The dancers of Highlanddancing.nl from Zuidlaren won an impressive harvest of medals last weekend during the International Highland Dancing competition at the Scottish Weekend in Alden Biesen, Belgium.
With a total of several gold, silver and bronze prizes, the highlight was for Tessa Weeke, who achieved silver and once silver once. With that she was named overall winner and she was allowed to take the cup home.
The dance school, which trains weekly in Zuidlaren, sent four talents to the competition. They all returned to the north with prices. Corina van Kammen brought in the bronze on all dances. In addition to the individual successes, there was also praise for their presentation: Hinke Jager became third in the category ‘Best Dress“And her sister Corine finished fifth. The company can therefore look back on a particularly successful weekend full of dance, tradition and sporting performance.
Highland Dancing is a traditional Scottish dance form that goes back in time for centuries. Originally the dances were performed to test strength, discipline and endurance between different clans. Later the dance also served as a skill test for the Scottish army. Today, Highland Dancing is a recognized competition and art form, where every movement counts. Well -known dances are the Highland Fling and the Sword DanceBut also the Seann Triubhasin which dancers symbolically shake off pants after the kilt ban was lifted.
The dance requires a huge physical commitment and technology. During competitions, an expert jury assesses matters such as attitude, jumping power and precision. With that, Highland Dancing is not just a folkloric dance, but a serious sport in which many years of training and discipline come together.
The dancers of Highlanddancing.nl come from all three northern provinces, but their home base is Zuidlaren. The group has sixteen members and a bagpipe player, ranging in age from 9 to 50 years. We train every week, both by beginners and by experienced dancers, with the aim of participating in performances and international competitions. The performance in Alden Biesen shows that those efforts are bearing fruit.
The competition took place during the Scottish Weekend in Alden Biesen, a three -day festival that is known for its Celtic atmosphere and culture. Dancers from all over Europe were able to find their way to the Belgian league this year, giving the prices of the Zuidlaarders extra shine.