Help us get Highland Dancing Teacher to Scotland

$180 donated

Given by 4 generous donors in 6 weeks

Highland Dance teacher Mark has 3 students competing and performing on the world stage in Scotland this year and we want him to be there.

Northland

Many in the highland dancing community both in NZ and internationally may be familiar with highland dance teacher, Mark Forshaw.

Mark was a top highland dancer for many years and has continued on to become a top highland dancing teacher at the Lothian Highland Dance Studio in Whangarei.

His commitment and dedication to his dancers goes above and beyond just teaching. He provides them with uniforms until they're able to get their own, spends his time travelling to competitions around NZ and often Australia when he can, organises local demonstrations and competitions and often drops everything to provide extra lessons when asked if a special event is coming up or a student requires help with an audition, all the while working full time. He supports his students and loves to see them succeed.

Many of his "premier" grade dancers that he has been teaching for 10+ years are growing up and moving on to university or study outside of Whangarei or finishing up due to moving on to their next stage of life and although he has many younger keen dancers to continue the traditional Scottish highland dancing, for some, it's the end of an era.

Although many of Mark's past and current students have attended competitions and danced at the Edinburgh Tattoo in Scotland, Mark has never had the opportunity to travel to the home of highland dancing, Scotland, to support his students at these events. This year, three of Mark's students are travelling to Scotland to dance. Two will compete in the World Highland Dancing Championship at the Cowal Highland Gathering and one will be performing at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

As a dancing parent and committee member of the Northland Highland and National Dancing Trust I would love to be able to give Mark the opportunity to travel to Scotland to support and watch his students perform and compete at these events.

I hope that we can raise enough money for this to happen as he deserves this recognition and opportunity.

About us

To encourage, promote and foster Highland and National Dancing in Northland. To encourage and promote the internationally recognised Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (SOBHD) techniques in Northland. To assist with the provision of facilities for both the teaching of young people and competitions for youth. To assist with funding of SOBHD registered dancers who are residing in Northland or being taught by a teacher residing in Northland to compete at competitions run under SOBHD rules with in New Zealand and worldwide. To acknowledge excellence in Highland and National Dancing by way of funding of prizes for competitions held in Northland and in the provision of scholarships to young people who are residing in Northland or being taught by a teacher residing in Northland. To attract and secure funding from any available source to carry out the purposes of the trust.

Use of funds

Funds will go towards airfares & travel costs for Mark as well as accommodation & tickets to attend both events that his students will be dancing at. Surplus will go back to the National Highland and National Dancing Trust students for future travel.