Highland Dancer performs at the Pincher Creek Sobeys

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Champion Highland Dancer
Jaiden Panchyshyn
C. Davis photo

     Local teen Jaiden Panchyshyn was at the Pincher Creek Sobeys, demonstrating her talent and raising funds towards her travel costs to Paris, France. She will be attending the First Annual International Gathering of Highland Dancers, which will be held at the Paris Disneyland, with the Wilson School of Highland Dance of Calgary and Saskatoon.

      The school brought back a gold medal from the ScotDance Canada Championship series, held this year at Antigonish in Nova Scotia. The Wilson School will be the only Canadian dancers participating in the event. Jaiden began learning Highland Dance with the Wilson School when she lived in Saskatoon, and had to practice the group choreography with her classmates via Skype, making the Antigonish win all the more remarkable.

      Jaiden takes three lessons a week, one at the Wilson School in Calgary and two others again via Skype. Jaiden dances with a great deal of poise and stamina. Highland dance is a very energetic pursuit.

Jaiden's Gold Medal

      Prior to one of her demonstrations at Sobey's she explained, with the help of proud mother Shannon Robin (publisher of "Shootin' the Breeze"), that the Highland sword dance was originally performed by the men prior to battle, and that any deviation or error from the dance was considered to be an ill omen.

     Jaiden performed at the Blairmore Sobeys on Saturday, October 29 as well. Shannon purchased a large number of Sobey's gift certificates, which customers could buy and redeem for the face amount. Sobey's then donated 10% of the proceeds to Jaiden's fundraising effort.