A community highland dancer experienced a sturdy exhibiting at a countrywide level of competition very last thirty day period.
Lauren McNamara, a member of the Pictou County Highland Dance Association, represented Nova Scotia at the ScotDance Canada Championship Series 2023 from July 3 to 6 in Halifax.
“I experienced previously done this in 2022 so I sort of previously realized what it was like, so I guess that designed the nerves go down a minor little bit much less,” she reported. “Overall, I was not seriously anxious for the reason that I’d go on phase, and attempt all my corrections, and if I placed, I placed, and if I didn’t, I didn’t.”
McNamara claimed a few dancers from just about every province and territory competed.
“At Canadians, the provincial reps are only permitted to dance,” she stated.
On the initially day of levels of competition, McNamara was named 3rd runner-up in the Ship Hector occasion, a dance-off, indicating every single participant performs, then a tiny team is named back again to dance the moment once again.
“It was a particular function so everybody from ages 10 to 13 competed on that day danced the Ship Hector celebration,” she noted. “I was really pleased with that, and I danced towards about 89 persons.”
McNamara finished seventh in Fling and 2nd in Seann Triubhas in Leading 13 Years.
In the Leading 12 and underneath 14 division as a provincial consultant, McNamara finished in fourth position in Fling and sixth in Sword.
Dancing in the Leading 13 Many years division on July 5, McNamara concluded in seventh in Flora and seventh in Blue Bonnets.
On the final day of competitiveness at the North American Open Championship, McNamara danced in the 13 Years division and completed fifth in Sword, fourth in Seann Triubhas and sixth in Strathspey and 50 % Tulloch, earning her fourth runner-up in her group.
“This competition, it was open to everyone in North The usa,” she said. “Pretty significantly all of the time, all of the reps that contend on the precise Canadian stage July 4, they stay for the total point, so I was undoubtedly against a great deal of reps.”
The 13-year-outdated Grade 8 pupil at Pictou Academy has been dancing due to the fact she was seven.
“My dance teacher does something that’s called ‘Take Your Mate to Dance Class’ and a single of my close friends introduced me,” she recalled. “When I went there, I immediately realized that I liked it.”
Noting she picked it up immediately, McNamara stopped participating in hockey and threw herself into Highland dance.
“I questioned my mother, but at the time I was in hockey, and it was travelling hockey, so she was not sure about it, but I begged her more and then she permit me sign up for it,” recounted McNamara. “I wanted to devote far more to Highland dance, and I understood that I beloved Highland dance a ton extra than I appreciated hockey.”
At the Fredericton Highland Games on July 29 and 30, McNamara acquired substantial mixture both equally times of levels of competition then the took the choreography classification, undertaking with two buddies.
On the weekend of Sept. 15 to 17, McNamara will be dancing at the Loon Mountain Highland Online games in New Hampshire.
“There’s constantly a couple of competitions in the slide so I’ll observe for individuals, but if not, just apply for anything at all genuinely.”
