Steve Somerville photo
Highland dancer Julia Peacock has won several competitions. Her next competition will be in Uxbridge.
Aurora
July 22, 2008 09:32 AM
By: Amanda Persico, Staff Writer
Julia Peacock flings, floras and shuffles in a kilt and tartan. She even shuffles and kicks over swords.
But the Seann Truibhas, a Scottish rebellious dance, is one of 11-year-old Julia’s favourites.
History leans into each dance, with symbolic moves, dress and props.
“It’s cool to find out about Scottish history,” she said. “Each move means something.”
After the English beat the Scottish in battle, the victors forced Scottish men to wear trousers.
“Clans were forbidden to wear kilts,” Julia said. “It’s a rebellion dance. They’re kicking off their trousers.”
The last step is a high jump doing the splits in the air.
“The final step adds a complicated fun part to the dance,” she said. “Once you know the steps, it’s a graceful dance.”
Last summer she took home the first place trophy, for her age, and it sits on the kitchen table.
This was the first time two highland dance competitors tied in the championship.
Julia gets to keep the perpetual trophy for six months, then off it goes to Ottawa to sit with her co-winner.
With each successful competition, participants get stamps, similar to scout badges.
Dancers need six stamps to move on to the next level. Julia is only one stamp away from the novice level.
After she stays at novice for a year, she can move up to intermediate.
But with hard work and practising her many dance steps, the Peacock family plans to travel to the highland dance homeland of Scotland.
Julia’s next big competition is at the end of July in Uxbridge, the Highlands of Durham Games.