Reaching the Top...and beyond: The Premier Level

Finally we reach the pinnacle level of the Highland dancing world...Premier! It's tremendously exciting when a dancer arrives at the Premier level. It usually signifies at least 3-5 years of hard work (some dancers advance more quickly than others, and some dancers begin later in childhood). And speaking of hard work, did you know that during the Highland Fling, a dancer jumps 192 times? And that this is the equivalent to running a full mile?!
By the Premier level, a dancer knows and is regularly practicing around 14 dances. Opportunities for creative choreographed dances are also a fun part of festivals and some competitions and these are often done in a group.
The Premier level Notebook accommodates tracking and documentation of all these dances, and takes a more mature perspective in the journal section with prompts like "Highland dance has been so rewarding for me because...", and "Accomplishments I'm most proud of". Whereas the previous levels encouraged dancers to seek out more advanced peers to model after, the Premier level notebook asks dancers to consider younger beginners and how they might mentor and inspire the upcoming generation. This community-building is essential in the proliferation of Highland Dance!

So, full disclosure here...my daughter didn't actually reach the Premier level. For reasons I can't really go into, we felt it necessary for her to step away from her studio. I communicated with other dance teachers about continuing in a different studio, but the issues we were facing had long tentacles...that affected the community around us. When I finally did find a studio that I felt comfortable enrolling her in, a combination of factors emerged. One was that after taking some time away, my daughter opened her mind to the idea of engaging in another extra-curricular activity. "I've been dancing and competing for five years mom....I want to try something different". At the same time we were watching our middle daughter painfully burn out of a competitive gymnastics program that had been taking her away from the house for up to 18 hours a day. The sports psychologists solution? Get her out of the gym and into other activities. So when my dancing daughter expressed interest in joining a swim club, we did not dissuade her...although I was very sad to see Highland Dancing exit her life. 

Through these publications however, I feel I've been receiving some measure of that back! My daughter has collaborated with me to some degree (and allowed me to post whatever pics and video of her I want online) and without her influence, these books would not serve families as well as (I hope!) they do.

Having said that, I welcome feedback! I did my best to research how other regions (mostly in North America) operate to be sure these books would have the most commonalities I could manage, but if you see anything grossly inaccurate or just not ideally laid out, please do send me a note! I am able and willing to make updates and adjustments to the books.