Shannon Anderson’s motto, ‘to face the giants’, is forever present as she prepares to once again leave for Scotland and dance in the annual Highland Dancing World Championship.
This will be the 20-year-old’s third time at the world championship, where she will try to qualify for the first time to face international competition on the world stage in Dunoon. This is the only Highland dancing competition that has a qualifying round because of the number of dancers who participate.
“Many girls in South Africa take part in Highland dancing for the social and fitness aspect. You don’t have to compete but it is a lot of fun. The fun definitely outweighs the injuries,” Anderson explained.
Having been unbeaten this year, except for nationals because the current world champion was competing, Anderson is nothing but positive and excited for the experience she will gain at worlds. “The standard there is incredible and I want to bring back that standard and boost our own here in South Africa,” she added.
Anderson leaves today (17 August) for Scotland and plans to compete in smaller competitions over the weekend. She will put in a full week of practice before the qualifying round on 26 August and hopes to participate in the championship on 27 August.
Anderson will have to perform all four traditional Scottish Highland dances, the Fling, Sword dance, Highland Reel and Seann Truibhas, with a predetermined set of steps for each dance, which is set by the World Governing Body of Highland Dancing every year.
Anderson was inspired to take up dancing in 2006 by her aunt’s achievements as a highland dancer as well as the spectacles Anderson would see at highland gatherings. She began competing in the same year and through hard work won the South African National Championships, twice as a junior and twice again as a pre-senior.
To explain what Highland dancing is like and the toll it takes on the body, Anderson quoted from a website post which read, “In a six step Highland Fling, a dancer will jump vertically 192 times on one foot at a time, while performing complicated and intricate footwork and using the muscles from head to toe.
Highland dancing is, therefore, akin to sprinting, so go run a mile with your arms above your head on your toes in soft shoes with seven to 10 pounds of wool clothing and don’t forget to smile.”
