A Broughty Ferry student has gone viral in China after teaching locals how to Scottish country dance.
Holly Stansfield, 21, a former Grove Academy pupil, was showing off her Dashing White Sergeant skills as part of a cultural exchange organised between universities.
A Chinese news agency covered the story, and according to Holly’s parents, it went viral as it was shared by curious viewers.
Holly’s mum, Linda Stansfield, said: “She was asked to teach a class at another university for a week and was told to do something fun and different.
“She decided to teach them Scottish country dancing, even though she’s not a huge dancer herself.
“We looked up videos on BBC – things like the Dashing White Sergeant and others for her to prepare.
“I think everyone really enjoyed it – it’s something different.”
The traditional music and choreography sparked the interest of people right across China after the story was picked up by a national news company, and articles covering the event have since gone viral on the country’s social media.
The Chinese language student, who is currently studying at Nanjing University as part of her degree, delivered the sessions during a week spent at the Chinese Pharmaceutical University in another part of the city.
Margaret Walkinshaw, secretary of the Dundee branch of the royal Scottish country dance society, said it was enjoyed worldwide.
“I think that’s really exciting to hear – it’s a worldwide thing. I know quite a lot of people in Japan do Scottish country dancing, and all over Europe and beyond.
“There are branches all around the world.
“I think people enjoy it because you are meeting up with other people – meeting people from different countries even. It’s keeping the tradition going.”
Holly, has been out in Nanjing for nine months, and is set to return over the summer before continuing her studies. She’s no stranger to studying abroad, having also spent time at the University of Queensland.
Coverage of the story in China compared the cultural exchange to the recent boost in financial and political discussions between the two nations, which was brought into focus by the state visit of the Chinese president Xi Jinping to the UK earlier this year.
Nanjing, which is in the lower Yangtze River region in China, has a population of 8,230,000 – and also has a sizeable international student population across its universities.
