Music Editor, Dan Brophy, speaks with dancer and Commercial Fusion Choreographer, Isabella Offelder, and our very own Culture Editor and GSDC dancer, Jess Northridge, about their sold-out 2025 show, Let’s Groove.
In their uniform of black, white, and red, Glasgow Student Dance Company are undoubtedly one of the most prominent societies on campus. A vibrant, kinetic, and passionate community of over 180 people, GSDC work tirelessly, week-in, week-out, preparing for a string of springtime shows. In 2025, GSDC once again proved that extraordinary commitment, combined with extraordinary flair, can produce a spectacle like no other in Glasgow.
I spoke with dancer and Commercial Fusion choreographer, Isabella Offelder, about this year’s show, Let’s Groove, which sold-out in a matter of minutes.
DB: What are the most rewarding and challenging parts of being a choreographer?
IO: The most rewarding is watching a student be more confident with themselves and the dance each week! Even students who were worried at the beginning about catching up with choreography ended up so confident and I am so incredibly proud of every one of my students. Aside from that, the most rewarding thing is being on stage together with my group. It felt so incredibly good when we were all screaming during the dance and just had fun. Lastly, of course hearing all the positive feedback from students and the audience feels very good. It can be challenging sometimes to be confident with my own choreography. Sometimes I feel like people didn’t enjoy a class or don’t like certain moves but seeing them react in the way they did always gave me so much confidence. It is my third time being a choreographer. When I was a choreographer in first year it was scary at times but thanks to my students I gained more confidence every time. I am now so much more confident in myself, and being a choreographer (for the third time now)
DB: Describe your experience as a choreographer at GSDC, particularly in the buildup to Let’s Groove?
IO: Being a choreographer is so rewarding and extremely exciting! Choreographing for a show comes with a lot of responsibilities. We have to organise costumes, cut the music, make sure everyone feels confident and happy, and of course choreograph a dance in time for the show, which can be stressful at times. However, it is extremely rewarding to see the dance improve from week to week and watch all the students feel more comfortable and confident
as the show approaches. Aside from the show in itself being rewarding, classes always gave me such a confidence boost! Seeing people enter a class drained and unmotivated from a stressful day and then leave with a smile on their face made me so happy every week. In my style, confidence and feeling sexy is important. “GASOLINA!”, my dance, is about feeling powerful.
DB: What influences your choreography, style, and artistic approach?
IO: Something that has had a great influence on my choreography has been spending a lot of time in Spain during my life. My main style is Flamenco. Also social media, TikTok, my thoughts and pictures in my head when I sleep or when I’m thinking. During my time as a choreographer, I was thinking about my dance 24/7. I’d be listening to the music on the way to the library and would take study breaks to choreograph in the mirror of the library toilets. I would think about my dance all of the time, and I would have very clear pictures in my head before I sleep, imagining a finished product.
DB: How important is stylistic diversity to GSDC, and to Lets Groove?
IO: Very! I hope to see more in the future, so that students can explore more styles and come out of their comfort zone. That’s really important when you’re a dancer, and I think that makes you more confident. It is important to improve as a dancer, and to understand what dancing is really about. It’s also important to explore styles, in order to include influences in your own comfort style. I would love to see people join from different styles.
DB: How has GSDC shaped your experience at UofG?
IO: GSDC has been a MASSIVE part of my university experience. Over the last 4 years, I have had the pleasure of being in 19 dances and 4 shows in total! I was part of the competition team, and I was also a choreographer three times, and gained such valuable experience from that. I managed to explore so many different styles aside from flamenco and commercial fusion (the styles I taught). I took part in commercial, hip-hop, tap, jazz, polyswagg, contemporary, and heels, CAPS styles which have added so much value to what I already knew about dance and have been so much fun to explore. I would recommend anyone to join GSDC, no matter WHAT your level of dance is. It will make you so much more confident. The social aspect is also so amazing in GSDC. It has been so much fun being part of the GSDC family and I have met some of my best friends there.
In order to gain another perspective, I spoke to our very own Culture Editor, Jess Northridge, about her experiences as a dancer in Let’s Groove.
DB: Describe the experiences of a performer during Let’s Groove? What are the biggest rewards and the biggest challenges?
JN: Performing in the show was one of the highlights of my year. It’s so much fun to be on stage with all your friends, showing the audience the results of all your hard work over the past six months. Sometimes you’re nervous before you go on stage, but you’re with your friends and you know you’re in it together. There’s often a real sense of camaraderie among the dancers, which is lovely. GSDC is a big-time commitment. You have to show up to class every week. Some of the dances have techniques you have to get your head around or moves which have to be really practiced getting right on stage. It’s worth it for me though. I get to feel really powerful and beautiful when I’m dancing. This year I was only in one dance, Eleni’s Latin Fusion. I worked hard to do the song, the choreography, and the choreographer justice. It’s quite a dark, angry, but sultry kind of dance so I had a lot of fun leaning into female rage and finding strength in that kind of movement, so I really enjoyed that.
DB: How important is diversity in style for you as a dancer in GSDC?
JN: Having diverse dance styles is so important to me. In my time in the society, I’ve found one of the greatest strengths we have is our variety. There’s really something for everyone, whether you like Jazz, Commercial, Ballet, whatever. But more importantly, I think the culturally diverse dances are some of the best in the society and in the show. They’ve always been some of the most fun, approachable classes I’ve taken. Like for instance, Bellydance last year was the highlight of my week every week, and the reason I joined the society in the first place. It was so cool to learn about the dance of another culture.
DB: What has GSDC meant to you during your time at UofG?
JN: GSDC has been so rewarding for me. It’s wonderful to be part of a girl-centric space. It’s like a real-life Barbie Land (with a few lovely Kens). Through the society I’ve met so many lovely people, gained so much confidence and made so many friends. There’s nothing quite like squeezing your friend’s hand while you stand in the wings waiting to go on stage and dance. I think that really bonds you with people. It’s just been this lovely network of (mostly) girls and I’m so glad I could be a part of it.