In Pictures: Annette St Primary School kids discover the joy dance
Annette Street Primary School kids perfomed their own dance routines with the help of STRUT Kids — discovering the power of dance, movement and silliness in sparking joy and creativity.
STRUT Kids perform and play at Annette Street Primary School
Written by STRUT lead artist Bex Anson | Photos by Syeda Sadaf Anwar
STRUT Kids was born from our original STRUT show, a promenade-style outdoor dance parade celebrating local talent in all its bold, brilliant forms. After seeing the joy it sparked, we realised we could create a version just for children: a space where play, movement, and confidence could grow together.
We piloted the first STRUT Kids project in 2022 at Cuthbertson Primary School as part of Tramway’s Beyond Walls initiative. Very quickly we learned that we didn’t need busy streets or big public spaces. What children needed was somewhere familiar and comfortable. A playground. A gym hall. And a lunchtime club instead of after school, so everyone could join in. That small tweak opened the door for maximum accessibility and, even more importantly, maximum joy.
Fast-forward three years and we’ve had the chance to build it all again with two new schools: Annette Street Primary and Battlefield. Each time, the children have reminded us exactly why STRUT Kids exists.
STRUT Kids is about discovering joy in movement, finding confidence through silliness, play, rhythm, and imagination. It’s about realising there is no ‘right’ way to dance, only your way. It’s that spark when music moves you, when you create a shape no one else thought of, or when you see a friend’s idea and think, “I want to try that too.”
Photo Gallery by Syeda Sadaf Anwar
With the P6 class at Annette Street, we spent ten sessions exploring movement in every possible form. We played skipping games. Invented ridiculous handshakes. Discovered favourite songs. Used images to inspire new shapes. Learned breakdance moves. Took inspiration from pop songs and music videos. We let music guide us into drawings (names, monsters, tacos) full of colour and personality, which later became our projected backdrops.
We danced with ribbons to different atmospheres of sound and found our inner wildness. We had dance battles. Played Murder and STRUT Says. We shared ideas, performed tiny – but mighty – solos, and asked each other ‘how did that movement make you feel? What did you see? What did it remind you of?’
Throughout the project we saw children step into their confidence, sharing new moves, trying ideas, and encouraging their friends.
STRUT Kids is about the unbound pleasure of moving your body in all the ways it can move, to different beats, with others or on your own. It is not about precision or remembering complex routines. It is about finding new patterns and pathways, making creative choices with curiosity, moving playfully with friends, and enjoying the thrill of showing off for each other.
When showtime arrives, the children get to share their moves with classmates and parents, and we finish with a disco and snacks.
STRUT Kids is Made possible by funding from Youth Arts Open Fund, YouthLink Scotland, and Creative Scotland.