The Sarnia-based Highland dance studio, led by instructor Tara Antle, continues a family tradition that spans more than four decades in the community. Tara said the dancers prepared steadily for the event. “Weekly classes, as well as extra practice sessions,” helped the group get ready. Two dancers, Callie Antle and Abby Zalewski, also entered the […]
The Sarnia-based Highland dance studio, led by instructor Tara Antle, continues a family tradition that spans more than four decades in the community.
Tara said the dancers prepared steadily for the event. “Weekly classes, as well as extra practice sessions,” helped the group get ready. Two dancers, Callie Antle and Abby Zalewski, also entered the choreography category. Tara noted that these routines require original work rather than traditional syllabus steps. “Callie and I worked on her choreography for the last few months as she also performed it at her uncle's wedding,” she said. “Abby created her 'Deck the Halls with Highland Holly' dance on her own, piecing together each step how she wanted it.”
Competition day saw strong performances across categories. “Callie competed in the Novice 10 and Under 12 category, and Julia and Abby competed in the Premier 25 and Over group,” Tara explained. “They danced beautifully, all three placed in at least two dances and were very happy and proud of their results.”
There were several standout moments for the dancers. “Both Callie and Abby received 4th in their choreography dances,” Tara said. Callie’s top result was second place in the Highland Fling and she is now close to advancing. “She has just two more placings before moving to the Intermediate category.” For Julia D'Angela, the competition was a milestone after a long break from the sport. “This was Julia’s first competition in almost 10 years and since having her baby girl,” Tara said. She added that both Abby and Julia “worked very hard to be ready for this competition and were looking forward to competing as adults.” Tara said they “were both thrilled to place Top 6 in two dances.”
A particularly touching moment came when two dancers ended up dancing side by side. “Highland competitions are generally a very solo event,” Tara said. “However, by pure luck, Julia and Abby danced at the same time, beside each other, just the two of them which was really special.” She added that having multiple dancers from the studio attend together made the event even more meaningful. “It was also wonderful to have multiple students from the studio there together, cheering each other on, helping each other get ready, and celebrating each others wins together. The highland dancing community is so supportive, and the dancers make every situation a fun one.”
Representing Sarnia at regional and national events is an important part of the studio’s identity. “It is wonderful to represent Sarnia in the Highland dance community,” Tara said. “This competition was pretty close to home but there are competitions all over the world our dancers can compete in. For example, Callie competed in Ottawa at the Canadian Championships and in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories this past summer.” Tara emphasized that dancers learn to focus on their own performance. “We cannot control how the judge feels about our dances, or the skill level of the other competitors. All we can control is how we dance. And if the girls dance their best, are kind and supportive then it is a successful day no matter the medals.”
The studio is now preparing for a busy season ahead. “The next competitions will not be until the spring, when we could have upwards of seven dancers competing,” Tara said. “However, January will be a busy month of local performances for various Robbie Burns dinners.”
Neufeld Studio continues a long tradition in Sarnia. Tara took over from her mother, Christine Neufeld, who taught Highland dance locally for more than 40 years. Callie is now the third generation to train in the family’s studio. Abby and Julia, who first learned from Christine in their youth, returned to dance two years ago and are now competing for the first time since high school.
As the studio looks ahead to new performances and a growing roster of competitors, Tara said the most rewarding part remains watching dancers of all ages rediscover their confidence, their community, and their love of Highland dance.
