Abigail McCorquodale of Team Charlton Highland Dancers last week became the first North Islander to successfully qualify to represent B.C. at the Canadian Inter-provincial Highland Dancing Championships later this year. She earned the BC Team spot by finishing as third runner-up during the B.C. Closed Provincial Championships in Vancouver last weekend. McCorquodale, who lives in Port Hardy, will be competing in the 7 & under 10 Championship against the best dancers from each province in the country.
Another North Island dancer, Xandryn Frost of Port McNeill, was also successful in placing as the first alternate representative in the 10 & under 12 years championship class.
Emily Walker of Port Hardy competed and was successful in attaining a judges' placing. Only the top six dancers in each group are ranked within a championship event.
Teresa Charlton, who has been teaching highland dance on the North Island for the last nine years, has instructed these dancers since they were three to four years old, and was very pleased with this weekend's outcome.
"These girls have worked very hard to achieve this level of dancing," Charlton said. "This is a fantastic result and I am very happy that we will have a North Island representative at the Canadian Championships for the first time ever this year."
Team Charlton Highland Dancers have studios in Port Hardy and Port McNeill, with about 50 active students. Many North Island dancers compete on the Island and around Western Canada. A group of local dancers will be travelling to Richmond, B.C. in July to compete in the Scotdance Canada Championship Series, which takes place in conjunction with the Canadian Inter-provincial Championship.