A dance group from Australia has boomeranged across the globe for the first time in 17 years to take part in the 2015 Aberdeen International Youth Festival.
The Ulysses Dancers, based in the city of Townsville in North Queensland, last took to the stage in the north-east in both 1994 and 1998.
Now, with many of the former performers now old enough to be instructors, the troupe is back.
Jane Pirani, Ulysses director, said she chose to come to the festival this year to give the new generation of dancers a taste of Scottish life.
Mrs Pirani said: “It’s about 24C back home right now, so it has been a bit chilly for the kids, but so far they’re loving Scotland.
“They even had a ceilidh last night, they had such a wonderful time using their dance skills to show off to all the other performers from this year’s festival, I bet they’ll want a ceilidh every night back home in Townsville now.
“When we were offered the chance to come back to Aberdeen after all these years I thought it would be a lovely idea, and it has really been a great success, it’s so good to see how the city has developed culturally.”
The director also praised the variety of acts on offer for her group’s 25 youngsters to see at AIYF.
She add:”It’s just such a well-run festival. It’s really good to see so many people from all over the world, it’s got a really international feel.
“We don’t have festivals in Australia that range from dance, to singing, to art, so I think it’s important to show the kids the real diversity that you get at the AIYF.
“I don’t know for sure if we’ll be back next year, but we’re definitely going to be back again, hopefully a lot sooner than 17 years time.”
The Ulysees Dancers are taking part in a variety of performances across the city over the course of the festival, which is running until August 1, but the highlight of their visit will be an interpretative take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream tonight at 7.30pm at the Aberdeen Arts Centre, with tickets costing £6.00.
For more information on this year’s AIYF visit
http://www.aiyf.org/