What is "Canadians" in Highland Dance?
And how does it work?
Other sports have the Canada Games. For Canadian highland dancers, it’s all about the ScotDance Canada Championship Series (SDCCS) (also sometimes referred to as “Canadians”, “Nationals” , or “the Series”).
This is part two in our series of how highland dance provincial, Canadian, and world championships work. In this post, we’ll discuss the Canadian Championship and the ScotDance Canada Championship Series
How do Provincials Work?
The ScotDance Canada Championship Series
Each year, hundreds of dancers gather in a chosen Canadian city for four days of hard competition, forming connections with other dancers, spending time with their dance community, and getting to enjoy the best dancing the country has to offer.
SDCCS has events open to ALL LEVELS! From ages 4 to adult, Primary to Premier, any Highland dancer from around the world is welcome to participate in this 4-day event.
As we’ll discuss in this post, the various competition events are exciting, but there are several events unique to SDCCS that are not to be missed! One of our favourite events is the banquet, where even after long days of hard work, dancers slip off their heels after dinner and get ready to party. Plus, the choreography event showcases some of the most creative minds and talented performers around!
Attending SDCCS is an occasion that dancers dream about year-round – there’s no other event quite like it.
This year, SDCCS is in Kamloops, BC. Find info here!
The Real "Canadians"
The competitive highlight of the week is the Closed Canadian Championship, in which the members of each provincial team compete for the title of Canadian Champion.
The Canadian Closed Championships are unique because not only are they Closed to anyone outside of Canada, but they are also Closed to anyone not on a provincial team. If you’re wondering how the provincial team members are chosen, read more here.
There is no public entry form for this prestigious event. One professional representative from each province handles registering their team for the Closed Championship.
What Does the Day of the Championship Look Like?
The day is split in two, so younger age groups dance in the morning, and older age groups dance in the afternoon.
Three dancers from each province compete in each age category. Other than the exclusive entry, the championship itself is quite normal. Dancers compete the Highland Fling, the Sword Dance, the Seann Triubhas, and a Reel with steps assigned by the Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dance (RSOBHD) for that year. Scores are calculated collectively from three judges.
Read more about the different types of competition here.
Morning callbacks for awards are done following the morning dancing, and dancers are then asked to return after the afternoon dancing so all the awards may be presented at the same time.
A new initiative began at SDCCS in recent years to commemorate the accomplishment of each of the provincial representatives who compete in Canadians. Following the dancing and before awards, all dancers are called to the stage and presented with a participatory certificate.
Awards at Canadians
Medals are presented up to six placings in each dance. After medals have been presented, trophies for the overall top six in each group are given out. Beginning from the youngest age and working up, overall awards are announced in reverse order from 5th runner up to the Canadian Champion in each group.
The instructors of the seven Canadian champions are invited onstage for the gifting of a set of swords to each of the champions. The champion dancers also perform a Highland Fling for the audience in celebration of their new titles.
As mentioned in part one, the dancers are also guaranteed a spot on their provincial team for the following year. Their age group at their following provincials will be granted four, rather than three, representatives.
Fun fact: Marielle Lespérance, who currently dances and teaches in Nova Scotia is a 15-time Canadian Champion!
What's Next?
After Canadians, many of these highly-competitive dancers set their sights on the next big one: the world championships at Cowal Highland Gathering in Scotland.
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