Ardlair School of Dancing

Ardlair School of Dancing Website: ardlair.com.au
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +61 405 167 610

Our vision: To provide life-long enjoyment, achievement, confidence and strong support to dancers in the South East of South Australia and Western Victoria through Highland Dance. The Ardlair School of Dancing celebrated a decade of Highland Dancing tuition in both Mount Gambier and Millicent in 2013. The small, specialised, close knit school is made up of 25 dancers from throughout the Limestone

Coast and Western Victoria for dancing classes and training sessions, as well as confidence, goal setting and team building activities. The school offers a wide range of tuition options for dancers aged from 3 years to adults for –
o Ardlair’s Wee Ones introductory dance development for 3-5 years
o All age and ability level competition work
o Local and interstate display performance
o Theory and practical preparation for internationally accredited examinations – technical and professional options
o Informal technique study groups
o General classes for fun, fitness and enjoyment. In addition to these options, the Ardlair School of Dancing also offers remote and distance learning options for dancing skill improvement, private consultation and mentoring, and experienced support and contacts for technical and professional examination preparation. Ardlair’s Principal Teacher Lisa Barker is a member of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing World-wide championship Judge’s Panel. She is an internationally qualified teaching member with the BATD, and Victorian Scottish Dancing Association, and is the current Technical Secretary of the South Australian State Committee of Highland Dancing. Lisa was the winner of 50 state and national championship titles when she was a dancer, and performed as a Lead Dancer with the international performance team OzScot Australia, with which the school has a strong affiliation. Ardlair has a growing teaching and training consultation team with senior dancers assisting in formal classes, as well as a number of members of the Ardlair senior dancing team also part of the school’s mentoring and buddy program throughout the year. Ardlair utilises dance body conditioning fundamentals as inspired by the Pat Gush Body Conditioning and Dance Fitness program to develop support systems for high performance and injury prevention, focusing on teamwork and strategic goal setting. Performance improvements and attitudes balancing individual goals within the team environment clearly reflect the school’s strong commitment to achieving and maintaining a positive, sustainable, supportive culture.

06/08/2023

How much fun is this?!
It was a delight to work with these fabulous kids and choreograph this item with them for the Albury Wodonga Eisteddfod Ltd.

Well done Tilly, Aidan and Isla - you did a fabulous job! The crowd had lots of fun getting involved. A perfect combination of your talents and enthusiasm - with Bell Studio of Highland Dance. ✨💖

It was fabulous to support these three today at the Albury Wodonga Eisteddfod Ltd! Tilly, Aidan and Isla had a super day...
06/08/2023

It was fabulous to support these three today at the Albury Wodonga Eisteddfod Ltd!

Tilly, Aidan and Isla had a super day dancing at this competition, they danced very well and did Katie and the Bell Studio of Highland Dance, everyone who has been a part of their journey at Ardlair School of Dancing, and their families very proud.

Congratulations to the organizers - what a fabulous competition! It was friendly, supportive, and a very enjoyable day of Highland.
💖✨

Super congratulations to Ardlair’s Gretchen for winning her Highland section at the Follow Your Dreams national champion...
13/01/2023

Super congratulations to Ardlair’s Gretchen for winning her Highland section at the Follow Your Dreams national championship event held in Adelaide this week!

That trophy is nearly as big as you! ✨💖🎉

What a special girl this one is - she worked hard to learn new steps and movements and produced a wonderful performance!

Congratulations to members of the Ardlair team who completed VSDA Examining Body Medal Tests yesterday!Some unforeseen c...
13/01/2023

Congratulations to members of the Ardlair team who completed VSDA Examining Body Medal Tests yesterday!

Some unforeseen circumstances saw our 2022 exams delayed into the new yesr, but this fabulous bunch ‘pivoted’ successfully to turn the delay into an opportunity to prepare even better and were bright, enthusiastic and motivated to demonstrate their knowledge - even on a 33 deg C day! 🔥☀️

Thank you to fantastic VSDA Examiner Miss Ailsa Bouch of Melbourne who put the team through their paces in a challenging, thoughtful and caring manner. A bit of fun also, Ailsa was hosted overnight at the Old Mt Gambier Gaol accommodation. With thick prison walls, it was the coolest place in town both in creativity and temperature! 😂😉

Our appreciation as always also to the VSDA Examining Body for a quality syllabus to rigorously and constructively learn the technique Highland Dancing.

Well done Aidan, Alan, Tilly, Amelie, and special shout out to Marita who rejoined the team to complete an exam with Ardlair 18 years after her first one!

Happy dancing!

10/12/2022

Some big news at Ardlair. 💖

Our school will be 20 years old in March 2023, and it is time for me, Miss Lisa, to take some ‘long service leave’ from teaching regular classes. Xoxo

It has been two decades of delight, passion, achievement, persistence, challenge, heartbreak, frustration, elation, pride, tears, laughs, and humility…. The list could go on and on.

My love of Highland, my students and families, and all of the special people I know throughout Australia and around the world continues to burn brightly and deeply in me.

I am committed to serving and supporting dancers from the view of the ‘whole dancer’, not just what they can do on the stage, but empowering them to ask for what they need physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

For me to live in integrity with that, I also need to support myself that way.

All is well with me, better than ever actually, however I have come to recognise I am tired and I need to recharge my own personal battery.

I have deep gratitude for my dancers and families who have all received this news with disappointment and surprise of course, yet every one of them has expressed care and understanding for me as a person that has been incredibly humbling.

I also have deep gratitude for Katie Edwards of the Bell Studio of Highland Dance who has supported me with this decision and will be opening her classes to Ardlair dancers over the first 6 months of 2023 while I take my teaching break.

I’m sure all the teachers reading this will understand that such a pause would be infinitely more difficult if I felt the Ardlair dancers would suffer or be let down in any way.

Katie and her team have already made us all feel so welcome and I think will be yet another fantastic evolution and experience for Highland dancers in our region.

I’m still here. Ardlair is still here… just interacting with the Highland world in a different way at the start of the new year.

Thanks to everyone who continues to support Ardlair and all of the special people who have made it what it is today.

There is a sense of excitement as to where this could all go next, but for now, maybe for the first time ever, it is time to put my feet up and rest a bit, leaving some space for new adventures. Who knows where this could all lead? 💖

Lisa. Xoxo

Our hearts are filled! Ardlair had its end of year party this week and thanks to Sorrentos CAFE it was such a delight! T...
10/12/2022

Our hearts are filled!
Ardlair had its end of year party this week and thanks to Sorrentos CAFE it was such a delight!

There was food to enjoy, cards and small gifts exchanged, laughs were had, and Ceilidh dancing that brought fun and joy to everyone who attended.

We love to recognise our team for their efforts, support and dedication to their dancing and our school environment.

Congratulations to -
Alan Phillips - 5 year Ardlair Anniversary, receiving a personalized copy of the RSOBHD’s Assemble and Leap history book.

Tilly Salmon - 10 year Ardlair Anniversary, having her name included on the Ardlair studio clock for prosperity.

Tilly was also voted as our ‘Ardlair Team Member of the Year’ for her leadership, kindness, and being a role model of support for our junior dancers.

Also, for our competitive dancers, Ardlair has two perpetual trophies for the ‘Persistence, Commitment, Achievement’ which recognizes the highest aggregate of competitive results across the year.

This year, these trophies were awarded to -
Pre-Premier: Alan Phillips
Premier: Tilly Salmon

Words can not describe how much this team means to me, and how proud I am of everything that Ardlair stands for.

Families there to celebrate, life long relationships, and new generations joining in. Very heartfilling.

Well done everyone, thank you! Xoxo

10/12/2022

So…. Our brunch at Limestone Coast Pantry turned into an impromptu concert for all patrons… we were pretty impressed our junior dancers remembered a dance done for a performance from several months ago, and other patrons were enthusiastic with their applause!

What a joy to see kids enjoying Highland. Xoxo

….. and the best thing about Ardlair? We always end up somewhere fabulous without a plan or any expectation to share foo...
10/12/2022

….. and the best thing about Ardlair?
We always end up somewhere fabulous without a plan or any expectation to share food and some laughs together!

Here is the gang after the Blue Lake Fun Run having a delicious impromptu brunch at the Limestone Coast Pantry! Thanks so much to the Pantry team for squeezing us in at short notice! 💖

What a team! Ardlair and Highland Hustle with Ardlair joined together again for a fantastic team bonding experience at t...
10/12/2022

What a team!
Ardlair and Highland Hustle with Ardlair joined together again for a fantastic team bonding experience at the Blue Lake Fun Run!

While we had a few members unfortunately absent because of COVID, those that were there made the most of the day and lots of fun was had by all! Well done everyone for your efforts and involvement in this worthwhile community event! ✨🤩

Thanks to our fabulous team captain Priscilla for again organising our involvement, and welcome to beautiful Daisy to the team! 💖

26/11/2022

A special highlight of our fabulous Alan, who has become a crowd favourite at performances with the Naracoorte and Districts Pipe Band!

Alan’s family are active members and supporters of the Naracoorte Pipe Band and part of Alan’s dancing dreams are to showcase all that is special about Highland Dancing and Scottish culture with the band.

He works very hard to master his craft and is a wonderful advocate for our dance form.
Well done Alan! 💖

Just sharing one of our giggles from the Ballarat Show….. now, you don’t see that every day! (And I’m not talking about ...
15/11/2022

Just sharing one of our giggles from the Ballarat Show….. now, you don’t see that every day!

(And I’m not talking about Aidan’s elevation… that is a growing super power of his own) 😂

A lovely day at the Ballarat Show highland competition, hosted by VSDMA. Lots of laughs, catch ups with friends and fell...
15/11/2022

A lovely day at the Ballarat Show highland competition, hosted by VSDMA. Lots of laughs, catch ups with friends and fellow dancers, and some great efforts by our team!

Congratulations to Aidan, Alan, Isla and Tilly for your efforts and resulting prizes, and well done Alan for being recognized for an encouragement award across all three Pre-Premier ability categories.

Address

179 Penola Road
Mount Gambier, SA
5290

Opening Hours

Monday 2pm - 7pm
Tuesday 3pm - 8:30pm
Wednesday 2:30pm - 6:30pm
Thursday 3pm - 8pm

Telephone

+61405167610

Website

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