Students from Glasgow School of Art Altyre Campus enjoy ceilidh at Rafford Village Hall
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STUDENTS from the Glasgow School of Art helped make a local ceilidh a resounding success.
More than 75 people attended the St Andrews Day event at Rafford Village Hall (RVH) featuring traditional dancing to tunes from the Dunphail Band including ‘Strip the Willow’, ‘Gay Gordons’, ‘St Bernard’s Waltz’, ‘Pride of Earn Waltz’, ‘Military Two Step’, ‘Dashing White Sergeant’, ‘Highland Schottischie’, ‘Canadian Barn Dance’, ‘Circassian Circle’ and Eva Three Step ... amongst others!
Co-organiser Jennifer Allan confirmed a total of £400 was raised and will be used for more events next year.
She said: “As well as the village, attendees came from the Black Isle, Inverness, Dallas and Forres. There were also 12 students studying at the Altyre Campus, originally from China and India. They didn’t miss a dance and added much fun and laughter!”
Operations manager at the Glasgow School of Art’s Innovation School, Marianne McInnes, confirmed the students had an amazing time.
She said: “Every year I receive a flier about events at the hall which I share with the students. At our winter school we have a ceilidh, and we explain early on how much fun it’s going to be, so they grab the opportunities. Students have attended in previous years but this was the largest from the GSA Highlands and Islands cohort yet!
“They came back to school so excited about their time and spoke highly of the wonderful welcome and assistance they received. Our local community is very special to us, and we thank everyone for being so engaging and committed.”
Student Vartika Shrivastava added: “The ceilidh was a fun and new experience for me. I had a great time learning and dancing. The band, the people, the hospitality, the festive spirit - everything was amazing. I was up for every song played. The elders were so kind and patient in teaching us the steps. I would love to join them all again!”
RVH committee chairwoman Anne Garrow also thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
She said: “Everyone was in such a happy mood. What made our night so great was the enthusiasm of the students to learn the dances. Their energy was infectious with lots of giggles. We all enjoyed our interaction. The evening felt very quiet after they left at 11.30pm!”
She added: “The band enjoyed playing and keeping the dancers happy. Member Grant Nicholson spent more time showing the students how to dance than he did playing! Our committee made a huge effort to organise and cater.”
Attendees were encouraged to bring their own booze and take part in a raffle for top prizes from local businesses.
