There’s no age limit on following your dreams. Old or young, it’s the dream and what you are willing to do to achieve it that counts. Zara Glover is just 12 years old, but she is one of the most focused and determined people I know. Let me tell you about Zara and how she is working towards achieving her dreams.
Highland Family Heritage
Zara Glover may be a born and bred Kiwi, but Scottish Highland Dancing is very much in her blood. Her mother’s family comes from the Orkney Islands, and they’ve been dancing for generations.
In New Zealand, Zara’s grandmother and aunts all danced too, and her mother Sandra was only 16 when she began teaching. With all that behind her, it’s no wonder that Zara has loved highland dancing since she was 5 years old.
Dances of the Highlands
When you hear the words Highland Dancing, the chances are that bagpipes, tartan kilts and highland flings come to mind. But I’ve learned from Zara and her family that there is much more to dancing than first meets the eye.
It seems that most of the highland dances of Scotland have their roots in history and legend.
There’s the Fling of course: its origin comes from the fierce battlegrounds, where victorious highland warriors laid their targes (small, round shields) on the ground and danced the stag-like steps on top.
You may have seen a sword dance too.
Two swords are laid on the ground in the form of a cross and the dancer leaps nimbly, first slowly and then faster in a series of complicated steps. It was said that if a warrior touched a sword as he danced then he would surely be wounded in the coming battle. But woe betide the dancer who kicked it out of position: that was an omen of death. Even today, in competitions, you’ll be disqualified if you displace a sword during the dance.
But did you know that the Irish Jig and Sailor’s Hornpipe are also popular highland dances? Then there’s the Seann Truibhas (pronounced Shawn Trews) which in English means “old trousers”. This dance began in the terrible years after the battle of Culloden when the Highland Clans were all but destroyed, the kilt was banned and the men forced to wear the hated English trews (trousers.)
Let’s Start At The Very Beginning
Zara and her younger brother Alex are learning all these dances and more. Of course, beginners don’t learn the full dances at first. They learn the basic steps and as they develop their technique and stamina over time the more complicated elements are added.
It seems to me that highland dances are very precise. Toes pointed just so. Fingers held exactly right. Stance, walk, knees, breathing, even facial expressions — these are all taught right from the beginning so that they become second nature.
Fitness and athleticism count for a lot too.
Zara is one incredibly fit young lady, and when I realised just how much dancing she actually does — including the hours of practice, I understood why. You burn a huge amount of energy doing any one of the highland dances, let alone performing all of them, which is something Zara — and Alex — often have to do.
Dance a Little Deeper
There are three main components in the highland dancing world: exams, competitions and shows. All three play a big part in the Glovers’ lives, with Zara and Alex dancing and Sandra teaching, organising costumes and of course transporting.
Sandra is also a qualified judge, so in the Competitions she often has a big role to play there, although not in the sections where her own children are competing.
Examination season comes around twice each year and becomes a huge focus in May and September. Exams are graded of course, with each one being progressively harder.
The Coveted Solo Seal
The top honour in New Zealand Highland Dancing is the Solo Seal and to win this is Zara’s mission. It’s a tall order. To qualify, Zara must attain honours in every previous examination — both practical and theory. Even with that daunting task accomplished, there is still the actual Solo Seal exam to complete: an incredibly rigorous examination which is often performed in public.
Very few dancers manage to achieve this coveted award, but Zara is aiming to be one of them. To date she’s on track, having achieved honours in each exam so far, but there’s a long road ahead. With so many exams to pass before you can enter for the Solo Seal, most dancers are 19 or 20 before they attempt the final exam.
Competitions Big And Small
Competitions are a regular part of life for the Glover family. Many a weekend will find Zara, Sandra and Alex on the road heading for an event somewhere in New Zealand. There are competitions at all levels, from local clubs right through to the Nationals, where the best dancers of all ages compete.
The number of medals, sashes and cups that Zara has won over the years is truly breathtaking. She has boxes of beautiful sashes, another dedicated to medals, and a whole cabinet devoted to awards and mementoes of special highland dancing trips. Not to mention the cups — most of which are awards won in the past year. They’ll be returned to the various competitions in due course, but it’s entirely possible that more will take their place.
Highland Dancing Shows
One thing I was truly surprised to discover is that Highland Dancing has more than the traditional dances found in exams and competitions. And this is where the shows come into play. Here, talented choreographers weave traditional steps into modern dances, interpreting themes and stories in a way that is fun and beautiful to watch.
New Zealand even has its own Highland Dance Company which is known for its exciting and innovative dances. Joining the company is the second part of Zara’s dream. It would be hard work but thrilling to be part of a company that performs all over the world.
Highland Dancing With The Stars
Indeed, Zara and Alex have already had a taste of that life. In November 2017 they joined a team of young dancers from all over New Zealand to compete in a unique competition at Euro Disney in Paris.
Highland dancers from all over the world congregated in huge numbers to compete in a variety of traditional and modern competitions. New Zealand’s dancers shone in the ChoreoMagic category with their vibrant costumes and exciting interpretations. Zara and Alex were in several dances and both were part of “Moana” which won the New Zealand contingent the Overall Award.
More recently the Highland Dance Company toured in New Zealand with a show called “The Heart of the Highlands.” In each centre, they invited young local dancers to join them. Zara and Alex were part of the vibrant show in Invercargill.
There are other, more local shows as well, everywhere from performing for Rest Home residents to displays at the Edendale Crank-Up day and the Te Anau Tartan Festival. Shows are mighty hard work, but the fun and camaraderie make it all worthwhile.
Learning Life Lessons
Sandra says that the dancing world has given Zara and Alex many important life skills. They certainly know the value of hard work, and the truth of the phrase “practice makes perfect.”
But they’ve also learned how to win — and lose — graciously, and how to be proud but not boastful of their achievements. The family have made lasting friendships through dancing, but at the same time, they’ve learned how to cope with stress and nerves too.
Fitness we’ve already mentioned, but Zara’s dancing has been great for memory training as well. When you have to remember so many steps, dances and the theory behind them it certainly exercises your memory muscle.
Zara Glover — Surely One To Watch
I’ve known this young lady since she was five, and have loved watching her develop into the person she is today. It was great to interview Zara and Sandra and learn more about their highland dancing way of life. Zara’s dreams are big, but the way she’s going there’s every chance she’ll achieve them.
The icing on the cake, for me, was going to the Heart of the Highland’s show. I’d travel to see a show like that again in a heartbeat. Perhaps one day I’ll be there to watch Zara as a member of the Highland Dance Company.
Good luck with your dreams, Zara. We’ll be cheering for you all the way.
