Take a closer look at the Beginner Level Notebook

Once your little one is ready to move past primary (at age 7), their first truly competitive level is Beginner. Now they will have their dance card (registered with your national dance organization; for us this is http://scotdance.ca/ ) stamped at competition, if they place first, second or third. When the card is full of six stamps, they move to the next level. 

In the Beginner level, dancers will continue with the Highland Fling and The Sword dance, but Pas de basques and Pas de basques with highcuts are not seen in competition, except as a foundation step for other dances. A Beginner dancer will likely start to learn the Seann Triubhas (pronounced shawn trues), the Flora MacDonald's Fancy and the Scottish Lilt, both usually shortened to "Flora" and "Lilt". This is when you'll have to invest in a new costume beyond the kilt as the Flora and the Lilt require the National outfit, or also called the Aboyne. It's a pretty, flared skirt with a large sash that attaches at the shoulder and drapes down the dancers back. 

My Highland Dance Notebook for Beginners will look quite similar to the Primary, but it will now include the new dances in the notes section, practice chart, and in the competition log. The competition checklist will include the new costume requirements because trust me, you don't want to have to buy an Aboyne underskirt from a vendor at competition when you forget it at home! ($$$$)

Here is my older daughter in her first competition! She didn't start dancing until past Primary age so her first competitive experience was as a Beginner. We didn't have a full costume yet, and her kilt and ghillies (shoes) were borrowed from her teacher. I'll never forget how excited we all were when she placed second in her Highland Fling and obtained her first stamp!