Highland Dance Competition
Two Days!
Saturday & Sunday
Highland Dancing, which requires the endurance and strength of an athlete and the artistry of a dancer, is the traditional solo dancing of Scotland. In the past, Scottish regiments used Highland Dancing as exercise to keep the troops in shape, and ready for battle. Today, Highland Dancing is one of the premier events at Highland Games throughout the world in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, mainland Europe, USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. In order to be a successful competitive dancer, students require many hours of practice and study over a number of years. Students train mainly in 4 Highland dances, namely, the Highland Fling, the Sword Dance, the Seann Triubhas and the Strathspey & Reel—all of which are performed in the traditional kilt. Scottish Highland Dancing is regarded as being one of the most sophisticated forms of national dancing in the world.
​
Come watch traditional dance schools showcase the talents of their students as they compete for prizes and glory in the Sherman Celtic Festival Highland Dance Competition. This event is sanctioned by ScotDance USA.
2026 Dance Competition Team
Highland Dance Director
Vicki Cana
Vicki Caña started Scottish Highland Dancing when she was 7 years old. Her two older sisters were dancers and she cannot remember a time when she did not want to do Highland Dancing. Vicki thrived under the teaching of Margaret Reichelt in Mount Gambier, South Australia. As a young dancer, she was very successful and placed top three in her Championships. As a young adult, Vicki moved to Sydney, Australia, where she join the Dorothy Kerr Highland Dancers. This brought new opportunities for Vicki in the Highland Dance world, including being part of a high-level dance troupe, performing at the Sydney Opera House and Entertainment Centre, dancing in Indonesia and Japan, and, most memorably, performing in the Sydney International Military Tattoo in 1986.
In 1989, Vicki travelled to Scotland on a Scottish Heritage scholarship and took lessons from Bobby Watson in Aberdeen (where her mother’s family, the Maconachies, originated from). During her time in Scotland, she danced in many castles across Northern Scotland, competed successfully in many Highland Games, danced before the Queen at Braemar, and competed in the heats leading up to the World Highland Dance Championships in Cowal. Vicki gained her professional dance teacher certification with the UKA (United Kingdom Association, Scotland) and the National Dancing Association (Australia). Vicki moved to McKinney, Texas, in January 2000. She has been teaching Scottish Highland Dance in McKinney, Texas, since 2001, both in homeschool programs and through the City of McKinney. In 2005, she gained her teaching certification with the British Association of Teachers of Dance (BATD). She currently teaches at the McKinney Performing Arts Center. Vicki has trained many successful dancers during that time. She has trained seven national representatives, four professional teachers, and two Champions. Highland Dancing is her passion and she excited to raise up the next generation of teachers and dancers in north Texas.
Highland Dance Judge
Kay Hamilton
Kay (Shofner) Hamilton has been involved with Highland Dancing since the age of 9, and has been on the RSOBHD Judges’ Panel since age 23. She trained under the direction of Cathy Hynd in Manhattan Beach, California. Kay is a former USIR Adult Highland Dancing Champion, and has won
numerous other championships and awards. She also had the chance to perform for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, in San Diego, CA. Kay is a Fellow Member of the British Association of Teachers of Dance, Highland Branch (BATD), and began teaching at age 17 in Southern California. She has taught and coached several champion dancers, USIR Reps and Alternates, and an Inter-Provencial Rep. She has organized both USIRs that were held in San Diego and has been on the organizing committees of several other USIRs held in the West Region. Kay has served as ScotDance USA Secretary, West Region Delegate, and currently represents the West Region on the Alumni Connections Committee. Kay has also been active in Scottish Country Dancing, and Ballroom Dancing. She competed in the Latin Ballroom Division at the Amateur level. When not dancing, Kay is a Computer Mapping Specialist for a software firm and holds California Teaching Credentials in Social Studies and English.
Highland Dance Piper
Doug Frobese
Doug Frobese began playing bagpipes at age 9 at St. Thomas Episcopal School in Houston, Texas. In 1991, Doug joined the Hamilton (now St. Thomas Alumni) Pipe Band, served as pipe major from 1997 to 2000 when the band won grade 3A and took third prize in grade 2 at the World Pipe Band Championships, and played with the band when it won the grade 2 World Championship in 2019. Besides pipe bands, Doug also plays for Scottish highland dancing competitions and with the Celtic folk bands The Rogues and Scotland Rising. Doug played for the United States National Dancing Championships in 2008 and 2014. When not piping, Doug is a lawyer in Dallas.