Dancer fifth best in the world
JONATHAN YOUNG
Highland dancer Kayla McQuoid has taken her craft to a new height.
The 16-year-old Sacred Heart Girls’ College student just got back from the World Highland Dancing Championships held in Scotland with the world ranking of fifth in her age group.
As well as a placing, she brought home the City of Edinburgh Highland Dancing Scottish Open Champion trophy.
‘‘I just look at it in my room. I see it every day and I smile because it’s so special. I’m so happy that I’ve got that far and I know that I can do it.’’
This was the sixth time she’s competed at the championships.
‘‘I love going to Scotland. It’s always nerve-wracking because you put all this hard work in and worlds is the end goal.
‘‘That’s the biggest thing there is so you want to do as well as you can because you know it’s what you’ve been working towards.’’
Achievement at the worlds is a culmination of all the years she’s put into it. McQuoid started dancing when she was four and quickly took a particular liking to the Highland style.
She’s the current New Zealand under 16 champion, and was recently the Grand Australasian Champion too.
At the worlds, contestants need to qualify after the first day to proceed and she was up against the best of the best from many countries including America, Canada, South Africa, Australia.
‘‘Because of their population, their competitions, there’s so many of them,’’ she said.
‘‘They have championships every weekend so they’re really used to dancing. In New Zealand, because we’re not as big, we don’t have that opportunity.’’
Only two New Zealanders attended this year and McQuoid was the only one to qualify.
Australia took a team of 23 and none of them placed. ’’It’s always a competition between New Zealand and Australia.’’
McQuoid’s ultimate goal is to be placed first and she relishes the opportunity to up her skill level.
‘‘When you can get the movements right it just feels so good,’’ she said.
‘‘You have to be really determined and when you put all that work in and you get the results you were hoping for it makes it all worth it even if it is hard and it takes a lot of time.’’
She wanted to thank her teacher Judy Clark and the Dame Malvina Major Foundation for their support.