Christchurch Dancer Wins NZ Highland Fling Title
Tuesday 26 June 2018, 2:36PM
By RedPR
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While her school mates were getting their dresses ready for the school semi-formal at the weekend, one Rangi Ruru student was getting a formal dress on of a very different kind.
15 year old Brooke Kingsbury (Yr 11) from Harewood, took out the Highland Fling U16 title at the New Zealand Championships held at the weekend in Invercargill.
Brooke is thrilled with the win.
“While I was disappointed to miss the school semi-formal, I think this honour has made it worth it,” she says.
The adjudicator said at the competition, “The Highland Fling is the very first dance you learn but probably the hardest to get correct technically.”
Brooke says, “It takes great strength and agility dancing on the one spot with balance and precision.”
Mum Karen says the family is very proud of Brooke as the training and build up is fairly intense with an already busy NCEA year.
“With more than 40 competitors in the under 16 class, to win the NZ Highland Fling along with a ranking of 5th overall in New Zealand for the under 16 class, is a tremendous achievement,” she says.
The weekend competition was held over three days in what was described as a “very brisk and cold Invercargill but with warm Southland hospitality’’.
Brooke will next compete in the U18 New Zealand Championships in Ashburton in July
A bit of background on Brooke:
Brooke started highland dance when she was around 3 ½ at the Canterbury Caledonian Society and then also joined the Julie Hawke School based in Papanui.
Whilst predominantly a winter sport, she has two major exams per year in May and September which will hopefully result in a diploma around the age of 17/18. Brooke has to travel for dance and so the family makes application for grants through the Piping and Dancing association of NZ however, there are many other ways to raisie funds to travel. Brooke can often be seen busking down at Bishopdale Mall, for example when time allows.
Brooke has history of highland dance on both sides of the family and has a major connection with the Caledonian Society. In fact, this coming Saturday she will be presented as a debutante at the Society Highland Ball which is held every second year, which mum Karen says will be a lovely family occasion. “My maiden name was Fergus so that’s where that comes from!” she says.
More often than not, the NZ Championships are held by one centre in NZ, hosting the U16s, U18s and over 18s which are the pinnacle of Champions. This year the Southland Centre opted to hold just the U16s as a smaller centre, hence last weekend. Ashburton will now hold the other two major NZs in the middle of these coming July holidays, U18s and over 18s at which Brooke will ‘dance up’ an age group (as they do).
Brooke went with the NZ Highland Dance Company to the Virginia Tattoo in April this year which was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our 32 NZ seniors in an international environment. Rangi Ruru has just presented Brooke with school colours recognising her achievements and this trip.
Brooke says:
“I have made so many amazing friendships and memories from my years in dance, I will hold onto them for life. We all gain such valuable life skills from competing and dancing with each other so I know when I leave school and finish dancing one day, I will be able to take these skills with me on my future adventures.”