The Royal Highland Hotel, Inverness, Saturday 5 June 2004 and touring

L to R: Mats Melin, Frank McConnell, Caroline Reagh and Sandra Robertson © John Sikorski 2004

DANNSA’S Mats Melin, Frank McConnell, Caroline Reagh and Sandra Robertson are, without a doubt, true professionals. Their charm, charisma and wit were on display at The Royal Highland Hotel, where they made a visit for the Inverness audience at the Highland Festival during their Hebridean Tour.

It is easy to see why they have a strong and loyal following. They bring the art of step-dance to life; they engage with the audience readily; and display a strong sense of camaraderie which is highly infectious. When the audience were called up to dance during the show, they did so with eagerness – a healthy sign for any group of performers that all is well!

Dannsa moved smoothly from piece to piece, blending fiddle from Gabe MacVarish, pipes with Fin Moore and Gaelic song from Liz Maclean . Each dance, song and tune eased itself into the reportoire.

Good humour and high energy are a vital part of Dannsa’ s performance. Every dance is a refined piece of art with the artists able to both smile at their audience and concentrate on the intricate steps they have designed for jigs, reels and waulking songs. Sandra, Caroline, Mats and Frank weave around each other in perfect timing, constantly on the go. They keep their eyes on each other, mischeviously looking for the right moment to put one another off, much to the delight of onlookers.

They were great to watch, and in fact great to be with. Dannsa made the audience feel as if they were part of the troupe; a bonding experience well-worth having.

Dannsa can be seen at the following venues:
Berneray Community Hall, Thursday 10 June 2004
Eriskay Community Hal, Friday 11 June
Castlebay Community Hall, Barra, Saturday 12 June
Sandra Robertson will be at Muir of Ord Church Hall on Saturday 19 June (2pm), leading a step-dance workshop for Hielan’ Toe, accompanied by fiddler Roz Bell.

© Jelica Gavrilovic, 2004