highland dancing page
Highland Dancing in
Queensland now has its own webpage at www.sqrchdi.com/
2003 Highland Dancing dates for south-east Queensland
| Date/Day | Competition | Location | Contact |
| 29 June (Sunday) | Redlands Gathering | Community Hall, Smith Street, Cleveland |
Ann WESTON 3300 1045 |
| 19 July (Saturday) | Scotia | Mitchelton State High School, north-west Brisbane |
Lyndel GOLLAN 3886 0011 |
| 03 August (Sunday) | Thistle 'in the round' | Mitchelton State High School, north-west Brisbane |
Margaret PATERSON 3355 4916 |
| August | Royal National Association Exhibition | Bowen Hills, Brisbane | Demonstration in main arena on main Wednesday and
Saturday nights. Contact your teacher. |
| 24 August | Caledonian Titles | Mitchelton State High School, north-west Brisbane |
Ann WESTON 3300 1045 |
| 20 September (Saturday) | River City Titles and competition |
TBA (in Brisbane north) | Jo-Ann MORRIS 3354 1873 |
| 11/12 October TBC | Inverness Highland Dance Studio |
Warwick, south Queensland | Marlene McBEAN 4661 7262 |
| 29/30 November (Saturday/Sunday) | South Queensland St Andrew's Day Championships and
competition |
Mitchelton State High School, north-west Brisbane | Ann WESTON 3300 1045 |
Questions?
What is the difference between competitions, titles and championships?
A competition is open to all five categories of dancers (Primary, Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, and Premier). Titles involve the combination of two or more dances for a joint prize, like a prize for an aggregate score. Championships are restricted only to Premier level competitors.
Are visitors welcome?
Any person may watch a competition regardless of their cultural appreciations!
What are the levels: Primary, Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, and Premier?
Primaries (formerly Babies) are the under-7 age group. Beginners require to place 1st, 2nd or 3rd in six separate competitions (regardless of how many prizes they get on the same day), when they become Novices. Novices compete another six separate competition placings, and become Intermediates. A dancer spends one year as an Intermediate before becoming a Premier (formerly called Open).
How does Irish dancing differ from Highland dancing?
Scots are smarter! We use our hands and our arms at the same time. Seriously, highland dancing has its feet turned out at 45 degrees, and does not lift the knee up like Irish dancing. Whereas each Irish dancer does his/her own thing singly on stage, Scottish dancing has a right and a left side of a step, and two or three dancers in the same category may be on stage at the same time. However what throws the first time visitor is that for, say, the Beginners 11-13 years Highland Fling, the three dancers could all be doing different steps at the same time -- there are sixteen different Scottish Official Board steps for the Fling alone!
Is there just the Fling?
Certainly not! Regularly at a competition there would be the Fling, the Sword Dance, the Seann Triubhas ('shown-trews'), Scottish Lilt, Irish Jig-Scottish variant, and the Sailor's Hornpipe-Scottish variant. Then there's the Flora McDonald's Fancy, Barracks Johnnie (Wilt thou go to the berricks Johnnie?), Blue Bonnets, and so on. Non-competitively, there are many more.
Visitors
Competitions generally start by 8.30 am, although dancers must be there by 8.00 am. Some places have door entry cost. Ask the person how the programme results are recorded -- it is straight-forward, but not when you initially look at it!
Cameras are not allowed as the camera flash may distract a dancer, although there is a presentation to dancers at lunch time (for the morning session) and at the end of the day.
Meetings
The Queensland Highland Dancing Association is like a teachers, parents and friends group, promoting dancing and competition. People are welcome to attend and observe. 2003 meeting dates are 13 Feb, 24 Apr, 29 May, 26 Jun, 14 Aug, 25 Sep, 20 Nov, TBA Dec. Starts 7.15 pm. Telephone Ann WESTON on 3300 1045.