Highland dancers from Nanaimo part of Edinburgh tattoo

BY GREG SAKAKI

Nanaimo Highland dancers got the opportunity to perform in front of thousands of people who were there to watch them and the rest of the world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Brigadoon Dance Academy dancers Gabrielle Colonna, Miranda Lam and Annalise Lam were selected to be part of the month-long event in front of Edinburgh Castle in the capital of Scotland last month.

Interested dancers submitted written applications and then video auditions, and after more than 150 videos were reviewed, 56 applicants were selected.

The first week in Scotland was filled with rehearsals. None of the choreography was known ahead of time, said Colonna, so the dancers had to learn the whole show in a week. She said it was exciting to hear the choreographer’s vision and see the costumes for the first time, but also a bit nerve-wracking.

“Putting a team together of 56 people who have never danced together before is a little bit different…” she said. “It can be challenging, but we pulled it together pretty well.”

The first night of the tattoo was a memorable one, with approximately 9,000 spectators.

“Once you have all the lights on you and the crowd is cheering very loudly, it’s a very surreal moment,” Colonna said. “Going out on – they call it the esplanade – for the first time, you look up into the audience and it’s all stadium seating, so you can see everybody and all eyes are on you.”

The event features a series of military bands and other performers, and culminates in fireworks. The Highland dancers didn’t have a chance to sit and watch the rest of the show, as they had to do quite a few quick changes between their dances, but they would catch glimpses and could hear the singers and pipe bands.

The director told the dancers after that first show that she couldn’t have asked for anything better, and the dancers continued to shine all month long. One night, they were told that there would be additional security at the venue because of the presence of special guests, who turned out to be Princess Anne and Prince Edward. The dancers put on another worthy performance that night in front of the royal family members.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo held 26 shows over three weeks, so it was a physically demanding month, but the dancers had every morning free to relax or explore the city. Colonna said it was great to have Brigadoon teammates there as travel companions, to support one another and to maintain a “sense of home.”

They made some club history together, too. Colonna had been part of an REMT tour in Sydney, Australia, in 2019, but this was the first time that Brigadoon dancers were part of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland. It probably won’t be the last time – Colonna said she’d love to be part of the event again, or maybe the next generation of Brigadoon dancers will get there one day. Colonna said she was at a Highland dancing competition last weekend and young dancers were excited to hear about her experience and see photos.

When she was their age, she never imagined she would be dancing in front of royalty and fireworks at Edinburgh Castle.

“When I first started, it was just because I needed a fun activity to do,” she said. “I wasn’t aware of all the opportunities that Highland dance had.”