Dancer Profile: Heather Randell
Heather Randell is going to the top in her ghillies. Having competed at the United States National Highland Dance Championship eight times, she placed in the top six this year. She also is the regional champion in her age group.
Heather Randell ’15
While accomplishments like this have kept the California freshman motivated to continue practicing, she says highland dance also is a great way to represent her family tree.
“My mother’s Scottish—Her maiden name is actually ‘Scot,’” says Randell. “Dance has helped me learn so much about my Scottish heritage, and I’ve been lucky to be able to share that with other people.”
Randell has been highland dancing since she was 5 years old, so being able to put her kilt to use was an important factor in her college decision.
“I’m used to dancing four hours a day every day, so if I had to stop dancing, I would probably be twiddling my thumbs!” she says. “If Alma didn’t have a highland dance program, I would have found a studio. I love to dance.”
With so much dance experience, Randell isn’t unfamiliar with injuries. She hopes to major in integrative physiology and health science at Alma College, with the goal of becoming a physical therapist.
“I’ve been in a physical therapy office and seen firsthand how therapists interact with patients,” she says. “I like that their focus is to help people get better so they can return to doing what they love.”
