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Cranbrook, BC
Canada

2504329196

Located in the beautiful southeast corner of British Columbia, the Kimberley Cranbrook Highland Dance Association exists to encourage dancers of all ages and levels to enjoy learning and performing Highland Dance.  Through the two dance schools, dancers can learn everything from the traditional Fling to new choreographies.  Dancers can be seen demonstrating their dances at functions such as Burn's Night and Christmas shows at senior homes, and compete in competitions from local to national level events.

Classes are offered for all ages - from preschool through adult.  Levels from Primary and Beginner to Premier are taught under the British Association of Teachers of Dance (BATD) Syllabus.  Classes are offered for competitive and recreational dance lessons, with the opportunities to do performance work, examinations, competitions, and championships.

Kimberley Cranbrook Highland Dance Association currently hosts a competition on the third weekend of each April, and a summer day camp the last week of every August. 

Highland Dance

What is Highland Dance?

Highland dance is where dancers of all ages can make friends, travel far and wide to competitions, listen to great music, experience the thrill of competition and performance, and build strength and endurance.

 

Highland dancing is a solo dance similar to ballet and Irish dance. Highland dancing has much in common with ballet in terms of its technical requirements and the training required for its performance. It takes stamina and arm and leg strength, regardless of the dancer's age. Highland Dance is recognized as a sport by the Sport Council of Canada & Scotland.

 

At KCHDA, we offer our dancers a quality Highland dance experience and opportunities in all facets of this sport, including fitness, competition, performance, examinations, and a genuine love of dance.The dances themselves promote fitness. Picture a 3-minute flat-out run – now throw on a kilt and a jacket, add some bagpipes, and keep a smile on your face for good measure!

 

Performances are a great way for dancers to show their friends and family what they have learned and build confidence in front of an audience. Performance events are optional for all dancers.

 

Competitions take place on weekends throughout the year. Although there is always more than one dancer on stage at a time, each dancer is judged individually on their solo performance. Participating in any competition is optional, but being competitive is highly encouraged.

 

Examinations (Medal Tests) can occur anytime throughout the year and follow the BATD syllabus. Dancers prepare for these through their dance classes. Taking part in examinations is optional but highly encouraged.

 

The love of the sport is built through a fun and exciting class structure, supportive teachers and fellow students, and the social atmosphere from meeting dancers and teachers from all corners of the globe and being a part of something with a rich, beautiful history.

 

 

IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE GOALS...

 

It's essential to have goals. Goals let us see where we are and where we'd like to be. Our dancers have done goal writing workshops to establish what they would like to get from their time dancing. Some dancers want to have fun, make friends and learn something new. Some dancers are driven by the opportunity to travel and perform. Others are competitive and want to win medals and trophies. It's exciting to see young dancers think about their goals. As a school, we have goals, too: to Enrich, Educate and Elevate through Scottish Highland Dance. These three things drive everything we do.

 

ENRICH:  Scottish Highland Dance can enrich the lives of all involved. Our dancers spend time weekly investing in themselves when they come to class. Through Highland Dance, the kids learn discipline, hard work, confidence, camaraderie, etiquette, and sportsmanship. We've seen one of our dancers work incredibly hard every week in class. She danced well at a competition but did not come in first. She realized her friend and classmate were taking home the trophy. You can imagine the reaction that might happen. Instead of jealousy, she smiled, clapped her hands, and patted her friend on the back. As a dance teacher, this was one of my proudest moments. I was thrilled to have a student win a trophy, but I was overjoyed to see the other dancer display genuine joy. Her poise was beyond her years! You don't always win in the real world, but what people remember is your attitude. Highland Dance enriches the lives of dancers from an early age.

 

EDUCATE:  As a Highland Dancer. People ask more times than I can count, "Is that like Riverdance?" Scottish Highland Dancing is different from Irish Dancing. We wear kilts, dance to bagpipes, and use our arms. I describe Highland Dance as being the "cousin" to Irish Dance. We wear ghillies similar to Irish dance shoes. Sometimes we dance to the same music, like Jigs, Hornpipes, and Reels. We don't wear bouncy wigs or have a worldwide hit like "Riverdance"...yet. BUT Highland Dancing has been taken around the world. Highland dancers are in South Africa, New Zealand, Europe, Japan, and North America. I want to educate this community on the beautiful art form that is Scottish Highland Dance.

 

ELEVATE:  We hope our third goal is a natural progression from our first two. By enriching the lives of our students and educating the community, we aim to elevate the standard and awareness of Highland Dance in Kimberley and Cranbrook and beyond. A strong Highland Dance community will help keep this cultural tradition alive. In this age of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, it's nice to back away from the electronics, blast the bagpipes, and honor a centuries-old tradition. And by the way, you don't have to be Scottish to be a Highland Dancer!