Queenstown has its first national Highland dancing champion.
Isla Couldstone, 13, was named the New Zealand under-14 champ at the NZ Highland and National Dancing Championships at Tauranga’s Baycourt Theatre last weekend, competing against about 30 other dancers from across the country in about 10 different categories.
Fellow local dancer, Heidi Dalton, 9, ended her weekend ranked sixth in the country, of 25, in the U10 age-group, with one first and third place, two fourth places and two sixth places from her nine performances.
Teacher Carleen Dalton, Heidi’s mum, says she’s ‘‘absolutely buzzing’’ for both girls.
Making it extra-special was the location of the championships, her old dancing turf.
‘‘That’s where I was brought up dancing,’’ Dalton says.
‘‘That’s where my journey began.’’
Last month, Isla, who’s danced with Dalton for about three years, was named U14 champion at the Top of the South Highland Dancing Champs in Blenheim, but Dalton says the competition at the nationals was ‘‘huge’’.
Despite that, Isla won it ‘‘quite comfortably’’.
‘‘She was in the top one or two placings most of the weekend; she was way up there.
‘‘It wasn’t like watching a rugby [world cup final] — it was a lot more relaxed this time around,’’ she laughs.
Dalton gives credit to her club, her dancers, and the families involved for their dedication and hard work, which is helping the young charges make their names on the national stage.
‘‘It doesn’t come easy and it’s really good to know these kids, at this young age, know to get the results they’ve got to have fun, they’ve got to be passionate … but they’ve also got to put in the hard work, and not put pressure on themselves.
‘‘And they listen to their tutors,’’ she quips.
The next big competition for Dalton’s dancers is at the end of September, when about six will travel to Nelson for the NZ Highland Dancer of
the Year competition, in which they’ll compete against other dancers their same age.
