INNISFAIL – Two Innisfail Highland dancers will join hundreds of other performers at an international event later this month.
Hayden Mydland, 17, and Hope Jacobs, 14, will be part of the 2019 Okanagan Military Tattoo dance team.
The Okanagan Military Tattoo is an annual event that takes place in Vernon, B.C. This year it is being held July 27 and 28.
“The dancers audition for the dance team. They have to submit a few videos of them doing different movements and dances,” said Jeanne Small, director with Macleod of Lewis Highland Dance studio in Innisfail. “We had two girls that were chosen to be part of the (military) tattoo.”
The Okanagan Military Tattoo is a musical spectacle that features pipers, drummers, musicians, military bands, marching troops, multicultural dancers and singers of all ages.
They all come together for a choreographed two-hour event, showcasing more than 500 performers from across North America, and paying tribute to the Canadian military past and present.
Both girls have been Highland dancing since they were very young and Jacobs will make her first appearance in the event, while Mydland will be returning for her second Okanagan tattoo after participating in it last year as well.
Small said there were several factors that put the two dancers in the spotlight for the event.
“All of the dancers that apply have to be of a premier standard which means that they’ve achieved a certain level in competition,” she said. “They’ve both been working very hard to make sure that their technique is strong. And they know from Hayden’s experience last year, what was expected so they’ve just worked very hard to make sure they’re meeting that standard,” explained Small. “It’s exciting.”
Small said participating in the event is a great way to connect with other dancers, make friends and helps dancers with their confidence and performance ability.
“It’s just a really good opportunity for them to gain experience dancing with other teachers and dancers from across the country,” Small concluded.
