Corby highland dancers perform in Musikparade - one of the biggest tours in all of Europe

Highland dancers from two different Corby dancing schools performed in Europe’s largest Military Tournament last week.

They travelled to Germany on Thursday, February 29 and returned on Monday, March 4.

While they were out there they performed five shows over four days in four different cities: Kempten, Wetzlar, Münster, and Cologne as part of ‘Musikparade’.

The Music Parade is one of the biggest tours in all of Europe – with more than 100,000 visitors each year. In the first three months of each year, the Music Parade makes the rounds of the biggest arenas in Germany, making it one of the most successful show productions in Europe.

In their last show they performed for a full arena of 20,000 people.

There were two dancers from the Grampian Dance School: Lexie McPhie (18), Kiera Cruse (16), and four from Amanda’s Highland Dancing School: Jenni Studders (15), Marli Tew (19), Rose Bozon (17), including teacher Jamie Harper (26).

Tracy Studders, Jenni’s mum, said: “They had an amazing time, the girls were absolutely buzzing. The whole experience, the culture, all the pipe bands, they just came together.

“My daughter said it was really powerful and it was really emotional, she just had the best time ever. It’s an amazing experience to dance in front of 20,000 people, I’ve never seen my daughter so buzzing, she was absolutely on cloud nine the whole time.

“Those young people taking part inevitably return with a deeper understanding of European culture and history, but also more independent, mature, resilient and enriched by their experience.”

The venture came about through one of the dancer’s dad, Steve Bozon, who is Pipe Major in the Seaforth Highlanders Pipe Band in Leicester. They and the Nottinghamshire Pipe Band, led by Pipe Major, Pat Larkin, were going to be performing in Germany and wanted to take some dancers with them.

The bands have been performing at this event for a number of years.

According to Tracy, the production team were so impressed by the girls they have asked them to come back next year with even more dancers.

The girls are now working hard for the Corby Highland gathering where the All England Championship competition will be held as well as pipe band competition.