East Ayrshire dance summer school
100 young people from across East Ayrshire enjoyed a week of dance, fun, friendship and creativity at this year’s Dance Summer School in Kilmarnock.
The five-day programme gave young people the opportunity to develop their skills across hip-hop, jazz and cheerleading, while meeting new friends, building confidence and enjoying the experience of performing as part of a team.
Running from 10am to 3pm each day, the summer school was packed with energy, laughter and creativity. Young people were encouraged to try new things, step outside their comfort zones and support each other as they worked towards the end-of-week showcase.
The spectacular Friday performance took place in front of a packed audience of family and friends. The showcase celebrated the young people’s hard work and progression throughout the week, with confident performances demonstrating the skills, creativity and teamwork they had developed.
Zara Smith, Cultural Coordinator for Dance and Movement, who led the summer school, said: “The Dance Summer School has been such a fantastic week. It has been brilliant to see the young people having fun, making new friendships and growing in confidence every day. By Friday, they were taking to the stage with such confidence and enthusiasm, and it was wonderful to see them celebrate each other’s achievements.
“The friendships and sense of community that developed throughout the week has been just as important as the dance skills they learned. It has been a real pleasure to watch them grow and see how proud they were of what they achieved together.”
Councillor Elaine Cowan, Spokesperson for Education, and Children and Young People said: “The feedback from parents and carers to the Dance Summer School has been exceptional and this is credit to Zara Smith and all the coaches involved in the programme. They have created a warm and welcoming summer school, which everyone has thoroughly enjoyed. Well done to everyone!”
The 2026 Dance Summer School received funding from The National Lottery.