A Perth dance teacher who has trained thousands of youngsters has been made an MBE by the Queen.
Julie Young, who runs the Julie Young Dance Studio, in Perth, was made MBE in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours for services to dance and young people.
She has worked as a dance teacher in the Fair City for more than 30 years, but Julie thinks the award could be in recognition of the work she does for the community rather than her teaching.
Through her school, Julie’s dancers have performed at numerous council events and celebrations, community ceilidhs and local care homes.
She said: “I can’t believe it, it’s quite humbling. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just doing my job as a dance teacher and inspiring children to believe in themselves.
“I’ve no idea who nominated me but I want to say thank you. I never thought this would happen to me, I’m delighted.”
Supporting the community
Julie’s groups previously danced at the Queen’s Baton Relay when it visited the area in 2017 and helped promote the successful campaign for Perth to become a city, in 2012.
And tonight they are performing at Perth’s Concert Hall in a celebratory show to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Dancers will perform a range of styles to a variety of music to represent ‘through the ages’ of the Queen’s reign.
She said: “We’ve been very busy rehearsing for the show and want to honour the Queen in the best way we can.
“There are all sorts of styles of music and dance to commemorate the evolution of dance through the decades of the Queen’s reign.”
Danced for the Queen
Julie performed for the Queen and Prince Philip at Meadowbank Stadium in 1986 when Her Majesty came to Edinburgh for the Commonweath Games.
She was one of around 100 dancers in a mass Highland dance.
Aged 16 at the time, she had started Highland dancing when she was eight and ballet the following year.
I never thought this would happen to me, I’m delighted.”
Julie Young
Julie learned her art through dance teacher Helen Farquhar, of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD).
She has fond memories of Helen and has followed in her footsteps by also becoming accredited by the BATD, which she says has ‘guided’ her throughout her career.
Julie said: “It was my mother and dance teacher who set me up on this path. I want to give back to the students everything I got from my dance teacher.”
Conversation