In the Club
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In the Club
EP 39: The Scottish Dance Awards
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Hazel Allen is revolutionizing Scotland's dance community with a first-of-its-kind celebration that's long overdue. The founder of Glasgow Dance Academy sits down with us to reveal how her 20-year journey through professional dance, education, and entrepreneurship led to creating the Scottish Dance Awards – and why ClassForKids is stepping up as headline sponsor.
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I feel like we're some kind of travelling, travelling circus at times. Brian, I'm just back from a big, big dance event in London and you're just back from.
Speaker 2:Krakow, in Poland. Yes, that wasn't work. That wasn't work. No, it was good. It was good managed to travel without having to work, which was great not that I dislike travelling for work.
Speaker 1:We didn't know, because I think if we'd known, somebody would have given Brian a camera and tasked him with getting a golf shoot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, go and find a dance school, you're going to need to learn the language, go and find a dance school and do a shoot. But no, we went all over the place. I was at Move it down in and it was like at times about 2,000 or 3,000 deep at the stage, like Caitlin, who's our social media person, was messaging me saying, oh, go down the stage and get a little bit of food. I could get nowhere near it. It was crazy. It was their 20th anniversary, oh right, and they'd kind of pulled out all the stops for it.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, it was very keeping in the same vein as dance. The interview we're about to go into is with Hazel from the Scottish Dance Awards, who we will be we are sponsoring the Scottish Dance Awards.
Speaker 1:This is the announcement for that. I think it will probably be out there already, but yeah, we are the main sponsor of the Scottish Dance Awards. We're delighted to be involved with it. It's going to be in May at the Radisson Hotel. You'll hear us talk about it on our socials between now and then an awful lot more, but Hazel came in to do a bit of an interview with us to talk about her history in dance and also why she's come to start this, what we think is a really clever idea for a Scottish Dance Awards.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Will we just get into it, Brian?
Speaker 2:Just get into it, Stephen.
Speaker 1:Let let's go we're here today with hazel allen. Hazel has come to visit us today to talk about the scottish dance awards. There's a reason that we're talking about it as well, but first of all, hello, hello. How are you? I'm good, thank you, how? Are you very good, indeed very good. I'd like you to tell us a little bit about the scottish dance awards. We'll get into a lot more in the conversation, but just tell us a little bit about what you're setting out to achieve.
Speaker 3:So the Scottish Dance Awards is well. It was set up really to recognise and celebrate all of the work that's going on currently across Scotland within dance. So that includes dance schools, dance teachers, choreographers, students that are kind of coming on up through the dance world, and it's really to create a platform for all of these people and the work that they're doing and to recognise that.
Speaker 1:A platform's probably needed. I mean, we're in the kids' activity space with, as I said, a kind of slight towards dance, but there's nothing like this here in Scotland. We're all over the UK and there is across the UK, but it's not in.
Speaker 3:Scotland Not in Scotland, I know. Do you know? That was where the kind of initial idea came from. So I had been at some similar events and awards for different industries and it kind of got me thinking. There is nothing like this for the dance world, particularly in Scotland, and we've had such a great response since we've launched. You know it's been. It's just shown that there is a gap for this and there's a market for it and people are needing that there's a vibrant dance community in Scotland.
Speaker 1:Obviously we work with Louise, who you all know as well, and I think she's got some involvement as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, she's sponsoring. Yeah, she's a part of the awards and we're going to sponsor too yeah, you are. You're going to be our headline sponsor.
Speaker 1:We're going to be the headline sponsor of the Scottish Dance Awards. So there you go. I think it's probably people will have heard it already after this podcast comes out but yeah, we are really happy to be involved in it. It's something that, again at the end of last year, when we came across what you were doing, louise as well, and was going what's this?
Speaker 3:This is interesting.
Speaker 1:It just needs done. We've been in Ireland in the last two or three weeks. There's several awards that happen across there. We're in touch with a number of people from England. Jasmine Hanlon has been one who runs comps and events on a smaller scale right across the Kenner England, but it's just not happened up here. So hats off to you for actually just claiming it.
Speaker 3:Oh, and do you know, it feels like a real full circle moment having Class for Kids on board, because back when last year, when we were just kind of planning and thinking about how we were going to create and who we wanted to be involved, who we wanted to partner with, I wish I'd brought my notepad because on my first page, when I was just thinking who would be a relevant person and who would be, you know, interesting to the room full of people that are going to be there, class for kids was the first name that I will give you a receipt for that. Okay, because, and then it just kind of all came to fruition, I thought, yeah, I was right, because it's relevant, you work in the industry, you understand what all these dance schools are trying to do and, um, yeah, so it's a good fit there's more than that actually, because we were just talking before we started recording and there's a tenuous link to class for kids from you, from back in your school days I know that's right.
Speaker 3:So yeah, the the founder um, I went to school with and we kind of started. So I started my own dance school at the same time that he was yeah, starting this business class for kids that's just so weird and then also was my husband's tennis coach. So is it? Yeah, there's always a link, and that's what I see. See, the older I get, I see that coming back oh, I'm the same yep always and I think in the dance industry as well.
Speaker 3:What I imagine is going to happen in May is that room full of people when, when we all arrive for our drinks reception, everyone will know everyone. Absolutely and they will have worked together, they will have taught, they will have choreographed, they'll have a student that goes here and then there, and that's something else that I want to create is that room where everyone can connect.
Speaker 1:That's what we want as well, you know, and it's kind of like creating these. We do it not just in the dance space, but we do it in the football space as well. We're trying to just bring communities together, and a lot of the time in doing so it's like, oh, we knew each other already or this happened there. It's a very small world, I mean, and I'm talking right across the UK. I seem to have inserted myself into what I call the UK dance mafia, which is just like all of the people that run the bigger events, like the Move it's and the Can you Dance is the super weekenders we have conversations and relationships with them all now, and obviously with yourself now as well.
Speaker 1:It's like everybody seems to know everybody else. We took Louise to perform Ireland a few weeks ago and she was like a celebrity there. People were wanting selfies and all that with her just random dance teachers stopping her oh it's yourself, I won't do the Irish accent and just grabbing her for photos and things.
Speaker 3:But I think, you know, I feel like she's really inspired kind of this shift that I've seen more in the dance world. So see, back in the day, it used to be that dance schools were competitors, you know and I feel like she's kind of demonstrating and building this community where we can all work together, be transparent and support each other. That maybe sounds a little bit cheesy, but that's something that I've been thinking about as I'm launching this. I want it to be something that's relevant to people and that's helpful and useful and and gives them the recognition that everyone deserves yeah, and again, hats off for even thinking about doing it.
Speaker 1:It's, it's needed. It's needed especially here. Yeah, so you're obviously got a background in dance I do. When did?
Speaker 3:that start. Give me your journey, my journey, so, um, so, yeah, so I have been working in in dance and education for over two decades now actually, which makes me feel extremely old, but I trained and performed as a professional dancer for about 10 years, which was amazing, an absolute dream. And then, when my performing days kind of came to an end, when I was too old to do that, I opened my own dance school, which was great, and I feel as though I should say for disclosure that my own dance school will not be partaking in the awards because it feels a slight conflict of interest.
Speaker 1:That would have been yeah, a bit nepotism. It would be, yeah, slightly. They're competing under a different name, though, aren't they? Exactly that's it.
Speaker 3:So yeah, so my dance school has been running for the past 10 years, which has been great, and then just the past couple of years I've started to kind of look at running the dance school a bit more like a business and how to make it sustainable and what we can kind of implement for that.
Speaker 3:And then that's where the idea of the Dance Awards kind of came together. I also, over those sort of 10 years, while I was running the school, I trained as a primary school teacher and a secondary dance teacher and I did my master's at the Conservatoire for Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts. But the reason I'm saying that is because I've always really had an interest in how children learn and develop and thrive. So I have this real interest obviously in dance and the arts, but also in education, and it gives me such a holistic view of what good dance practice looks like. It gives me such a holistic view of what good dance practice looks like and I feel that has benefited all of my work over the past 10 years, 20 years, which has just gives me a good view of everything. What is your dance school called? It is Glasgow Dance Academy, Cool.
Speaker 1:Give that a shout out, give it a plug.
Speaker 3:And that's been going for 10 years, then 10 years, 10 years. Yeah, this is our 10th year now. So we're we've just opened location number 4 last year, which is going really well and yeah, yeah, I love it. But things are changing all the time, you know, and my role changes within that. So you go from your first year when you're opening, you're running everything, teaching everything, marketing everything, all of the admin, all of that and then, as that grows, you kind of you actually move away from what you enjoy.
Speaker 3:I was going to say I hope that you move away from what the passion, what the passion is, I know, like the kind of creative side of things, and it becomes more you're doing the sort of the day-to-day.
Speaker 1:That's. I mean, we discussed this a little bit as well just through the office, but that's kind of, I think, what we bring, we do give the, we give people back. Yeah, it's time we give them back. The time we were discussing AI and things and how that can benefit, but discussing AI and things and how that can benefit, but it's the same with us, it's what the system can give back as the time. But it sounds like you were exactly like we've got kind of personas right. You do, unfortunately, like not to pigeonhole people, but you actually fit the persona that you were somebody that was passionate about dance.
Speaker 1:You had a career in dance, you started your school and then eventually it got well. It's not getting too much of you, but you're having to rely on different systems and things like that.
Speaker 3:yeah and anything that can streamline that, anything that is what I was saying to you like class for kids and having a system and a process in place that can be working while you're sleeping and it's just like you say gives you the time back where you're sleeping, brian, we'll need to snip that.
Speaker 1:That's a. There you go. That's the next, that's the next adverts, I think. Go for that. Um, so when is it? You said it's in a few months.
Speaker 3:Give us the actual date, yeah so 18th of May is is the night of the awards and it is a black tie event. So I wanted the event to feel really special, because I want it to be a celebration. I want the people who attend to feel like, even just being in that room, you are a winner. That sounds so cheesy.
Speaker 3:No, no yeah it's true, I think, even if you are applying for these awards, I think what that says is that you are recognising the work you are doing has value, and so being in that room together with like minded people having a good time, having some drinks, some dinner there's going to be entertainment throughout the night as well, so Scottish Institute are sponsoring as well, and their dance students are coming to perform throughout the evening. There'll be the awards presentation and, yeah, then there'll be a big after party. We've got to bring this along, aren't we as well? We've got to bring this along which is great.
Speaker 1:We've got to bring this along, aren't we as well? We've got to bring this along, I know and that's as well.
Speaker 3:So there'll be like a photographer, videographer. There'll be some content which all of the attendees can use to promote themselves and to almost drive more business and give a bit of a boost, because there's very little support out there.
Speaker 1:I like the way that you've. I mean it's about thinking yourself going back to the dance school as a business. You've got you definitely have the business mindset.
Speaker 3:Well, now I do. Well, that's what I was going to get to. It's like yeah, because you didn't at first. No, you have to learn it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think that what Louise is doing, what you're, that's where there is the and I'm going to say the word again, brian, I'm going to say the word synergy. I'd really hate saying that there isn't, there isn't any other words. I can think that, um, that kind of when we're working with people, um, we work with the people, that that, that I've got the same kind of ethos as us and it's very same. It's like, at first of all, before we sell class for kids, we really are about education and telling them you can get that passion back, you can get that time back, and this is across football and everything as well. It's not just dance, but that's what I think is a good link in between what Louise does, what you're doing, what we're doing. So it's going to be a very interesting event and partnership. So people are at the event, they're leaving the event. How do you want people to have felt after and at the event that you put on?
Speaker 3:Do you know? I really want this to be something that people see value in and see the impact of after the event. So, yeah, the night will be a great time for everyone, but what I want is that recognition and that platform and, like I say, to kind of drive business to boost these schools, these teachers, these choreographers. I want people to feel seen and I want them to feel recognised for the work that they're doing and appreciated. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1:And, like you say, there'll be a number that walk in and go, oh, I know you, oh, I know you, but there'll be a number that don't, and people will be leaving there with new friends, with new forged relationships. It always happens with these things. So you're creating a community builder as well, which is, I mean, it's great. As I say, there's nothing in this space. We probably, like Class for Kids itself, might have in the past thought about doing stuff like this, but we're not well placed and it doesn't come well from us. It seems more of a commercial thing.
Speaker 1:You know, class for kids are putting on dance awards like yeah, there's something, yeah, it's like so we would much rather and be partnering with yourself, which we absolutely are doing, and I feel sometimes as well.
Speaker 3:I feel like the Scottish dance awards is something that's come about very quickly, and then other times I think no, that's been over 20 years of work and training and educating. That has built to this point where I feel well placed to put that on, and yeah, I hope I do it a good time.
Speaker 1:Well, that's it. It's the 20 years it's been brewing. Right, you might go. It's came along quickly. The light bulb went on fairly recently, but then it was the reflection going. Wait a minute.
Speaker 3:And when I was thinking there should be something like this for our industry, when I was at these other events yeah, and that was I saw. So both my sisters run businesses in completely different industries and when I was at these things I saw the impact that it had on these businesses when they were finalists or won or just even in the same room, and the connections and the opportunities that came from it. And as I was thinking this should there should be something like this for for our industry, for dance in Scotland and then I thought, well, I'm gonna create that, so here we go.
Speaker 1:I love that mentality. Yeah, that's great. I mean that would be a great way to end this, but I'm gonna ask one more question, okay, yeah, it's about dispelling myths around dance. What myth would you like to dispel?
Speaker 3:Do you know, I'm going to say something that maybe is not very popular, but actually I think it will probably be.
Speaker 1:That's all right, that could be the clickbait part. Okay, yeah, say something really controversial and we'll have that right up top. That everyone will hate.
Speaker 3:No, because I think probably it'll be dance teachers and school owners that will be watching this, so hopefully they'll agree with me. But I think a myth that I hear all that I heard it today um is that when you're working in the creative arts or you know dance specifically, that you're only doing it because you love it. Okay, and I think that. Well, yes, that is true. Most of the time we do love and it usually comes from a passion or from a young age and you've kind of been nurtured and brought up through that, either being a dancer, opening a dance school. But I think the reality and the less glamorous answer is that, like you say, you have to learn how to build it as a business and to thrive, to be sustainable.
Speaker 3:I've seen four dance schools close in the last year and so and I think I wonder if, like you say, you don't have that business mindset because you do get into it, because you love it. But I think that can be quite limiting and, um, it just makes it unsustainable for these creative practitioners. So I think there needs to be a balance of both, and sometimes people can maybe feel a little bit guilt-tripped unless they say, oh, I just do it because I love it. So it has to work both ways.
Speaker 1:We do get ones that just love it and in fact, a number of the people at the event that we put on last year and we were talking to them, thinking about their business mindset and this, and they were like I don't know if we're just a little school and we've only got like 10 kids that come and we charge them £3 and there's such a place for that as well, I was thinking.
Speaker 3:So something that was really important with the awards was to set it up so that it was inclusive, and I know that sounds maybe a little bit um. You know that doesn't make sense, because if you win an award, that's exclusive. So it's the opposite of that, which I understand, and a bit of competition is always healthy. But what I mean by that is I wanted everyone to be represented, so I wanted the small dance school down the road and I wanted the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to be able to apply.
Speaker 1:That's great, yeah.
Speaker 3:Because I see the dance landscape in Scotland. I see it almost like a scaffolding where these smaller dance schools that you go to from the age of three you need them to be able to nurture and foster these children to come up through and have off you go to these bigger institutes. So I think it's the same in football.
Speaker 1:It's the same when you've got it all works. I mean, I'm not a football fan Everybody who listens to this knows this at all. You're a dance fan. I'm a bigger dance fan than I'm a football fan but they've got their kind of breeding grounds, you know, for the talent and things.
Speaker 1:There's more of a structure Now that you've brought this up. There's more of a structure with football. We've got scouts and things. Then it would appear in dance that you've just highlighted something interesting. When they're at these little three pound uh lesson clubs, yeah, they could. They could be the conservatoire one day, you know, and it's, there's a path to that right through and where are those stages?
Speaker 3:I mean, I think that that's something that's done quite well in Scotland, that sort of mid-level, so, you know, as dance schools. Every couple of years you maybe have a couple, some students that want to sort of pursue that career, which is lovely, um, and I think that sort of mid, you know, maybe they'll go off to do Scottish Ballet Associates or RCS Junior School and they're really good at recognising the schools that they've come from and maintaining that relationship. So they have that kind of double, you know, and they need to go off into these bigger institutes where there's more offered and that is the right thing to do. But it's nice for everyone to be represented.
Speaker 1:I think that if you're having this as well and you've got as you say, you're appealing to everybody, from the conservatoire to the smaller clubs. If they're all in the same room together, look at the community building there, you know it's the great leveller almost you know there's no kind of pomp or anything.
Speaker 1:It's like everybody in the room together and after a few drinks see what happens. That'll be fun. Thank you so much for coming to the podcast. We cannot wait to be part of the awards. The next time we have a podcast like this with you, we'll probably be there we'll probably be grabbing you for two, because that day I get you're going to be busy, be busy.
Speaker 3:I will be very, or maybe all my work will be done. I can just sit and have a drink. That would be good. That's what I would aim for if I was you, because then we could sit and have a wee, I'll see you at the bar, but thank you so much, hazel and we look forward.
Speaker 1:The Scottish Dance Awards. We did not even plan that, but that's it. Sunday, may 18th, the Scottish Dance Awards. We're going to be there. I'm not even sure If there's tickets left For you guys to come along, but if there is We'll put them in the. We'll put the link In the description. Of this podcast, but it's going to be Really good to Be in. I was going to say In bed with them, but it's a bit weird, you don't really say that.
Speaker 2:But in business, in business, good pals in business, because we're going to be there, we'll be rocking up representing Class for Kids. Obviously, the Dance Awards will be happening.
Speaker 1:So it'll be a big, good event, a nice big gala, don't know if it's an actual gala, but I like to say gala we're going to take a bit of this down. I think we're going to take the podcast on tour. We say on tour. It's probably about the shortest tour we'll ever do, because the hotel that it's happening in, the Radisson Bleu, it's about five minutes that way, which is great for us because usually we'd have to travel Brian's having to take all sorts of kit. By the way, a suitcase is with Jack that needs to be delivered back to you it'll come back.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're usually travelling with loads kit, but now we can just go around the corner, quite just relax and hang out with these guys at Scottish Dance Awards.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I think it'll be a good night. We don't often get invited to awards ceremonies from people who we are in bed with.
Speaker 1:In bed with see. It is a business term.
Speaker 2:It is a business term, absolutely so that'll be nice to go down and just kind of like see everything as it unfolds, the big fancy events. I'm looking forward to that and the venue is great.
Speaker 1:Sema, our partnerships manager actually married there oh, really it'll be like a second wedding for her tripped in memory. Lane tripped in memory lane, but delighted to be sponsoring the Scottish Dance Awards, and I'm sure you'll hear loads more about it in our socials in the next coming weeks. And thanks so much for Hazel for coming on, and we've just got one thing left to do, brian, yep, you going to do it with me this time? Aye, let's go. 1, 2, 3. Bye, I need some enthusiasm.
