Instructors

I started dancing at the age of 3 years with a local dancing school. My highland teacher at that time was Nancy Dickson of Paisley. As a teenager I was trained by Mrs. Jessie Haggarty. I trained with Effie Drummond in the theatre branches. I competed regularly at Highland Competitions and was the winner of the Scottish Championship at Cowal Games in 1957.

When I qualified as a teacher in the BATD, I taught Highland at Effie’s school. I then opened my own dance school which is now in its 46th year. I became an examiner with the BATD and have been fortunate to have been all over North America, Australia and the United Kingdom.

At present I am on the Association’s Executive Council, Chairperson of the Highland Committee, member of the Stage and Ballet Committee. I represent the Association on the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing as a delegate and also as their delegate on the Technical Committee of which I am the convenor. I am also convenor of the Judges Committee of the SOBHD.

I am honoured to be asked to lecture at this year’s Conference and wish you all the very best.

Colin and Jacqui Donaldson have been managing their own dance school in Farnborough Hampshire together for the past 30 years where they cater for all age groups and abilities.

Like all dance teachers, they are finding the current demand from the general public difficult to manage, and feel that the Strictly programme has had a timely, and positive influence on the way our profession is viewed by the public at large.

They have a number of competing open circuit couples under their wing, but the main source of income is derived from a large number of medallists competitors. They are also deeply involved with the Supadance league and have entetred 23 four couple teams for this seasons events. They have lectured and taught dance in many overseas venues and have travelled and lectured extensively in the UK. They are both looking forward to visiting Glasgow for the first time and presenting Cha Cha Cha and Rumba to the members.

Matt trained at Laine Theatre Arts and has just recently finished a run of High School Musical at the Hammersmith Apollo. Other West End credits include: Guys and Dolls (Piccadilly), On The Town (London Coliseum), Desperately Seeking Susan (Novello), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Shaftesbury), Contact (Queens Theatre), Beauty And The Beast (1st National Tour), Nutcracker for Matthew Bourne (USA Tour), Highland Fling also with Matthew Bourne (Sadlers Wells and Japan), Saturday Night Fever (Cologne).

Film: Beyond The Sea with Kevin Spacey.

TV: Royal Variety Performance 2002 and 2003, All Time Greatest Love Songs (ITV), Children In Need (BBC), Blue Peter 2003, Tap Jam (Shanghai).

Choreography: Lucky Stiff (Greenwich Theatre), West End Comes East (Kenneth Moore, Ilford), Move It (Olympia).

Matt was also Assistant to the Choreographer in the casting process of Dirty Dancing (Original Cast) and he teaches and Choreographs for many Performing Arts Colleges around London, including resident tap teacher at London Studio Centre.

Ben and Lucy have been dancing together for just over a year. They first met in a touring show called ‘Simply Ballroom’. In the show they both had different partners but soon after the first tour they started dancing together. They have danced in Las Vegas, Dubai, South Africa, America and all over the UK.

Together they have achieved a great success – having been placed 4th in the 2007 British Closed Amateur – their first competition dancing together – 8th out of 508 couples in the Rising Star Open at Blackpool and placed in the top 26th in the amateur. They have recently been asked to represent England this year at the European Championships in Germany.

Ian is a former soloist with the Royal Ballet and was a principal dancer in many of the West End’s top shows. He currently runs a very successful dance school, choreographs top fashion shows and events and is in demand for teaching and lectures both in the UK and in North America.

Ian looks forward to you joining him on the floor for his Lyrical Ballet lecture.

Lisa was born in Scotland and trained at the ‘Stewart School of Dancing’ in Helensburgh. She then went on to further her training at ‘The Royal Ballet School’ where she gained her Diploma in Teaching and was awarded the prizes for ‘Musicality and Dance Quality’ and also for ‘Modern Dance’. On graduating she went to perform with ‘Cork City Ballet’ as Soloist and Ballet Mistress and also choreographed her own piece for the 2002 tour.

Lisa then went on to further her musical theatre training at ‘Laine Theatre Arts’ (Graduate Course). Her musical theatre credits include Carousel (UK Tour), iris in Fame the Musical (Aldwych Theatre, London and UK tour), Bomballerina in Cats (Marbella), Violetin Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK/International Tour), Sinatra (UK Tour) and is currently in Chicago (The Cambridge Theatre, London).

Jeanette Shearer is a fellow, Life Member and Examiner of the B.A.T.D. and is a member of the S.O.B.H.D. Adjudicators Panel.

She is a delegate on the S.O.B.H.D., the Technical Committee, and a member of the B.A.T.D. Highland Committee.

Jeanette has conducted numerous Championship Step Lectures, Exam tours and judged extensively throughout Canada and the USA.

She is a former pupil of Miss Jean Ritchie.

Frank and Linda are proud Life Members of the BATD. Frank’s dancing career commenced in 1955 and Frank and Linda are proud holders of two Carl Alan Awards and are former British, World, European, UK and International Champions in Ballroom Dancing.

They have also been full time dance teachers for over 30 years, teaching in 30 countries worldwide. They are very proud to have judged at the highest level, including the British and World Championships.