Username: triplethreatmag
Why did you choose your username? I don't know, it’s my username for everything!
Name: Maegan
Member since: August 2008
Years Dancing: 6!
Age: 12
Board: BATD

What tartan do you wear for your kilt, and is there a specific reason why you chose it? I chose... I think it is called Alberta Rose... because its pink!!!

Tell us a bit about your other costumes.
Do you wear a white dress or an Aboyne for nationals? I was never allowed to wear a white dress, my Aboyne is turquoise and purple!
What colour is your jig dress? Green!
What colour is your hornpipe outfit? Navy!

What brand of Ghillies do you wear? I have had them for a while, when I got them I didn't know anything about brands and stuff so I have no clue!

What is the name of your school and teacher? Kathryn Campbell School of Highland Dance

How/when did you know you wanted to be a dancer? When I tried playing sports!!! LOL I always loved music... it is sort of what I always knew I wanted to do but didn't KNOW know... sorry... that even confused me a bit...

Why did you choose highland? My mom took me to a competition and I liked the pretty costumes! LOL I was 6, okay?
Do you take, or have you taken, any other forms of dance? I have taken Ballet and a little bit of Hip Hop, currently doing Hip Hop but not, like, real lessons. Dropping it next year to focus on Highland

What makes you love Highland dance? I like to have something to work towards and practice for. I also like how you can make short term goals like straight golds, or long term goals, in my case Canadian champion.

If you could describe your dancing in only 1 word, what would it be? Umm. Interesting.... LOL!

Do you compete? If so, what level are you in? Halfway done Intermediate! (gulp)

When is your next competition (if applicable)? Red Deer Highland Games!
How do you think you'll do there? I think I'll get at least 2 firsts or, at least that is what I keep trying to tell myself...

What has been your most memorable competition moment? It was raining. I was doing the Flora. HUGE puddle on my platform. I slip; I stop for a few seconds. The judge mouths at me to be careful and I make a little 'What just happened' face. The memorable part? The silver medal I got out of it all!

What has been your most memorable non-competitive achievement? Choreography I just finished. Probably won't compete in it, probably won't perform it, haven't told my teacher about it and probably never will. But it is a duet and I think it probably looks beautiful, not trying to toot my own horn.

Do you remember your first competition and how you did there? Heh heh... uh Red Deer Highland Games 03... nothing. But I had fun!

What do you enjoy most about competitions? I like the rush, the way you can wake up at 5 am to practice before you leave at noon and not be tired until you get home.

Do you have any superstitions? Uh-huh! I did this before an exam once, and it has worked so far! Eat 2 5-cent candies the night before. It's good luck!

What is the most difficult thing for you about Highland? The most difficult part is putting up with failure not only at competitions, but if you know you are doing something wrong and are trying to fix it but it seems to be going nowhere its ROUGH!
What's the easiest? Learning new steps for the first time... you don't have to have them perfect yet and you get to learn the step!

What are your best and favourite steps? Best: Side travel, ST. Favourite: Shake and Rock, Hornpipe.
What are your worst and least favourite? Worst: First step of the Sword, those darn Pas de Basques! Least favourite: Practically the entire Scotch Measure is my least fav!!

Anything you are still working on? Split High Cuts. Mandatory to do well in Premier, but I stink at them!

Do you ever feel the pressure to quit? NOOOOO! I love Highland dancing... well, when I was 8 I went through this weird phase but that’s done with!

What are your favourite dances? Hornpipe, Jig and Seann Triubhas. Hornpipe and ST are my highest placing dances and the Jig is a character dance... I am an actress!

How often do you take class? Once a week, maybe twice next year.
How frequently do you practice? Every week morning for approx. 1 hour.

What do you generally work on when you practice on your own? The dances for the next competition and split high cuts, and usually one extra dance because I feel like it!

Do your friends and family support your dancing? YES! Well, Mary, my grandma and my mom. My brothers and dad and my other friends? Not so.

Do you hang out with your dance friends outside the studio? No, but two of my friends' dad used to play soccer with my dad so our dads hang out a bit.

Approximately how many times per year does your dance school perform? Once or twice

Does your school hold a recital? Yes!!!
If so, what does it generally consist of? The younger kids do a number, everybody does at least one dance. Every year I remember there has been at least a Jig, Hornpipe, Sword, Fling and one of the Reels.

Would you rather have a strict or an easy-going teacher? Strict, but not mean! I said she was strict to my friend who asked and she thought I meant mean! I don't mean, mean!
How would you describe YOUR teacher? She's really nice, she talks to us, not at us, and she always makes sure we are doing the best we CAN do, not the best we WILL do.

Who are your dance idols? I don't know, I never thought of that.

What has been your most embarrassing dance moment? I dropped a LOT of weight from September-December, and I hadn't done a Hornpipe in costume for a long time until the Winter Celebration... and I think that you probably know what happened... my pants started falling down! SOOO embarrassing, and at the last competition, they started falling down again, even though my mom pulled the elastic! Guess its time to go suspender shopping...

If someone completely unfamiliar with Highland dancing asked you why you did it, what would you tell them? I do Highland dancing because it is the best thing in the world! My mom says I should write that Highland dancing made me lose my butt, but I don't personally think that... its fun, challenging and, again, fun!

May we have a peek inside your dance bag? If you really want to I guess... A practice skirt, Jig shoes, Ghillies, a few stray bobby pins, a head band, a notebook, a broken hair tie, a small brush, and a random blank piece of paper... what’s that doing in here???

What other activities do you have besides dancing? Quizzing, piano, choir, youth group and home school work.

Have you ever taken a break from dancing? Not even when I broke my foot! I danced in a cast!!

Have you ever had to overcome any problems to get to where you are today? Yes, I broke my foot and it took a loooong time to get back up on the ball of my right foot, I came in my first day in Highland in literally inverted first, I used to hate practicing and I had to deal with bangs for a year!

Describe your ideal dance class. My IDEAL class? Working on Jig and Hornpipe and ST all class and NO PLANK!!!! Oh my gosh, that would be a miracle...

Do any of your dance friends/class mates go on DDN? I don't know about most of them, I never asked, but Dorothy does!!! YAY cheesemoo!!!

What’s your biggest regret? My biggest regret?? Probably not practicing much until last year when I realised I wasn't doing very well without practicing...

If you were told you could no longer dance after today, what would you do? Slap whoever told me that in the face and run away!

And how would you spend this last day? I'd dance, dance, dance and write my will!!! Without dance, I would DIE a PAINFUL DEATH!!! (sniff, sniff) Crying just thinking about it... WAIT!! I have to dance!!! Oh and I would perfect my choreography, buy the rest of the textbooks for all the dances and teach myself every step out there!!!

I love these! And Catherine, you're doing a great job just cranking them out! woohoo!

Maegan- you gave a great interview! You're an extremely well spoken 12 year old, and very entertaining!