Rosemary Walker Takes Top Spot in Scottish Highland Dancing

Rosemary Walker dances on stage at the Scottish Highland Dancing World Championships in Scotland. Where she placed 14th in the world. “Dancing has not just been a sport and activity throughout the years, but has become my passion and a large part of my life,” said Walker. Photo Credits: Skye Roarty Photography 

Zadie Meier Servon, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn

Did you know that Watauga High School has an athlete ranked 14th in the world in their sport? Her name is Rosemary Walker, and she is ranked 14th in the world for Scottish Highland dance. 

“It takes a lot of training,” said Walker. "It's my life. I have class almost every day of the week. I work out, weightlift, and stretch, because it takes a lot of flexibility and strength.”

 Not only does Walker do Scottish Highland dancing, she also does Irish dancing. Scottish Highland dance and Irish dance are both known for fast and precise footwork and an upright rigid posture. Their main difference is arm position. In Scottish Highland dance the athletes arms are more active, but for Irish dance their arms remain by their sides. Walker was introduced to these styles of dance from a young age, and it has been an important part of her life ever since. 

“My mom signed me up,” said Walker "We have Scottish and Irish heritage. I used to live in Charlotte, and there was a studio, and some of our friends were doing it, so I kind of just started,” 

Walker’s sport is something she has been passionate about and worked on all her life. All this time and effort that Walker has invested has led to nationwide and international competitions.

Rosemary Walker stands in front of a lake holding a trophy from the Commonwealth Championship in Stirling Scotland where she got 4th runner up. Photo Credits: Robina Walker 

“There's regionals, which are mostly in the South and Southwest. And then, there's the national level, followed by the world level. Usually, it's in, either Canada, the United States, Scotland, or Ireland,” said Walker. “I've been to Scotland four times, and Ireland five.”

The flight to Ireland is around 7 hours and 30 minutes and the flight to Scotland is around 8 hours. These long travels can be exhausting, but this sacrifice reaps great rewards. Through this travel, Walker achieved her proudest moment so far.

“There were 20 qualifiers [in my age group], for the World Championship,” said Walker. "I was one out of the three from the U.S. that qualified. That's probably my biggest accomplishment.”

Walker has not only gained great experiences and awards through her chosen sport. She has also gained skills such as perseverance, confidence and discipline. A highlight for Walker is that she is part of a strong and supportive dance community.

“I've made a lot of friends with dancers across the world,” said Walker. "It's really cool, because you can build friendships that aren't just in Boone, or, in North Carolina, or even the U.S..”

For over a decade, Walker’s hard work has provided her with opportunities to grow within the sport. The highs and lows of competing and training have taught her a lot about herself.

“Dance has given me much more than just a sport,” said Walker “It has given me a passion, community, and memories and has become more than just something I do, but a part of who I am and something I will always be grateful for.”