It’s A Long Way To Antigonish

If you are a reader of our blog, you’ll know that we have a goal to do a 5k race in every province in Canada. This year we are checking Nova Scotia off our list by visiting Antigonish and yes, it is a long way to go – 6225 km to be exact. And while I am excited about accomplishing this part of our goal, what is most exciting for me is a chance to attend the Antigonish Highland Games while we are there and take a trip down memory lane. You see, highland dancing and I go way back, and despite the fact that my knees hurt just watching young ones do the Highland Fling, the sound of the pipes and drums still get me every time.

At this point I feel I should mention that, while Big and Little Sis are both excited to be going to Nova Scotia, there was a teensy bit of arm twisting and yes, some tears on my part, to convince them to attend the games. I did have to make one concession – they said they would not sit with me if I wore the tam that I kept from my last days as a highland dancer. I feel this event is an important chance to represent senior highland dancers everywhere, and so I haven’t yet decided if I will honour their wishes or be a rebel and wear it. What do you think?

Big Sis Leads The Way

As with many things, Big Sis led the way and did highland dancing for a couple of years before she decided her interests lay elsewhere, but she was in it long enough to pique my interest and get me started. Neither of us is sure why our parents landed on highland dancing, a bit of a peculiar choice for a family with strong Irish heritage. However I will say the Irish Jig was always one of my favourite dances.

Part of what kept me dancing for so many years I think was my love of the precision and exacting nature of the dances. I also loved wearing a kilt and all the regalia when dancing in a competition and the skirl of the bagpipes could always get my heart soaring.

Point Behind In Front Behind

Each week from the age of about 9 to 16, I trudged off to Mrs. Hays School of Highland Dance for lessons in the basement of her house. One of the first things you learn about is “turnout.” This involves keeping your toes always turned out to a 45 degree angle while dancing. This takes quite a bit of practice and needless to say this foot position became natural to me very quickly. As a result my siblings used to tease me mercilessly about my “duck walk.” To this day I still sometimes find myself walking this way.

After mastering turnout and all the many dances, I began entering competitions. Over the years I competed in several, and while I was not a top dancer by any means, I did win a few silver and bronze medals along the way. I don’t recall ever winning a gold medal, but what, in retrospect, turned out be a highlight of my dancing career, was winning two trophies when I was nine years old. What is still a bit of a head scratcher to me is that I won the trophies, not because I was a great dancer, but because I had not won a trophy before. Despite this oddity, my nine year old self was very proud.

Let the Games Begin

I always enjoyed attending highland dance competitions, but by far my favourite event to attend was an official Highland Games which is not only a highland dance competition but also a “gathering of the clans” that includes pipe bands performing and competing as well as the traditional caber toss and other feats of strength. The Antigonish Highland Games offers all this and then some, including several opportunities to participate in a ceilidh, which I think might just convince Big and Little Sis to attend. The Sisterhood does love a good party and rumour has it these ceilidhs are not to be missed! And if that doesn’t work there is also a pickleball tournament at the Games that they could enter…

The race that we were hoping to do in Antigonish turns out to be five miles rather than our five km distance, but we decided rather than go to another town that has a five km race, we would just do our own race while we are there. We are told that there are many beautiful trails in the area where we could easily do a 5 km walk. But I’ve just had brilliant idea in the realm of killing two birds with one stone – we could walk the grounds of the Highland Games to the “tune” of 5km, all the while being treated to highland dancing and the sound of the pipes and drums to keep us going. I think Big and Little Sis will love the idea!

We will be doing a new post every Monday, so look for our next one entitled “The End Is Near.”