  Sightings of tartan-bearers have been reported as far as the airport hotels and supermarkets in the area. I was among them.

From my very first year of dancing, I heard of the Newcastle Festival, the largest SCD competition worldwide. It had seemed like a lovely dream, as inaccessible to a beginner like me as the Olympic Games. What a strange feeling, three years later, to experience it with Saltire dancers!

Our group, Saltire SCD, has existed less than a year. Experienced teachers Lucy and Thomas created it for dancers based around Tayside and Fife, envisioning an energetic dance branch offering workshops and socials for advanced dancers that are not available elsewhere locally. Many of us are students and alumni from several Scottish universities, yet we travelled from all over Britain for the festival.

The journey was worth every effort. Driving through the fog, rehearsing under the rain in an empty car park or in the hotel lobby, stepping in an impressive number of puddles while exploring the city… I will cherish each of those memories, as I will the morning of hair-braiding, the sight of a hundred dancers enjoying takeaway pizza in a high school, and, of course, the festival itself, where everyone seemed to know each other.

After a general dance to warm up, the morning kicked off with the ladies’ class. With no two teams presenting the same dances, this was a fantastic showcase of technique and formations. As I watched other teams perform, I marvelled at their elegance, and once again felt honoured for the opportunity to feature among such accomplished dancers. I was so focussed on enjoying the show, that I forgot to be stressed.

Soon enough, my teammates huddled, ready to step onto the floor. We exchanged some rather nervous smiles, squeezed each other’s hands, offered a word of encouragement or reassurance. Then, the caller announced Saltire dancers, and off we went.

Lucy and Thomas’ advice seemed to echo in my head. Point your toes. Close in third. Watch the sidelines. Centre the circles. Work together. And above all: smile, enjoy yourselves!

We did enjoy ourselves. High on the energy of the jig, then flowing gently through the Water of Leith, those eight minutes seemed to pass in an eyeblink. Bows and curtsies, a respectful nod to the judicator and her kind smile, and that was that. Thomas and our other teammates congratulated us on an excellent performance, and we were satisfied that we’d done our best, though our minds could not help but pick at every little imperfection.

The adrenaline slowly falling, we enjoyed the other teams’ entries, and joined in on the familiar Wild Geese. By then, it was already time for our slot to practice our display. As the judicator gave general feedback and suggestions for improvement, we began to think we might need to run and practice our display, thus missing the results announcement. Still, the hopeful what if remained. And so, we stayed, even as our ten allocated minutes dwindled to five, four, three.

Third place was announced. Not us. Two teams tied for second, and how we wished we were one of them… But we weren’t. A general disappointment fell over us as we concluded that we must not have placed at all. Yet a murmur ran from person to person: if the team we had expected to win was second, who could be first?

“In first place, team number 6…”

“Wait, that can’t be…”

“Is that…”

“… Saltire dancers!”

Laughing incredulously, in a bit of a daze, we went to collect our trophy from the judicator, who praised the connection we had as a team, and how we simply looked happy to be there.

Still floating on our little cloud of shock and felicity, we dashed upstairs for what had to be the fastest run-through of a display.

The clock kept ticking, and we missed the Men’s open. A shame, seeing as the Edinburgh Scottish Dancers’ men’s team won the highest score of the day. But I got to see the adorable, brave under 12 and the under 18 classes, the future of SCD, who, despite their nervosity, presented some absolutely beautiful dancing that made everyone want to join in.

A fun Hooper’s jig to warm-up again, and then it was time for the mixed class. It was obvious from the beginning that the standard for this class was even higher than for the ladies. Most teams had chosen more complex dances, and several teams’ technique seemed flawless. We were particularly impressed by the North American team’s strathspey, and we marvelled at Alba and Edinburgh Scottish Dancers. No surprise that those three teams won the class.

Still, our Saltire mixed team got a high score, with the 5th highest score in the class of 11 teams, and some very encouraging feedback. Our strathspey, The Library of Birmingham, was a challenging 4x40 where no couple ever stopped moving, and it was easy to forget what repeat or figure we were on. This led to several minor mistakes, yet the judicator praised it nonetheless. Inspired by the quality of dancing in this class, we vowed to return stronger next year.

My favourite part of the day was undoubtedly the display section. This is where different groups were able to showcase their creativity and sense of choreography, and the overall effect was stunning. From Alice in Wonderland (two of them), complete with hopping rabbits, living playing cards, and the iconic “Off with their heads!”, to Charlie and the Chocolate factory with golden tickets and Oompa Loompas, to Peter Pan and the Little Mermaid, or a voyage through time with Doctor Who, each one seemed more imaginative than the previous. It was also great to see so many people on the floor, with some displays involving as many as thirty dancers.

A few performances, including ours, were more traditional, but featured all our favourite formations. Saltire got many lovely comments on the quality of our display and Lucy and Thomas’ choreography. The Corryvrechan team stood out as they incorporated not only some Highland steps, but also some Scottish step dancing. Their timing was impressive to watch, dancing as a collective unit in perfect synchronicity—a true spectacle, which won them the trophy.

What a unique way to dance De’il amang the Tailors, surrounded by angels, Disney characters, Mad Hatters, and Queens of Hearts!

A few too many pizza slices and a quick change later, the evening dance began, with a fantastic programme full of our favourite dances and great tunes from Martainn Skene and his band. This must have been one of the best balls I ever attended. It combined dancers of all ages—a father with a baby strapped to his chest, a mother with two young children, a boy who very politely asked one of my friends if she was free for the thirteenth dance of the evening, but also university students, and people who had danced for twenty or even fifty years.  

As this festival brings together many advanced dancers, the figures were amazing to watch—and if I ever forgot what came next, perfect strangers were happy to point me in the right direction. A joyous energy floated in the air, creating a wonderful atmosphere. Reuniting with old friends, meeting new people, SCD is an ever-expanding, tight-woven community that will never cease to amaze me.

Writing this with the music still echoing in my head, I wish to thank Lucy, Thomas, my amazing team of Saltire dancers, as well as the volunteers and everyone who made this event possible.

I know, now, why everyone seems to love the Newcastle Festival so much. I already look forward to returning.