Glamorous CLAN dancing event raises £20,000
Dancers wowed an audience of more than 1,000 at Clickimin on Saturday in a fundraising spectacular that raised more than £20,000 for the CLAN 1,2,3 appeal.
The sell-out Strictly CLAN Dancing show was slick, glamorous and an unforgettable way of raising money for a new cancer support centre in Aberdeen.
Eight couples, each comprising one “professional” and one “celebrity” competed in the transformed games hall, complete with disco ball, coloured lighting and spotlights. Proceedings were relayed to screens in the bowls hall, set up to accommodate the overflow audience – a feat of technical wizardry never attempted before.
The dancers too were transformed – women in glitzy sequinned gowns and men in evening suits – as they performed their choice of either waltz or quickstep in the first and second rounds, either the cha-cha or tango in the third and their choice of dance in the final.
Judges gave their candid comments and supplied half the votes – the other half came from the audience, voting by putting pound coins into buckets for the couple of their choice. The heaviest buckets at the end of each round determined who would go through.
The eventual winners were 17-year-olds Shane Jamieson, a gap year student, and partner Michelle Stove, the professional part of the pairing having taken up ballroom dancing three months ago.
Shane, son of CLAN chairwoman Elaine Jamieson, had previously been more at home on the rugby field, and farm hand Michelle said it was “amazing” to win.
In the manner of the TV show the evening had its own Bruce and Tess as comperes in the form of Mrs Jamieson and fellow CLAN committee member Cecil Smith, who did a sterling job keeping the action going. The specially-assembled Alan Nicolson band too did splendidly.
The first two couples to be eliminated after round one were retired occupational therapist Marilyn Harris and partner James Hutton, an accountant, and Healthcraft owner Lena Miller and Radio Shetland’s John Johnston.
The next round saw the departure of Tavish Scott MSP and dance teacher Diane Watt, and AHS head teacher Valerie Nicolson and her “professional” partner Jim Grains.
Competition hotted up as the third round saw the elimination of owner of Eric Brown Raleigh Cycles Lara Thomason and James Andrew Ward, and Radio Shetland’s Jane Moncrieff and SIC cleaning supervisor Maddie Maddison.
In the final the emotional tango performed by Shetland Charitable Trust general manager Ann Black and shop manager Graeme Halcrow was not quite enough to stop Shane and Michelle, who danced an exciting cha-cha ending with Michelle in silver mini-dress sliding through Shane’s legs.
Extra entertainment was provided in the interval from Francesca Leyland singing Memories and Reflections, belly dancing from Rocio and a dancing display from Feet First.
Mrs Jamieson said she was delighted with the amount raised (£14,220 on the night and £7,000 in ticket sales) and hoped everyone felt it had been money well spent.
