Wood Catherine

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30 July 2015
Article by Lois Ann Baker

ST. ANDREWS - Every serious Highland dancer's dream is about to be realized by a tiny nine-year-old with big ambition. Catherine Wood recently participated in the Canadian National Highland Dancing Championship where she placed first, leading the
way for her to travel to Scotland in August to complete at an international level.

"I am proud of myself," said Wood of her championship win. Encouraged by watching her older sister dance, Wood started dancing herself when she was not yet four. She goes to dance class four times a week, but if it were up to her, she said she would go every night. "Because she watched her older sister dancing, she just got it. She had it in her mind to win the Canadian championship," said her dance teacher Ellen Maloney.

"Most nine-year-olds want to play with their Barbies, but Catherine just stayed focused.''
Wood said she hopes to one day teach Highland dancing herself and Maloney said she thought Wood would excel at that.

"She is amazing with the (younger) kids," said Maloney. "She scares me with how smart
she is. She is so good with the kids. If she is trying to teach them something and they don't get it when she is presenting it one way, she presents it another way. That's a gift", Maloney said this fall she was going to recruit Wood to help out with the younger dancers.

"They love her.'' said Maloney. Wood has won three championships this year, the Ontario
provincials, the Eastern Canada Championship and now the nationals. "They do the exact same dances. There have certain steps they have to do that is set by Scotland every year,'' said Maloney.

This puts all the dancers on a level playing field. Wood beat out 23 other dancers for her win. Just because she is now the reigning Canadian champion for Highland dancing, it doesn't mean she will stop competing. She is going to be dancing at the Glengarry Highland Games in Maxville this weekend.

The big prize there is $70, which would come in handy for a young girl on her way to Scotland. The Wood family will be in Scotland for almost two weeks, and while a lot of that time will be spent competing, they are still hoping for a little tourist time by
visiting castles, and maybe taking a bus tour. "There are more historic things
there,'' said Wood's mom Angela.

Also at the nationals with Wood was her seven-year-old sister Victoria. Both girls competed in the nine-and-under category and Victoria placed second runner
up. The Maxville games will be the last time for a couple of years the two sisters will be competing against each other and Catherine moves up to the next category
when she turns 10.

Maloney said some times it was hard on the girls being in the same competition and most of the time Catherine; being older with a few more years dancing, wins, but sometimes her little sister has beaten her.

"These kids handle it really well,'' said Maloney, "They have it all in control." Maloney said she wasn't all that surprised when Wood walked away with the championship.

"I was watching the entire group and I try to have as open a mind as I can and Catherine
danced amazing,'' said Maloney. "She held it all together.''