AN AYR dance school is going from strength to strength as it marks 40 fantastic years in the town.

Dansarena was created in 1984 when Karen Mitchell and husband Dennis Gage bought the impressive Grade 2 listed Cathcart Church.

A conversion was carried out and after many years of dancing delight, the school was taken over by Kerry and Steven Bolland in December 2016.

The school offers four dance studios, extensive changing facilities, its very own theatre and a recently refurbished coffee shop for pupils and their families.

Steven admits the dance school has been a whirlwind since the couple took over eight years ago, but says it has been filled with delightful moments.

(Image: Contributed) He said: “Kerry had managed the school for more than 10 years and when the previous owners approached us about taking it on, we used some of our savings and said yes.

“Our daughter came here as a youngster and now she’s on the West End stage in Moulin Rouge.

“I can tell you a million success stories from across the years and Emily is just one of them.

“We have hundreds of pupils and a talented group of teachers, and the facilities are honestly second to none for the west of Scotland.”

Steven reveals the school was hit hard by the pandemic in 2020, with its teachings and the building itself impacted.

(Image: Contributed) He explained: “We probably hit some of the hardest years we could have, as we took the decision not to do online classes through the first lockdown.

“It was very difficult with classes of 20-plus kids, and you have to try and give them all the same attention.

“We went online through the second lockdown because we didn’t want to lose touch with them, but a few still dropped off because of it.

“It was a bit of a rebuild job with the pupils and also for the building, because during lockdown the school next door was being developed.

 “The vibrations really damaged the building, and we are still paying the cost of that to this day.”

The owners have now ploughed tens of thousands of pounds back into the building, with a newly refurbished coffee shop doing a roaring trade with students and families.

The school is also gearing up for its annual pantomime in its historic upstairs theatre space.

(Image: Contributed) Steven added: “The level of tuition that’s put on here is amazing, the standards and level of teaching staff is outstanding.

“Some of the qualifications here are utilised for entry to university. It can be used almost like a higher.

“Straight after school, kids will come in a variety of different ages, and we are open until around 9.30pm Monday to Friday, all day Saturday and most of the day on Sundays.

“We have people coming in from across the UK to do specialist workshops, that have been in shows all over the country.

“The pupils get an introduction into what can be achieved in the industry, and there’s some kids in here that aspire to that.”

The school also has branches in Kilmarnock and Troon, which Kerry and Steven acquired after the pandemic.

For more information on the dance school, visit the Dansarena Facebook page or go to their website.