Dale Birdsall
- 
Dale was introduced to Scottish Country Dancing in 1978. He became enchanted
with SCD and with a fellow dancer, Polly Martin, who became his
wife in 1981. He received his Preliminary Pass in 1983 and his Teacher's
Certificate in 1986. Dale taught in the Cincinnati Branch until moving to
Vermont in 1998. In Cincinnati, he taught the demonstration team, was the
Teachers' Representative to the Branch Committee of Management and taught
beginner's workshops with Polly in addition to regular branch classes. He
has also taught one day workshops in Lancaster and Columbus, Ohio; Windsor,
Ontario; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and was one of the teachers at the
1998 Chicago Weekend. Dale has written dances (a book should be published
soon) and one dance, The Queen City Salute, was published by the
RSCDS in Frae A' The Airts, Book 37.
Currently, Dale teaches the Vermont Cornwall class in Middlebury, Vermont
with Polly.
Polly Birdsall
-
After watching the Edinburgh Demonstration Team while studying at Edinburgh
University, Polly was finally able to try dancing in Cincinnati in 1978. After
taking time out for children, she passed her Preliminary Test (towards the
RSCDS Teacher Certificate) in 1996, and became one of the Cincinnati Branch
teachers. She also taught beginner's workshops with her husband, Dale. Since moving to Vermont,
Polly and Dale have been teaching a class in Middlebury (the Cornwall, Vermont
class).
Mary Dreghorn
-
Margaret
Gomersall - After a thirty year absence, Margaret, - as a
teenager she competed in Dance Festivals in Scotland and accompanied her mother
to socials !! - unearthed her roots when she returned to Scottish Country
Dancing in Montreal in 1996. Such was her new found enthusiasm that when preparation
for the Preliminary Test was offered, caution was thrown to the winds and
she decided to take the plunge. Having successfully completed the exam in
1999 she is now accumulating some much needed teaching experience and is delighted
to share her joy of dancing with others.
Martha Kent -
Dagmar
Koeppler -
Sara Lawson -
Adriana
Linden -
Norah Link -
Norah has enjoyed many dance forms over the years, including ballroom, ballet
and ballet-jazz. She started Scottish Country Dancing in 1986, and since
then has also enjoyed Scottish Step Dancing. Norah has been teaching
Scottish Country Dance since 1993, and she earned her RSCDS Teacher Certificate
in 1998 after studying with Elinor Vandegrift at the TAC Summer School Candidate
Class. She taught the Cornwall Class for seven years, handing it over with
some regret in the fall of 2000, and she has taught the TMR Friday night
class since the fall of 1999. Norah has also competed as a premier-level
Highland dancer, and holds an Associate membership in the British Association
of Teachers of Dancing (Highland Branch). She has taught workshops in Scottish
Country Dancing in Ontario, New Hampshire, Newfoundland, and at Pinewoods
Dance Camp (near Plymouth MA); and in Scottish Ladies' Step Dancing at Albany
NY and at Pinewoods. Norah loves all aspects of SCD, including the music
and spirit of the dance, the intricate patterns we make as we dance, and
the sociability. One of her favourite new experiences was choreographing
the Branch's demonstration for the Cornwall Millenium Tattoo.
Betty Speirs
- Betty has been dancing in Montreal since 1955 and teaching since
approximately 1965. Over the years, in several districts in Montreal, she
has taught various types of classes, including Technique, Social, Teacher
Candidates and Demonstration, also on occasions, Girl Guide Groups and Elementary
School classes. Betty has been teaching the Valois class since the early 1980's
and in addition taught the Teacher Candidates class in 1999. She has been
teaching the Debutantes and the Reel practices for the St. Andrew's Society
Ball, has taught at various workshops throughout Canada and the U.S.A. and
has also attended numerous workshops and Balls.
At different times over the years, Betty has
been a member of, and also Teachers' Representative on, the Montreal Committee
of Management. She has been on the Montreal Ball Committee and was a member
of the Montreal June Weekend Committee for about 10 years.
Betty taught the Demonstration group for presentations
at numerous community and multi-cultural events, including Expo '67, the 1976
Olympics, as well as Canada Day Celebrations and historical events at the
Montreal Old Port. Also the Highland Games at Montreal and Maxville, locally
produced Television shows and many Nursing Homes and Senior Residences.
Betty was honoured to be presented with the
RSCDS Scroll in 1995. She was presented with the Montreal Thistle Council's
Thistle Award for her work in Scottish Country Dancing in 1999, and was made
a Fellow of the Thistle Council in April 2000.
Eunice Tees -
Eunice grew up in Scotland, and came to Montreal in 1956 where she worked
for Air Canada. She was "roped in" by Margaret Bowie to join the
new St. Andrew and St. Paul Scottish Country Dance group, and danced there
until the Montreal SCD branch was founded and after. She married in 1963,
and soon had two children. Eunice's husband, Fred, made a career change in
1974, becoming a clergyman. In the same winter, Eunice took the teacher training
course, and passed the preliminary certificate. Since then, she has started
and run SCD groups in their parishes at Vankleek Hill, Sherbrooke, and Verdun.
On retirement, Eunice and Fred moved to the Laurentians. Eunice continued
to teach a group in Verdun until that church closed, and during this last
year (1998/99) she taught the Friday Night group in the Town of Mount Royal.
Since this is rather a long drive, and not always easy to negotiate in winter,
Eunice has decided to retire from this class. However, she is still interested
in teaching, and groups in the Laurentians are welcome to contact her.
