Highland dancing may not be too big in this area, but a former Maitland Christian School student is hoping to change that after winning an $8000 award.
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Scarlett Budden, formerly of Wallalong and now Cameron Park, has won an award through the BBM Youth Support, which empowers young people to follow their passion and give back to their industry.
Ms Budden, 19, was successful in her chosen field of Scottish highland dancing and will travel to Scotland next month to perform, compete and learn all about the performing art in six weeks.
The teenager became involved in the sport while living in Queensland as a child. Her primary school teacher’s daughters performed in Irish dancing, so Ms Budden’s mother looked into the dance school they performed at and young Scarlett liked the look of highland dancing.
“There is a lot of athleticism involved,” Ms Budden said. “A lot of its roots come from ancient Scottish culture.”
For example, the sword dance performed today is an ancient war dance performed by warriors to demonstrate their strength according to Scottish folklore.
As part of Ms Budden’s trip, she will learn more about that history direct from the country of origin.
She will also receive training from experienced dancers to hone her skills, which she hopes to pass on to students she teaches at East Maitland.
But perhaps the biggest opportunity of the trip is a chance to compete at the Cowal highland Gathering from August 23 to 25, which attracts the best highland dancers from across the world.
“I’m super excited,” she said. ‘I’ve watched it on live stream the past few years, so I’m ecstatic to be performing in it.”
Ms Budden said she hoped the experience helped her boost the profile of the sport.
“It’s a bit unrecognised,” she said. “But it has a really rich cultural background.
“A lot of people say they did it when they were younger but stopped, so hopefully I can encourage people to continue with it.
“It’s something I’m really passionate about.”
Ms Budden will leave for her trip on July 2 and will spend a few days in England where she will take part in her first competition.
She arrives in Scotland on July 8 and will return to Australia at the end of August.