The plaintive sound of bagpipes paired with the soft staccato of dozens of dancers’ feet as the Port Alberni Highland Dancing competition returned to the Alberni Athletic Hall on Saturday, April 9.
The 42nd annual competition, hosted by the Port Alberni Highland Dancers, took a two-year pause during COVID-19 restrictions.
More than 40 beginners and novices spent the morning performing pas de basques, highcuts, flings, sword dancing and Seann Triubhas (pronounced “shown trews”) in front of judge Wenda Crawford, who came to Port Alberni from Nanaimo for the event.
The afternoon was reserved for more than 20 intermediate and premier dancers performing flings, sword dances Seann Triubhas, Barracks Johnny and Laddie.
Dancers came from as far south as Victoria and as far north as Port McNeill and Port Hardy on Vancouver Island, as well as Surrey on the Lower Mainland.