Our amazing annual awards night was another great success. Getting to create such wonderful memories with our TDC fam, celebrating all our successes over the passed year and getting to party together. Take a look through our night... our winners, our thank you's to our vendors, and all the photos captured throughout the night.
Awards Night Winners 2023
This year we gave out 29 awards including 2 scholarships. Every pupil in attendance at TDC deserves to be celebrated for all their hard work and dedication, which made choosing this years recipients so much harder. Our winners stood out throughout our 2022/23 term and in our show, that we just had to celebrate... Here's our 2023 Awards Night Winners...
Awards Night Winners 2023
Best Newcomer
Euan Hennessy
From the first class this little one attended we knew they were going to be a wee superstar. He is the smallest in the class, but he has a huge personality that everyone adores. He always comes bursting into the room full of energy and tries his best at all times, even though he comes to Ellie every week and tells me he is 'sooooo tired'. I swear it's just so he gets a cuddle. He excelled in the show and I’m sure everyone loved his freestyle moves. We can’t wait to continue to watch his grow at TDC.
Eliza Domanska
When this dancer first started she was very shy and nervous coming into class, it took a lot of cuddles and reassurance to get her settled. But We soon learned that all that shyness disappeared when the music started playing! After months of hard work, becoming a line leader and making new friends, it came show time where she truly began to shine. We still are working on our confidence but she has continued to grow and her face lights up every time we dance in class!
Emily Stewart
Starting out with us in Summer School 2022, we knew this girl was immediately going to fit in with our team. She has grown so much in confidence in the past year, growing into a beautiful dancer and sharing all of the values we encourage at TDC. She is always the first to remind herself and others "I can't YET!" never "I can't" by never giving up, she puts her head down and gets straight to work, never leaving anyone out and always performing when its time to. We are so grateful to have her be a part of our team.
Stretch and Skills Standout
Ava-Grace McGrory
This dancer has grown massively in confidence and technique over the past year, and we couldn't be prouder of her! When she first started stretch and skills you could tell she had a natural talent for gymnastics, but had very little control in her moves and lacked confidence. Though she shines in all styles of dance, we feel she really worked hard to tick off goals on her skill card, never giving up, and quietly working hard in the corner. When it came to show time she took charge of the S+S routine and has now moved up to level 2.
Lexie Beadie
This girl came to TDC with no experience just skills that she had learnt at home. She was very shy and held back from showing her full potential. After a few months of hard work she had improved so much and learnt so many new skills her technique is now amazing. She had moved up to level 3 and is excelling and continuing to improve every week. She started TDC doing only two classes now is doing several. Her confidence has grown so much and we already can’t wait to see her standout in the show next year as she is smashing every class she attends.
Broadway Superstar
Emilia Callan
This little girl has made us all smile from the day she started at TDC. Her confidence and love for performing has shown through over the last few months especially during her performances in our showcase earlier this year. Although she comes across as confident, she is a little sensitive soul and has needed some reassurance and guidance from myself and the TDC staff team to keep her on the right track. She was born to be on the stage and has improved so much over the last year. We believe one day we will see this girls name in lights.
Karis Harwood
This dancer returned to TDC this year to try out our musical theatre class after hanging up her dancing shoes several years ago. After taking time off, she was very nervous and didn't believe in herself but her passion for theatre and performance helped her re-find that confidence we knew she had. She successfully auditioned to be featured in our special MT piece in the show alongside our seniors (Performing 'Six' which she loved so much she missed the awards night to go see the official show in London) and pushed herself even more when she joined more dance classes throughout the year. We hope this award helps her see how much of a star she is, a beautiful soul inside and out.
Performance Award
Piper McGregor
It wasn’t easy to choose stand out performers from the show, as every child was outstanding. However, thinking back to rehearsals this wee one brought it every single time and when we watched the show back she stood out a mile. Everytime she walks into class she is bursting with personality and can't wait to tell us about her day, she brings the same energy and beaming smile to her dancing. She came on leaps and bounds and she is going to continue to do so in junior class. You can just see how much this means to her, keep making us smile Piper!
Rilee Blackwood
We could not be prouder to be giving this dancer a performance award. When she first started she was very shy and always hid up the back in every class. Thankfully, we seen her potential and put her at the front of dances, knowing it would help build her confidence. And of course when it came to show time she brought out her inner diva and sassy personality and absolutely smashed it on stage. Her confidence has came on so much and I’m so pleased she has picked up more classes this year, you can just tell how much this means to her and how much she puts into her dancing.
Olivia Higgins
This performance award was a complete no brainer for us, If you were at the show you would have seen this dancer stand out a mile. Every time there was a chance to show off in class, she is front and centre showing off her own moves. Featured as a special part in our Junior tap dance as a "sassy girl" she took the word SASS to another level, acting out the part perfectly. She is a true star in the making, she works hard to improve herself every class, she always dances full out, and loves what she does, lighting up every performance she does on and off stage. I wish we all had her confidence, she truly deserves this award.
Future Ballerina
Aria Dillon
This little girl over the years has blossomed into a beautiful dancer in particular a real ballerina. Her feet, turnout and elegance whilst she dances is admirable for a Junior and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her. She works extremely hard week in week out and I am amazed with her overall improvement. She deserves to be awarded for her hard work and should be so proud of how far she has come in such a short space of time. She is always used in class for demonstration and is a great role model to her peers.
Future Superstar
Isla Wilson
This dancer is a little character, she jumps into class so excited to be there, her energy lifts up the class as she always gives 110%. She has shown us that she can excel in a number of different styles, her natural talent for dance and performance allowed us to push her and move her up from preschool a year early. She is full of confidence is always asking the most intelligent questions in class for such a young girl, sometimes learning sections of routines that aren’t even her own. It is for these reasons and so many more that we believe she will continue to grow into a superstar whether it’s a dancer, actor or singer we know she’s going to be a performer.
TDC Crew Superstar
Jacob Davidson
This boy is the longest running member of the TDC crew and not only does he deserve an award this year but deserves one every year. He is an absolute angel of a boy. His attendance is close to perfection, his uniform is immaculate, his work ethic is outstanding and he is just so kind and the first one to offer to help me and others in his class. His dancing has improved so much and he is so determined to be the best that he can be. We are so proud of the young man he is turning out to be and we couldn’t imagine not having him in class every week... so please don't ever leave me (Ellie).
Biggest Improvement
Emma Tait
When this little girl started our pre-school class at TDC she hardly spoke a word to anyone and was very timid. When trying to get her to interact in the class activities she would just observe and not join in. After a few weeks of building a relationship up with her and introducing the scarfs to the class her eyes just lit up. From this day onwards she has excelled in the class content, communicating with us, interacting with others and improving in all aspects of her dance journey. She was a standout in this year’s show and myself as well as the staff team just couldn’t believe how far she has come. This girl has not only had a journey through dance, but she has encountered a development journey which has been a beautiful thing to see and be a part of. This little angel has now moved up to Junior and is excelling in her dance classes.
Lydia Ramage
This dancer has been with us since preschool, It took us a while to get her settled into dance class and get used to the structure of the syllabus. Moving into Junior class was a big jump for her, having her friends around her supporting her she began to grow in confidence. After quietly working hard herself at the back of class we started to see a massive change in her, she is now a real personality in class. She helps demonstrating almost every week with her beautiful technique, especially in ballet, she helps out in her sisters classes, she works so hard, has a real passion for dance and is becoming an all round performer. She has went from a shy and timid little baby to a beautiful dancer growing with confidence everyday. We are constantly blown away with how great her technique is coming on challenging herself and taking corrections in her stride. Can't wait to see you continue to grow on your TDC journey.
Hardest Worker
Holly Varini
This gorgeous girl has been at TDC for a long time now and has progressed through the years excelling in all her classes with ease. She works extremely hard, has great attendance and always helps others. She is a loving, caring little girl and is always so respectful to myself and the TDC staff team. It was time for her to be awarded for her hard work and loyalty to TDC and we feel this award will give her another wee boost to keeping being her.
Ella Hutchinson
This dancer is definitely a future TDC staff member in the making. She is always the first dancer with her hand up answering questions, she always knows exactly what’s she’s doing and helping others along the way, she would never let any of her team mates down. She works so hard in class, though she can be shy, she shines when she performs. In a class with over 30 kids it can sometimes be hard to remember content from previous weeks but this dancer is so intelligent and is always politely correcting the staff. She is a pleasure to have in class, and we are so pleased to be giving her the recognition she deserves.
Recognition Award
Abbie Jamieson
This award is presented to a little girl who moved up to Inter classes a head of time due to her love for lyrical and determination to succeed in a more advance skill set. She is a stunning dancer and shows so much emotional in her performance. She has also been successful in gaining a place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and we couldn’t be prouder of her. She is now an inter and increased her classes and we can’t wait to see her development journey over the next year. She is a real role model for others at TDC and is just a beautiful dancer to watch we are very lucky to have her as part of our TDC family.
TDC Preschooler|Junior|Inter|Senior of the Year
Islay Earlie
Looking back at when this little girl started with us almost 3 years ago you wouldn’t recognise the big school girl she is now. Time has flown by and this little one has came on so much, we can’t describe how proud we are of her improvements. Not only is her confidence unrecognisable, she has the best dance moves, now that she has came out her shell. She’s got some rhythm on her she is definitely one to watch for the future. When she first started she used to be so quiet and sassed me all the time especially trying to take pictures and videos of her to show her mum, hiding her face from the camera and now she chats away, giving it her all in front of the camera. Being a junior is going to help her grow even more and we can’t wait to look back at her journey in 3 years to come.
Laura Scott
For our junior dancer we have chosen a dancer who excels in all styles due to her constant hard work and dedication. She is always passionate in class taking in corrections in her stride and being completely shocked anytime she is picked out to demonstrate of for a special part. Just a month before the show we added to her short solo section of her ballet routine, in the last 5 minutes of class, without a practice she blew us alway by nailing the section and remembering the corrections, that even the teachers embarrassingly forgot, proving how much she lives for dance, always practicing. She is always supporting others and looking up to the staff and helpers. Whether she is in the front line or the back line she is just happy to be there and be a part of our team. We hope she continues to bring her kind nature, politeness and dedication to dance and continue to be a role model to the Junior class as she moves into intermediate.
Lily Antwi
It was an easy decision for us to chose this girl as our Inter of the year. She comes into class puts her head down and just gets on with it. She works really hard and has made a massive improvement this year, you ask her to do a move and she pulls it out the bag without a thought or a practise, she always pushes herself and others to do better. We teachers always say 1 more time ... and then proceed to repeat ourselves 10 times, but when we finally stop this girl has to give it one more time, always pushing to be the best she can be. We can’t wait to see what the senior class brings for her, we are sure she is going to excel like she always does. We can all agree that this girl is a standout in the show, especially in the jazz number bohemian rhapsody, this is her style to a T.
Kayla Braxton
This girl only joined TDC last year however it feels like she has been a part our TDC family for years. She attends almost every class as well as assisting with all the younger classes and we just love to have her around. She has improved so much over the last year and just gets on with it, never complains and has great attendance especially for a senior who have several other commitments. In these years show she was in so many dances she had to get changed at the side of the stage and get back on for her next number and her professionalism throughout this was a real inspiration. This senior has also followed in the footprints of our staff and been successful in gaining at place at West College Scotland to further her education through dance. We feel privileged to have her as part of our TDC Family and are very proud of her achievements this far.
Teachers Choice
Elle McLennon
Where do we start with this one. This girl holds a special place in all of our hearts and we are so proud of the young woman she is turning out to be. After many cuddles and conversions this year she has came a long way and is now shining like the star that she is. We knew how well she preformed at the show but looking back at the show footage just confirmed how proud we really are of her. As we all know teenagers get to that age where hobbies aren’t a priority anymore and I am so glad she made the choice to return this year, and hope she continues to for several years. We absolutely adore this girl and hope she continues to realise how good she really is.
TDC Values Award
Adam Gorrie
This little boy is the most caring, helpful and loving little individual who has worked extremely hard to help others in his classes and to make sure everyone gets on and succeeds. When I (Emma) set up TDC it was important that all my staff and pupils followed our core values and imbedded them into our practice. He loves to dance, and it shows in his face week in week out. He’s such a lovely boy to be around and deserves all the recognition for this so this award could not be more perfect for him. We are so lucky to have him part of our TDC family.
Overall Achiever
Hayley McCaa
Overall achiever is someone who is is consistently good in class, not only is our winner growing into a beautiful dancer, they are dedicated, well mannered and kind to others. She has been a part of our team longer than Jordyn and Ellie, but still comes to class excited and ready to learn. She may be quiet in class but she always knows the answers, shares their ideas to make the team better and works quietly to keep pushing herself to be better. She is creative and hardworking never gives up, even if her costume is broken, on stage in the middle of a dance and safety pins are sticking into her back. It is a joy to have her in our classes every week.
Rory Knowles
This individual has been a real star since joining our team, he is a huge personality on stage and in class. This year, he decided to join Inter Jazz class as well as continuing to be a role model/ team leader for our TDC crew. It's not easy being the only boy in a class full of girls, but he was amazing and did us so proud during the show. He is a natural mover, working so hard in class to be the best he can be, creating moves we've never even seen during freestyle. His confidence, sheer talent and ability to adapt to different styles, while being a motivated class member, assisting staff makes him an all round achiever at TDC. There is no doubt in our minds that he is going to be a star in the future.
Scholarship Award
Scholarship award winners receive 6 months worth of unlimited classes free of charge, and were presented by our previous recipients Sarah Pardon and Jennifer Brown.
Ellie Grady
This little girl came to us full of energy, she was so excited every time she came into class. You can just tell how much she loves being there, she is so polite and kind to all the helpers and staff (always making us wee gifts and drawings from home), but to be completely honest she was hard work when it came to routines, to happy in her own wee world to focus on the dance moves. When it came to showtime, I don’t know how many times I had to remind her ..."Ellieee, you've got to do the moves we teach you not just your own", we absolutely loved and admired her love of dance but worried what moves would come out onstage.
Somewhere in the stress of show prep, she quietly began to blossom, from the carefree excited girl to a beautiful technical dancer. Watching her in the show video we were brought to tears with the level of improvement she shown. Seeing her technique shine through in ballet, her singing out the words being sassy in jazz and knowing every single move all her routines. She has worked her wee but off and is progressing more and more each week we hope this award will help give her the confidence boost to keep working hard and growing everyday! This little girl has inspired us, embodying everything we preach at TDC and we are so happy to be able to give her opportunity.
Zoe Hirst-Amos
This award is special and is in place to let the individual know just how much they mean to myself (Emma) and the TDC staff team. This girl has been at TDC since she was a little baby, and she is now a Senior (how did this happen) she has always loved to dance although has a real passion for football as well and it’s been a battle over the years with the training commitments and dance commitments to fit it all in however, she’s always gave 100%. She assists with the younger classes and is a fantastic role model. Over the last year in particular I feel like she has had an epiphany in her dance journey and just blossomed. She’s so committed that she even left her football game at half time the other day to make it to class on time. I love this girl like my own and have really enjoyed watching her blossom and develop through the world of dance. I felt it was time to award her with something special to show her just how proud I am of her and to show her just how much we appreciate the hard work she has put in throughout the years.
Catriona Johnstone Rainbow Award
This award is in memory of our student KitCat, the cup is passed on year to year with each recipients name being added each year. This years winner was presented by Freya Braxton our first recipient of this special award.
Madison O’Neil
This award must go to a pupil we feel is not just excelling in their dance journey but plays a big part in our TDC Family. This girl has been coming to TDC for years and was one of the only two junior’s pupils I had when I opened TDC. She has a very special place in my heart and just loves to dance. Her progress has been amazing over the years, and she has achieved a lot. She has a lovely kind nature and has made a massive impact over the years. She has a kind soul, is a wonderful dancer and self-taught gymnast who has had a wonderful development journey at TDC, its been lovely to watch her grow up and become such a confident little girl who shines bright on the stage. I hope this award shoes he just how much we all love her and everything she brings to TDC.
A Thank You to our Supporters
This night not only celebrated our award winners but all our pupils who worked so hard and achieved big things this year, every child received a medal. We got a chance to have fun together, partying the night away and bonding our TDC family. We have so many people to thank for our successes, but we would like to highlight the ones that made this might happen.
Our Vendors
Thank you to Wee Tait Events and Decor, for our amazing dance floor, decorations and bar, think we can all agree we pulled out all the stops this year the kids loved the dance floor and the adults loved the bar, and all the extra touches! To the team at Giesland Estate where we held the event, we absolutely love this venue, thank you. And to Original Joes Trophies for for all the awards and medals helping our team feel special!
Raffle Donations
We are so grateful to all our parents for helping us pull off a great raffle. Thank you to all that donated. We would like to send out a special thank you to Flo for her amazing hampers, for another year! Thank you to all the businesses who donated..
Blossom Beauty, DL Fitness, Viv's Nails and Beauty, Thistle Steel, Mariposa Beauty, Glam by Sam and the Armadillo.
Just to list a few (apologies for anyone missed).
Photo Album
Lastly, thank you to Allan Maxwell Media, for capturing these amazing memories. Check out all the images captured in out photo gallery that follows. Feel free to save and share images of your child, and make sure you tag us. All socials linked.
Thank you all again for an amazing night, we are so grateful to all our supporters. And a massive congratulations to our award winners 2023... we are so proud of you.
And for more behind the scenes click the link to the video below.
Here's to another amazing year at TDC... now to start planning next years!
DANCE TOGETHER | DANCE FOREVER
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