A GROUP of kids from the Theatre School of Scotland has amazed crowds across the pond in New York as part of the city’s world tartan day parade.
The group of 70 kids, aged between seven and 21, and four staff performed across the Big Apple with their talent drawing large crowds and even reducing people to tears, according to their principal teacher Reece Donnelly.
The trip, which had been two years in the planning, came about after a clip the group made during lockdown went viral. During the earlier stages of the pandemic, the school was forced to temporarily close prompting them to do an online performance of Sunshine on Leith when restrictions eased.
The clip hit screens all over the world and led Kyle Dawson, president of the New York City Tartan Parade, to invite the group over to perform after seeing the video.
One of the trip's performances that made waves on social media was when the group enacted a flash mob in the middle of New York’s Grand Central Station as the group sang Scottish classics like Flower of Scotland, Caledonia and I’m On My Way by The Pretenders.
However, Donnelly said that the trip’s high point was when the youngsters got to dance for the Scottish and American Embassy during one of the event’s ceilidhs and parade through the city.
He said: “It was the most perfect thing ever. The sun was beating down, the kids were performing outside and marching in the parade with thousands and thousands of people either side cheering on and supporting Scotland.”
The response that the kids received, who were all dressed in made-to-measure tartan suits, was overwhelming for the troupe, according to Donnelly.
He said: “I think between myself, the parents and the kids, we cried for about three days with the response. I don’t think any of us understood what a big impact we were going to have over there.
“We’re feeling very excited about what’s to come next. Very emotional and grateful for the experience the kids got to have. The kids are superstars."
He added: “I don’t think [the kids] understand that is something they will have with them for life. Probably now that we’re home and it’s calmed down we’re all starting to go ‘God, did that just happen?’.
“The kids were fantastic. They worked so hard and they brought so much to the trip.”
Donnelly plans for the group to be able to return next year for the parade’s 25th anniversary.
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