SCOTTISH-BORN performer and choreographer Charlotte Mclean tells us about 10 things that changed her life...
1. Highland Dancing
HIGHLAND dancing, or the Sword Dance in particular, changed my life because it gifted me confidence, a positive mental attitude and strength.
After a childhood of relentless competitions, winning and losing, I feel like I’m prepared to tackle every obstacle life throws at me.
Highland dancing is not just about technique, it’s also about turning up for yourself everyday with discipline and respect.
2. Scottish Dance Theatre
BEING welcomed into the Scottish Dance Theatre in Dundee at the age of 13 changed my life. I travelled from Arbroath to take part in a class and workshop without knowing what contemporary dance was.
Until then, I was a kid who loved dance and sport so my plans were to become a PE teacher.
The workshop, led by Dawn Hartley and Joan Clevillé, showcased that you could become a professional dancer and that realisation turned my world and life trajectory upside down.
3. My sister
MY sister and I are such different people, however, we really respect each other.
Although we disagree on mostly everything, she gives me confidence and bravery – I’m in complete awe of her.
4. Turning 18 in Rwanda
I TRAVELLED to Rwanda at 18 with my school, and still hold the kindness and generosity of the people we met on our travels close to me.
I was deeply inspired by how people used dance and singing as incredible forms of community and expression.
5. Dance Base
I WORKED as an usher before becoming part of Dance Base’s DEBS programme (Dancers Emerging Bursary Scheme), and met some of my closest friends and collaborators there.
The majority of the company involved in not for glory grew from Dance Base, with co-creator Jack Anderson having had the same journey too.
The performance is about growing up in the competition scene of Highland dancing, Irish dancing and bagpiping; reflecting on Jack [Anderson], Malin [Lewis] and I’s culture, heritage and tradition, exploring what we may still want to hold on to.
We both have a friend and collaborator in Jay Yule who will be performing at Dance Base with us too, and so it will be surreal returning to the building together a decade after initially setting foot in it.
6. Underneath by Pat Kinevane
WHILE working as an usher at Dance Base, I remember sitting through nearly every show of Underneath performed by Pat Kinevane – a performance presented by the Irish company, Fishamble.
I didn’t quite understand it when I first saw it, but as I continued to watch the work, I came to realise that I wanted to make a solo piece too.
In many ways, it inspired my first solo work and that was presented at Dance Base, during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2022.
7. Collaboration
DURING my studies, myself and Haley Jayne Gash began a movement band called badbodychaoscode in a living room in London 2017.
To begin, our ethos was to take up space and make noise.
Since then, we have collectively worked to radically listen to each other in our work and practice.
The tools I’ve learnt from this collective have allowed me to ground and develop, with collaboration being at the centre of it all.
8. Healthcare
HAVING engaged with healthcare systems across the UK and Europe, I am forever grateful that I have access to these services.
I think a lot about how fortunate I am to be able to access healthcare when many people across the world don’t hold the same privilege.
9. Bern
I ACCIDENTALLY found myself stuck in Bern, Switzerland during the pandemic in 2020 after working in the country since 2017.
I am still coming to learn so much about the culture, history and traditions – with anarchic yodelling being a favourite. Travelling from London to Bern allowed for a slower pace of life and a different outlook on how to spend each day.
The countryside and rivers in Switzerland are beautiful, and I feel lucky to have a home from home there.
10. Lunan Bay
WHILE I spend a lot of my time in Switzerland, my favourite place in the world is Lunan Bay near where I was brought up.
It’s made up of big sand dunes, red rocks and small caves, and I used to watch the sunrise against the water with my best friend Sianhan and a flask of tea.
Travelling to Lunan Bay feels like coming home to Scotland.
Not for glory by Charlotte Mclean and Jack Anderson, in collaboration with piper Malin Lewis will be performed as part of Pomegranates Festival at Dance Base on Sunday, April 17 at 6.30pm following performances at Ullapool Village Hall earlier in the month.
