Just how much Scottish blood is coursing through their veins, they can't say, but Sarah and Debbie Means, sisters from Salinas, are clear on one thing: Bagpipes put a spring in their step.
"I have bagpipe music in my iPod," confessed 19-year-old Debbie, who began taking Highland dancing lessons alongside her big sister when she was just 4 years old.
She and Sarah, 24, were among the bouncy dancers who competed Saturday in the Highland dancing competition at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, site of the 45th annual Monterey Scottish Games and Celtic Festival, which concludes Sunday.
"We do have Scottish ancestry on both sides of the family, which probably explains how we got into Highland dancing," said Sarah, a recent graduate of CSU Fresno. "Our parents always brought us to the Scottish games. We saw the dancers, and we wanted to do it ourselves.
"I've wanted to dance ever since I was little," she said, "but I wasn't brave enough to get on a stage until I was 10."
Highland dance is lively and athletic, a style that developed in the Gaelic Highlands of Scotland, then evolved into its current form during the 19th and 20th centuries. Performers dance on the balls of their feet, combining graceful and playful legwork with upper-body, arm and hand movements. Strength and stamina are critical elements.
The Means sisters compete at the "premier" level for dancers 16 and older, where the rewards for excellence include trophies, medals, sometimes even cash.
"We're judged on technique, timing, sharp movements, the height of our jumps and how well we point our toes," said Debbie, a student at Grossmont College in El Cajon. "You need to be in good shape to do it, but we don't really train for our competitions, aside from practicing a lot. We dance at least five days a week, an hour or two each day, when we're getting ready for a contest."The dancers competing Saturday performed a traditional dance, the Highland Fling, in the morning. In the afternoon, they were allowed to freestyle a bit, implementing some of their own choreography and creativity.
The outfits they wear are straight from the homeland.
"We wear kilts with pleats in the back, and we have to wear a vest or jacket," Debbie said. "Our hair must be worn up, out of the face, so most people put their hair in buns, just because it's easy. Others will braid their hair or just hairspray it until it doesn't move."
Their shoes, called "ghillies," are soft, supple and form-fitted leather, similar to the shoes ballet dancers wear. But Highlanders perform on half-point â€" the cushiony part of the toes â€" as opposed to rising completely perpendicular, like a ballerina.
"I think the most difficult part when you first start is learning to jump and point your toes at the same time," said Sarah, who, with her sister, took lessons from Jamie Kitz, a Prunedale-based instructor. "We had to think about the steps as we were doing them at first, but it all comes pretty naturally now."
Highland and Irish dance demonstrations are scheduled at 11 a.m. Sunday on the Glasgow Stage at the fairgrounds. Other highlights Sunday include athletic events, bagpiping, historical reenactments, sheepdog demonstrations, whisky tasting and various performances throughout the day.
For a full schedule of events, see www.montereyscotgames.com.
Dennis Taylor can be reached at 646-4344 or dtaylor@montereyherald.com.
SCOTTISH GAMES AND CELTIC FESTIVAL
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