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Highland dancer Vancouver IslandB次元官网网址檚 first Canadian champion in more than 30 years

NanaimoB次元官网网址檚 Annalise Lam, 17, first Island dance to accomplish the feat since 1988
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Brigadoon Dance Academy Highland dancers McKenzie Ranger, left, Hannah Purtle, Annalise Lam, Finley Robertson, Keltie Willis, Rayani Zoysa, Allison McBride, competed at the ScotDance Canada Championship Series in Regina earlier this month. (Photo submitted)

A teen from Nanaimo is Vancouver IslandB次元官网网址檚 first national champion Highland dancer in more than 30 years.

Annalise Lam, 17, who trains with Brigadoon Dance Academy, won the Canadian championship for her age division earlier this month at the ScotDance Canada Championship Series in Regina. According to Brigadoon instructor Diena Henry, Lam is the first Islander to win a Canadian championship since SidneyB次元官网网址檚 Jennifer Lindsay accomplished the feat in 1988.

LamB次元官网网址檚 results at provincials in May qualified her for nationals, and she said she kept training hard and made a few adjustments, B次元官网网址渂ut nothing too drastic,B次元官网网址 to prepare for Canadian championships.

SheB次元官网网址檚 been to nationals several times and her best finish prior to this year was fifth place.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 just so many talented dancers all over CanadaB次元官网网址次元官网网址 she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just an amazing atmosphere and such a big stage to compete on.B次元官网网址

Lam started the competition B次元官网网址渞eally stronglyB次元官网网址 with the fling, one of her best dances. The next event was the sword dance, which was challenging as all the swords were moving around a little bit on a slightly bouncy stage. Then the music was a touch off in the seann triubhas and the reel, but Lam adapted.

B次元官网网址淚 was feeling fairly confident,B次元官网网址 she said. B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 expect to win, but I felt strong in my dances.B次元官网网址

In Highland dancing, the results of the judging arenB次元官网网址檛 revealed until all the dances are complete, and then all the dancers who placed are called up to the stage. Lam ended up finishing first in the fling, fifth in the sword, and second in both the seann triubhas and the reel.

B次元官网网址淔or my group, the results were very inconsistent, so there wasnB次元官网网址檛 a clear winner and I was trying to do the calculation,B次元官网网址 she said.

But as the runner-ups were announced, it became apparent that Lam was on her way to first overall and a Canadian championship.

B次元官网网址淚t was amazing. It was just a dream come true,B次元官网网址 she said. B次元官网网址淚 couldnB次元官网网址檛 believe that all my hard work and dedication had paid off. I was in complete shock.B次元官网网址

The Canadian championship isnB次元官网网址檛 the end of Highland dancing season for Lam. She and her friend Keltie Willis, another Brigadoon standout, will be going to world championships at the Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon, Scotland, at the end of August.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 always been a dream of mine to go to Scotland, because thatB次元官网网址檚 where the best of the best dancers in the world go to compete and IB次元官网网址檓 just so excited for that experience,B次元官网网址 Lam said.

Henry said in an e-mail to the B次元官网网址 Bulletin that Brigadoon dancers worked hard during the pandemic despite event cancellations and were thrilled to compete again, and Lam said that was a motivating factor that helped her achieve success.

B次元官网网址淚t was a big incentive after the [first two years of] the pandemic, when competitions and championships came back, to make the most of every opportunity to perform,B次元官网网址 she said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been really practising a lot and IB次元官网网址檝e really changed and shifted my mindset to be prepared for these big championships.B次元官网网址

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About the Author: Greg Sakaki

I have been in the community newspaper business for two decades, all of those years with Black Press Media.
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