Imagine jumping 192 times on one foot, while performing complicated and intricate footwork which uses every muscle from head to toe. This is the six-step Highland Fling, a Scottish dance – not to be confused with Irish dancing. 

Now imagine teaching it for 53 years and learning it since aged four. You’re tired just at the thought, right?

Margaret East and Gaye Anderson took over the Studio of National Dancing at 18. From then they have been known as Miss Gaye and Miss Marg. The school has danced at many of Launceston’s historical events, including the opening of the Silverdome.

Now married and best friends for nearly as long, their former student Luana Hasall said no matter how old they are, they’ll always be Miss Marg and Miss Gaye. 

“People see us in the street after 20 years and say ‘hello’, and we have no idea who they are,” Miss Gaye said.

After attempting to retire twice before, the dancing stalwarts are attempting to hang up their shoes for the final time. 

“For one reason or another people have always begged us to come back again, It’s about giving the kids confidence and friendships,” Miss Marg said. 

In November, the duo held a reunion ahead of their retirement. Former students flew in from all over the nation, including Miss Marg’s daughter, Alison Dell, of Canberra, and her now life-long friends Norina Brown and Luana Hasell, both of Brisbane. 

The pair were surprised by the St Andrews Pipe Band, while two current students, aged 8, led all former students in a final Highland Fling. 

The school started as purely Highland Dancing, until one day a parent of one of their students asked if they could teach a Czech Slovakian dance because of their family origin. 

“We had to study the books, that just shows how old we are,” Miss Gaye said.

Either are unaware of how many students they have taught.  “Oh God,” Miss Gaye answered, while Miss Marg estimates the number is in the thousands.

The pair’s philosophy was to teach every student equally. Miss Marg’s daughter said that was the reason people kept begging them to come back.

Mrs Dell said people constantly wanted them to teach their children because of its inclusiveness. 

“People keep ringing and asking to bring their children or grandchildren for lessons, because they know how giving and fair Mum and Gaye are. The class is a supportive and non-competitive atmosphere,” Mrs Dell said.

Former student Norina Brown said the school had always been an extended family.

“When our dad died I was 16. It was really nice to have the support of my dancing family. Through every tragedy everyone was supported,” she said. 

“(The students) still give us a kiss and a cuddle when they come to the competitions, so do the mums and the dads. It is like one big family and that is why we’re still here after so long,” Miss Gaye said.

Miss Gaye said people who taught dancing to make money were in the business for the wrong reasons. 

“For Margaret and I, it’s always been a hobby. It’s been because of the love the art and the fun of the kids. There have been times over the years where parents have lost their jobs, we always said ‘if you can’t afford to pay, then don’t’. We would rather the child to stay and have fun.”

“When we turned up the the school, there used to be a table there for the tape recorder and we’d just chuck our five bucks on the table, they would have no idea who had paid or not,” Mrs Brown said. 

As a dancing family the school has travelled to many competitions, decked out in “half-decent” uniforms Miss Gaye had sewn with her own two hands. 

Every two years the school travelled to the mainland to compete in the Champion of Champions Championships of Australia. The championships have been held in Tasmania five times, all with the pairs assistance. A requirement of the competition is to place at the state titles. 

“We’d save up for two years. We’d sell chocolates, we’d help cater. But being involved in dancing was such an amazing thing,” Mrs Dell said. 

“The dads even used to come on our dancing trips. They used to all rock on the plane and it’d be like one big family holiday,” Mrs Brown said. 

While Miss Marg and Miss Gaye are hanging up the shoes teaching “little kids”, they aren’t quite ready to fully retire. 

“We’ll still keep our connections with our senior girls and the pipe band. You just have to choreograph and say ‘do this, do that’, and off they go,” Miss Marg said.  

The pair plan to keep judging at the Launceston Competitions, which Miss Gaye has been president of for 33 years. 

“I’ve had two hip replacements and the band is going to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2018. If I can manage to get up the steps of the coach, then I’ll be there too,” Miss Gaye said.  

“We have been really fortunate over the years to have formed friendships with people who are much younger than us, they don’t see us as any different and we are very lucky to have had that with some very special people.”