Four girls from Whidbey Island will compete in Highland dancing competitions Saturday, Aug. 13, at Greenbank Farm.
Dancing is part of the Highland games that begin 9 a.m. at Greenbank Farm. The daylong event will feature bagpiping, athletic events, ethnic foods and cultural connections to everything Celtic.
Among the dancers onstage will be Fionna Strong, 7, and Hannah Gluth, 8, both of Oak Harbor,
Highland Dancing is as much an athletic as an artistic activity. It requires dancers to be in top physical shape. Though the dancers may perform in a line across a stage, Highland dancing essentially is a solo act.
When asked what she liked the most about Highland Dance, Hannah replied, “I like winning in competitions.â€
Fionna began dancing at 4 years old, while she was living in Scotland. She then moved to California and began dancing competitively, which she continues to do now all over the region. She recently won three first place prizes for her dancing at the Pacific Northwest Highland Games that took place in Enumclaw. She dances at the intermediate level.
Hannah has been a Highland dancer for five years. She, too, dances at the intermediate level. She will be moving up to Premier level, which is the highest level to be reached in Highland dancing.
The Barrow sisters of South Whidbey, Laura,13, and Kristen, 16, will also perform at the games.
Both sisters are at the Premier level of Highland dancing. Kristen has danced for 10 years and Laura eight years. They had the opportunity to dance in Scotland at the Scottish World Championship last year.
In addition, Laura recently made her way to the United States Inter-Regional Highland Dancing Championships where only three girls are selected out of each of the six geographic regions to participate.
The dances the girls will perform Saturday will include the Highland Fling, Sean Triubhas and the Scottish Lilt.
Judges mainly grade dancers on their footwork and their hand positions. The dance steps are standardized by the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing.
