Move Orkney Dance Studio

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Move Orkney Dance Studio Move Orkney CIC dance organisation supporting dance development in Artisty, Community, Culture and Connection.

Move Orkney Dance and Pilates studio

Move Orkney is a studio nestled in the heart of Kirkwall Orkney, offering Ballet �, tap, modern, Acro, contemporary, jazz, musical theatre, highland, point class, PBT, yoga trapeze, aerial pilates, mat based pilates and silver swans ballet. Move Orkney offer the very first in dance education with our partnership with Edinburgh college, this allows our participants to gain higher and NPA awards in dance and musical theatre. These questions are 18 credits on participants SQA papers, theses level of awards are the first of its kind to be offered in Orkney. Our classes are delivered by fully qualified dance teachers and practitioners, the element of teaching on offer are holistic, inclusive, educational and most of all FUN.

08/10/2026

Orkney dance history was made here!
In 2021, an extraordinary group of young dancers became the first-ever cohort in Orkney to be awarded SQA National Progression Awards (NPAs) in dance. This historic milestone was delivered by Move Orkney CIC in a proud partnership with Edinburgh College PASS.
Led by Stephanie Hellewell Baird, the course gave local students the chance to learn directly from some of the best dance educators in Scotland—including Stephanie’s own former teachers. We are endlessly grateful to these incredible mentors for investing their expertise in our dancers.
Why this programme was a game-changer for the islands:
• Degree-Level Mentorship: Stephanie mentored BA (Hons) Dance and Drama students from Edinburgh College PASS, who travelled to Orkney to work face-to-face and intensively with our NPA students.
• Incredible Achievement: This level of training had never happened in Orkney before. Some students were only 11 and 12 years old but successfully gained up to SQA Level 6 qualifications in Dance and Musical Theatre.
• University Ready: Achieving an SQA Level 6 NPA carries up to 18 UCAS tariff points to help students secure future college or university entry.
We are so profoundly proud of every single student who pushed boundaries, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who helped us support them. This programme proved that world-class arts education belongs right here in Orkney.

07/10/2026

Celebrating Women and Girls in Sport Week (2nd – 6th November)

While physical celebration often spotlights field sports, movement mechanics and bodily longevity are essential for every woman and girl engaged in physical activities and the arts.

Led by Orkney Islands Council, Move Orkney CIC is proud to announce that our Artistic Director, Stephanie Hellewell Baird, will be presenting an exclusive workshop as part of the celebrations: Functional Alignment & Injury Prevention.

When: Thursday 5th November

Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Where: Kirkwall Grammar School (KGS)

Stephanie brings an extensive background to this session, combining 36 years in dance, over 20 years in the professional dance sector, and 19 years as a Level 3 qualified Pilates practitioner in mat-based, reformer, and aerial Pilates, and yoga. With an in-depth understanding of dance science and safe dance practice, she helps individuals master their structural mechanics to move efficiently, protect their bodies, and extend their physical longevity.

Whether you are a dancer, a movement practitioner, or someone who competes in sport and would like to understand how your foot placement can support your injury prevention methods and in return support stable knee, hip, and core control while building a deeper understanding of correct full-body alignment this session offers the scientific tools required to protect your body and elevate your movement.

This interactive 1-hour session blends practical theory with hands-on practice, focusing closely on functional biomechanics:

• Lower Limb Tracking: Precision alignment of the foot, ankle, knee, and pelvis.

• Core, Rib & Breath Mechanics: Optimising shoulder alignment, core stability, and targeted rib control for efficient breathing patterns.

• Hypermobility Support: Specialised stabilisation strategies to protect hypermobile joints during training and daily practice.



Booking link

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07/10/2026

Looking back to move forward ✨
In December 2019, our founder Stef traveled to the University of Edinburgh to share a very special presentation: Dance in The Rural Community of Orkney.
It was an opportunity to put everything that matters to us into the frame. From preserving traditional dance methods, storytelling, and the beautiful heritage of Florrie Sinclair, to diving into safe dance practices, inclusive movement, state education, and dance science. We explored the unique politics, history, and health benefits of nurturing a professional, sustainable dance ecology right here on our islands.
This presentation wasn’t just a moment in time; it set the path for what we hope to gently and intentionally build here at Move Orkney over many decades to come.
We believe that to serve our community well, we must bring a deep understanding, a wealth of context, and clear, informed guidance to the table. Our hearts are completely in this work, and we are so grateful to be walking this long-term path with you all.
We’re so glad you’re here with us on this journey. If you ever want to chat about dance, heritage, or movement health in our islands, our doors (and inbox) are always open. 🏔️💫
📍 University of Edinburgh, Dec 2019

06/10/2026

What an incredible day at the Orkney Careers Fair! 🎭
Move Orkney was absolutely thrilled to be on hand today offering expert advice, support, and guidance to everyone who dropped by our stand. It was fantastic speaking to so many passionate individuals and sharing insights on top training providers across the performing arts, including:
🕺 Dance & Drama
🎶 Musical Theatre
🎬 Acting
🛠️ Stage & Production
🧵 Costume Design
💄 Makeup for Theatre & Film
There are so many brilliant pathways out there! This is exactly what Stef recommends to support Orkney’s creative industry. By providing the essential resources and networks needed to hire, nurture, and build our local talent, we can foster a thriving performing arts community right here at home.
Thank you to everyone who came along to chat about turning their passion into a lifelong career. The future of Orkney’s creative scene is looking incredibly bright! ✨
If you missed us today but still want advice on training providers or creative pathways, please feel free to drop us a DM! 📥

06/10/2026

Investing in Inclusion: Learning from the Best
Being in a mentor residency with the amazing Lee Fisher MBE at the Birmingham Hippodrome last November was a fantastic opportunity to learn, connect and network. This residency was generously funded by the Professional Dance Fund (which is supported by The Royal Ballet), giving me the incredible chance to work alongside the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Freefall Dance Company.
Move Orkney is an inclusive dance organisation, and we take our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) very seriously. We are committed to working alongside top-tier industry leaders to ensure we can build and deliver the absolute best opportunities for real, creative inclusion back home in Orkney.
An extra highlight was that the Birmingham Royal Ballet staff actually share building offices with One Dance UK, allowing me to meet some of their brilliant team in person. Amazingly, just 12 weeks after that residency in Birmingham, Move Orkney and I went on to receive two national honors at the One Dance UK Awards—celebrated widely as the “Oscars” of the dance industry!
#

06/10/2026

The video of Stef dancing below in the last post, was 4 weeks after this double angle incident that occurred in June 2025! Hence why there is no jumping or fast movement.

06/10/2026

What makes you happy? This is it for stef dance! Move Orkney is not based on selling our product or service its about connection and passion. We want to work with people who see our passion and integrity for dance. Projects that are built on imagination and creativity no gimmick or fashion culture just real creative inquiry and passion.

05/10/2026

A Space for Rest, Relaxation and Creativity
So much love, energy and integrity is pouring into Number 10 Victoria Lane—our upcoming residency house for visiting movement and dance artists.
This beautiful building was originally built around 1810, and we are completely revamping it to create a peaceful haven. We hope it will inspire future artists visiting Orkney and connect them directly to our ever-growing dance scene.
At Move Orkney, we are not only supporting dance at the studio; we are supporting collaboration, innovation and the performing arts sector as a whole. We are actively driving a new landscape of performing arts that brings real opportunity to the islands.
The incredible transformation of this residency space is being carried out entirely by my multi-talented husband, Dan. Not only is he a brilliant joiner, but he has countless other skills up his sleeve—including completely repointing this stone wall by hand.
This project is entirely self-funded by the two of us, and we are putting our hearts into crafting a legacy space that supports both creative work and restorative rest. We cannot wait to welcome the first artists home.

05/10/2026

We didn’t walk away with a trophy last night, but our hearts are completely full! 🏆
A huge congratulations to all the incredible finalists and winners you are all doing a fantastic job keeping our dance sector thriving and moving forward. 🌟
A massive thank you to the for highlighting Move Orkney. We are incredibly grateful for the recognition on such a huge stage, and we hope everyone had a wonderful time celebrating at the ceremony in London last night! 💃🕺
Onwards and upwards! 🩰✨

04/10/2026

The UK Dance Awards () are happening right now, and Move Orkney is officially a finalist in TWO national categories! 🏆✨
We are incredibly proud and humbled to be shortlisted for:
⭐ Community Impact Award
⭐ Outstanding Contribution to Dance in the UK
To be recognized alongside such an amazing cohort of peers on a UK-wide platform—representing the islands not just in Scotland, but across the entire country—is a massive honour.
We can’t be there in person tonight at the grand ceremony in London, but we are absolutely there in spirit! 🇬🇧❤️
Huge congratulations and the best of luck to all of tonight’s incredible finalists, and a massive thank you to the for this recognition. We can't wait to hear the results! 🌟🥂 Sorry we couldn't make it tonight!

Address

Kirkwall
KW151PP

Opening Hours

Monday 5:45am - 9pm
Thursday 12pm - 8:30pm
Friday 3:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+447712227093

Website

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