Highland dancer performs at the Gathering

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Highland dancer Jaiden Panchyshyn at the Gathering
Brent Barbero photo

A taste of Scotland was featured at the Gathering this year in the form of Pincher Creek's Jaiden Panchyshyn, a student of the  Wilson School of Highland Dance, who performed for the crowd in the Community Hall.  "It was a new thing for me, and my mom, she had never been to it before either.  It was interesting to hear the other poets and performers."

"I am going to the Canadian Championships in Edmonton in July,"  Panchyshyn  said. Her dance troupe will be defending their gold win from last year.

Last November she and her fellow dancers performed at Disney Magic Music Days in France. "Paris was a completely different experience than I've ever had before."  400 Highland dancers performed from 3 countries. It wasn't just all work though.  "We did get to see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre," she said.

Lessons start again in September and she will be going into her sixth year of dance and her second year in choreography.  Panchyshyn will be focusing more on choreography studies over the next few months, having stressed her knee joint and being told to rest it for healing. "Next year, Hopefully if my knee isn't causing me problems I'll be doing full out programs, and going to Disneyland and Florida in January, and Montreal in the summer for the Canadian Championships."

The Wilson School of Highland Dance has studios in Calgary, Saskatoon and North Battleford and won gold last year in Nova Scotia in choreography.

The specific challenges that Panchyshyn faces in doing choreography is bringing the studios together.  "Even though we compete with each other, we all dance together for one big group dance. It's a big step for our studios because it shows how much we work together."