About

I am a BATD certified Highland dance teacher and have been teaching Highland dance for about six years. I also hold a Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry and Biology from Davis and Elkins College. A premier-level, competitive Highland dancer, I currently co-teach several classes through Zoom for the West Virginia Highland Dancers with Katy Dillon. Together, we provide technical training and choreography experience for competitions and local performance opportunities. One particular event of note that we hold annually at Davis and Elkins College (Elkins, WV) is the Spring Highland Fling, which all of our dancers are invited to participate in.

Much of my focus as a dancer has been in the competitive realm of dancing. In 2019, I attended USIR (the U.S. National Highland dance championship event) in Las Vegas, NV, and was deeply inspired by the incredible athleticism of dancers there. For several more years I trained harder than ever, hoping to one day dance with some of the best at USIR. In 2023 that dream came true, and I was able to dance at Nationals in Portland, OR. This past year, I was fortunate to attend USIR, this time with a student representing. Throughout the year, I also attend competitions as a competitor and instructor in locations such as Clearwater, FL, Orlando, FL, Savannah, GA, Ligonier, PA, Philadelphia, PA, The Plains, VA, Richmond, VA, Elkins, WV. Highland dancing competitions frequently become a great way for our dance families to have a bit of weekend travel here and there; visiting local museums and sites before or after the competition is not uncommon!

Highland dancing offers many high-level performance opportunities to premier-level dancers above the ages of 16, 18, and 21, depending on the opportunity. This can be one huge advantage to other dance styles such as ballet and jazz; some of these opportunities in Highland are simply not achievable for the majority of dancers pursuing these other styles. When I was 18 years old, I was accepted by audition to perform with the International Tattoo Highland Dance Team for a week in Estes Park, CO. Military tattoos are large-scale performances that incorporate both military and civilian performers into a brilliant show that typically goes several days but can last as long as a month. Recently, I also performed in the Royal Nova Scotia Military Tattoo in Halifax, NS, and will soon perform at the Netherlands Military Tattoo, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Along with these incredible opportunities, I have also been afforded the chance to perform with the Sons of Scotland Pipe Band in Scotland for the past three years.

Previously, I trained in ballet, lyrical, tap, jazz, and modern dance for over ten years, and try to incorporate these styles in my Highland instruction for a more holistic approach to dance. I also highly emphasize cross-training and nutrition in my instruction, as I believe that these components are critical to developing a balanced dancer. It is my effort to make Highland appealing to both dancers who are competitive and want to "go for gold", as well as dancers who simply want to enjoy the artform and exercise that Highland provides. No matter the dancer and dance parents, there is a place for everyone in Highland dancing!