A WEST FIFE dance group attended Edinburgh workshops as they prepare for their first show in four years.

Shuffle Dance, a Dunfermline-based dance school, went along to the Festival Theatre in the capital for some much-needed fun before their big performance at the Carnegie Hall in November.

At the workshop, they were able to experience the choreography of the world-renowned Akram Khan, before taking part in workshops run by artists from the Edinburgh International Festival.

Gillian Syme, the director and principal of Shuffle Dance, told the Press: "They absolutely loved it because they got the chance to see the show first; when Jen and John, the dance leaders, came they understood the themes and the choreography more.

"They really got right into it, it was brilliant and they absolutely loved it."

The show, 'The Jungle Book Reimagined', was inspired by the works of author Rudyard Kipling and focuses on themes of climate change. Shuffle Dance students were able to learn some of the amazing choreography used on the stage in the workshops they took part in before they created their own, shorter versions of the show.

Gillian has close ties with dancers at the Edinburgh International Festival after she took a group to perform in the grounds of Holyrood in 2018 for 'Kadamati', another Akram Khan performance.

Preparing for their first show since 2018, the group perform every two years and were due to put on a showstopping recital in March 2020 but just weeks before they were due to take the stage, COVID shut down the country.

"We had all the tickets sold, the costumes set up and programmes printed but then the country shut down a couple weeks before we got on stage. We're dying to get back and we're really excited by it," she continued.

"We're excited to be on stage. This week, we're taking the dancers their costumes to try on and they're all super-excited. Some are quite nervous because they've never been on stage before but the way we run our rehearsals always breaks down those nerves a little bit at a time so by the time taking the stage comes they're raring to go."

Shuffle Dance teach kids aged between three and 18 and those who have since graduated are coming back to help them put on the show, working behind the stage to ensure it all runs smoothly.

She added: "It's brilliant to see them up on stage, coming out of their shell, and you look back at the pictures and catch these moments, their big smiles and their smiles with each other. Even backstage they're forming friendships. It really is such a high for them."

Shuffle Dance will be taking the stage at the Carnegie Hall on November 19 and 20. Tickets are priced £12.50 with a £10 concession and can be purchased by calling the Carnegie Hall box office on 01383 602302.