Highland dancers around Southland and Otago have had their competitions and exams cancelled by COVID-19 restrictions, but have found a fun way to keep dancing together through the lockdown.

Inspired by a video compiled by a highland dance school in Hobart that was doing the rounds on Facebook, highland dance teachers from southern New Zealand pondered whether they might be able to go one better. They encouraged their pupils from a range of different schools to collaborate on a fun video that kept them dancing, while also showcasing the different parts of the south they were isolating in.

The call went out to dress in full uniform and record a few seconds of fun, somewhere that reflected where they were in lockdown, to the tune “Better When I’m Dancing”.

The concept starts with a dancer finding a roll of toilet paper, picking it up and dancing, then throwing it to the next dancer to take over, so each clip needed to start with a toilet roll being thrown into the shot and end with it being passed on.

Te Anau photographer Chris Watson, dad to two of the dancers featured in the project, agreed to receive the submissions and edit the final version. He was blown away with what came back.

In all 57 dancers took part, from absolute beginners to seniors, from as far afield as Orepuki, Heriot, Invercargill, Gore, Te Anau, Queenstown and Dunedin. Their backdrops were also inspiring, with everything from farm tractors to sheep, deer and cattle and the odd lake and river views. One family even recorded its segment in the woolshed.

Mr Watson said it soon became clear that the 3-minute song would need to be extended. The final version is 10 minutes long, but Mr Watson said it didn’t feel like it.

The video was uploaded to YouTube last night and is already getting praise from highland dancers and teachers around the world.