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Klondike dancers step it up in Red Deer

Members of the Klondike Highland Dancers made a road trip to Alberta a profitable one. Dancers from the Whitehorse school collected three overall trophies in two events in recent weeks.
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Members of the Klondike Highland Dancers made a road trip to Alberta a profitable one.

Dancers from the Whitehorse school collected three overall trophies in two events in recent weeks.

Klondike dancers raised two overall wins at the Red Deer Highland Games on June 28 in Alberta.

Klondike’s Cadence Milford danced to first overall in the 10-year-old beginner division out of nine competitors in Red Deer. For the trophy she placed first in the sword and the flora, third in the fling, second in the lilt and fourth in Seann Triubhas.

Kiarra Fitzsimmons was the other to grab the overall trophy. She also claimed first in the sword and flore, took second in the fling and lilt, and grabbed third in Seann Triubhas out of 13 dancers.

Red Deer marked two in a row for Fitzsimmons. She won four gold and the overall trophy the previous weekend at the Ellerslie Highland Games.

Teammate Jordyn Cowan, who moved up into novice this season, came third in the fling, fourth in the sword and fifth in flora out of 13 dancers in 12-and-over.

In just her second Outside competition Klondike’s Kylie Pfieffer came fourth in Seann Triubhas, fifth in sword and lilt out of eight dancers in 13-and-over beginner.

Pfieffer placed second in the sword the previous weekend in Ellerslie.

Klondike instructor Errinlee Fitzsimmons is a little surprised how well her students do in that event - in which one dances over and around a pair of broad swords crossed on the ground - considering it doesn’t tend to be their favourite.

“It’s interesting because they always seem to cringe when it comes to the sword,” said Errinlee. “It’s a difficult dance. You have something that you have to dance over and not touch or displace. For a few people it’s the dance they enjoy or prefer, but for most people it’s not and their eyes always pop open when they get a placing in it.

“They’re like, ‘That’s the dance you always get on my case for.’ Obviously, it paid off.”

Contact Tom Patrick at

tomp@yukon-news.com