Dance Club University of St Andrews crowdfunding with SaintsFunder

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO DANCE

WHAT IS THE HIGHLAND FUSION BURSARY?

The Highland Fusion Bursary has been supporting dancers to overcome the financial barrier to dance and our highland dance team for the past two years. Bursary recipients are completely anonymous to all members of the team and has allowed passionate dancers and choreographers to continue doing what they love most.

Who are we?

Highland Fusion is the University of St Andrews Dance Club's highland dance team. We are a group of students with a passion for dance and choreography. Highland Fusion has 2 teams–a performance team and a competitive team. Together, we compete at competitions across the UK, volunteer in the local community, and perform at Dance Club showcases, University events, and local events celebrating national holidays.

“Highland Fusion has been one of the biggest parts of my first year university experience. From the training sessions, competitions, socials and shows, we become a massive family and it contributes so much to the University atmosphere. I really couldn’t imagine the rest of my years in St Andrews without it.”

our story

Our initial vision was to create the Highland Fusion Bursary for the competitive team in 2023 following in the footsteps of the Blue Angels Bursary. Thanks to generous support and encouragement from around the world, the bursary is continuing on this year and has expanded to include the performance team!

During the initial process, we discovered there was a much greater need to support potential dancers than we thought. Our membership fees are higher than the recreational Dance Club because we need to cover the costs of entry fees, costumes, and travel. This has acted as a barrier for passionate, talented highland dancers and choreographers within our community. We have therefore decided to continue to do our best to make dancing accessible by raising funds each year for the Highland Fusion Bursary.

The bursary application and approval processes are administered confidentially by Registry and Student Services. Highland Fusion is not involved at all—we just do the fundraising!

Where will the money go?

We are passionate about dance and want to give everyone the opportunity to be able to experience the joy it brings–regardless of financial circumstances. All donations will directly fund dancers' memberships and required kit, enabling them to enjoy competitive dance and share their love of dance with the wider community.

“Five years later, I can look back and say that joining the Highland Fusion team in my first year at university was one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made. Not only did I have incredible opportunities to train and perform, compete and volunteer, teach and travel, but I also grew as a person – gaining confidence, making new friends and trying new things that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. As one of the highlights of my St Andrews experience, Highland Fusion will always have a special place in my heart. I am so grateful to the club and the people I met along the way – I wouldn’t be the same person that I am today otherwise!”

Please note: all payments will be processed at the time of donating. This means that you will be charged immediately upon making your donation. In the event that a project does not reach its specified target, rest assured that your donation will be directed towards area of greatest need related to the club, e.g., purchase of kit, travel and entry fees for competitions. This approach allows us to maximise the impact of your support and ensures that your contribution continues to make a meaningful difference. If you have any questions or concerns about this update, please don't hesitate to contact us at saintsfunder@st-andrews.ac.uk

HELP US SUCCEED!

Please help us to achieve our vision of awarding the Blue Angels Bursary every year and support passionate dancers in our community by donating today!