At the front row of every single Highland Hustle class I teach is my mum. My biggest supporter, Highland Hustle’s biggest fan, and my inspiration.
I’m Fiona. I’m 23, a Highland Dance Teacher and Marketing Executive for a whisky company. I now live just outside of Glasgow, but teach Highland Hustle in Tranent, East Lothian on a Monday night and Denny, Falkirk on a Tuesday night.
Since beginning dancing at the age of 4, my mum has taxied me to dance classes, spent most of her weekends sitting in halls or outside in the rain at competitions. She supported me when I’ve won and encouraged me to keep going when I’ve lost. She paid the expenses when I was younger (which most dance mums will know are not cheap) and ensured I never missed out on anything. You’d think after almost 20 years of dealing with me and my dancing she’d be fed up of anything highland related, but along came Highland Hustle!
I completed Highland Hustle training in Perth, Scotland, in January 2017. I was in my final year of university, unsure of what I wanted to do once I graduated, and in need of some extra money to keep me going whilst I decided! I went along to the training course after watching a couple of YouTube videos. Having never attended a Highland Hustle class I had no idea what to expect, but was not disappointed. We started our day with a 45minute class, and I knew straight away that this was going to be a great journey!
In February 2017 I took my first set of classes (2 classes back to back). I had over 20 people in each class and I could barely stand up my legs were shaking so much. Mum helped me to collect the money and sign-up forms and when the class was about to start, she stood ready to dance in the front row and was the familiar face, and reassurance I needed to begin the class. Those who have attended my classes will know that my mum hasn’t moved from the front row since!
My mum is my biggest supporter, Highland Hustle’s biggest fan, and an inspiration to many.
On a Monday, when I am stressed and rushing about after teaching the children’s classes, my mum is the lady who comes in, helps take the money, rearranges the hall and ensures I can start our Hustle classes on time. When you attend a class for the first time, my mum is the lady who comes straight over to you, introduces herself and puts you at ease. When my head is in the clouds and I go the wrong way, my mum is the lady who makes a funny face at me and reminds me what I should be doing. When we’re doing group dances and you hear a big ‘whoop’, my mum is the mad lady having such a great time she forgets where she is! And when I’ve chosen a difficult playlist, my mum is the one who’s honest enough to tell me she didn’t like that!
(Picture of Fiona and Mum, April at Highland Hustle Conference and joined by a fellow Instructor, Laura from Killin)
When I moved to Glasgow in June 2018, my mum decided she’d start driving from her work in Haddington to Denny, just to attend my Tuesday night class (and maybe to see me too). To put that in to context, that is a 106mile round journey, with a battle through the Edinburgh rush hour traffic, taking up to 2 hours some weeks! But without fail, my mum is there week in, week out, full of energy and enthusiasm.
I love that we now get to share a hobby, be twins with our Highland Hustle t-shirts, get excited about new tracks together and I look forward to a girly weekend every year at the Highland Hustle conference.
Without my mums help, I absolutely would not manage to do everything that I do, especially with my dance school and Highland Hustle classes.
So with mother’s day approaching, I’d like to say a massive thank you to my mum for all of the support and encouragement she has given me and continues to give me every day! I don’t say it enough, but I really do appreciate it.