Christine Lacey, MBE

Christine was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2014 New Years honours list for services to Scottish Highland Dancing.

Christine was elected Chairman of the World Governing Body for Highland Dancing in November 2006  – now known as The Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing.

Christine was awarded the prestigious Atholl Clasp Award from The Atholl Dancing Association in November 2019.

Christine is also a Trustee and Examiner of The British Association of Teachers of Dancing as well as an International Adjudicator on The Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing.

Among Christine’s many competitive credits are, six times World Highland Dancing Champion. Although well renowned in the world of Highland Dancing, Christine has also achieved recognition in both Tap and Ballet. She has held the titles of British Senior Ballet Champion; Scottish Junior and Senior Ballet Champion; Scottish Junior and Senior Tap Champion. Collectively, in all three disciplines she has accumulated over 250 Championship Titles.

She is always in great demand lecturing, examining and adjudicating all over the world.

Christine was trained at the Stewart School of Dancing in Alexandria, Scotland.

Christine’s teachers at the School were – Miss Jessie Stewart Haggarty MBE, Miss Agnes Stewart and Mrs Nancy Haggarty Gibbons. Christine is most indebted to all three ladies for giving her the skills and the passion she has for Dance.

She now teaches dance full time and is thoroughly enjoying being able to devote her time and expertise to the dancing world.

Christine is happily married to Donald MacPhee who is a well-known piper and RSPBA Adjudicator.

Joy (Allen) Tolev

Joy (Allen) Tolev started dancing at the age of 3 under the instruction of Mrs. Evelyn Murray in Toronto, Ontario.  During her competitive days she successfully competed in many highland dance competitions and championships throughout Canada and the United States.

She has been teaching at her own school of highland dancing in Toronto for the past 44 years and has produced many dancers of high caliber who have captured titles in various championships including the Ontario, Canadian, Scottish, Commonwealth and World Championships.   There have been over 30 Canadian Championship Titles, many Scottish and Commonwealth Championship titles and runner-ups, a World Champion who holds 10 World Titles, as well as many runner-ups in the Worlds.

She is a Fellow and Examiner of the B.A.T.D., North American Co-ordinator of the B.A.T.D., and adjudicator on the S.O.B.H.D. Judges panel.

Besides her busy teaching schedule, she travels across Canada, United States, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, judging, examining and conducting workshops.

Aileen Robertson

Aileen Robertson started dancing at the age of seven taking classes in all forms of dance. She began competing in Highland & continued her career by winning every major Championship title in Scotland.

The highlight of her career was winning the World Junior Title in 1972 & continuing to win the Adult World Championship in 1974 & 1976. She also won the SOBHD Oscar award for Champion of Champions & was given a Civic Reception from Kyle & Carrick Council.

Aileen is a Fellow & Examiner of the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance & was taught by Elspeth Strathern. She is a Life Member of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing & an Adjudicator on the RSOBHD Worldwide panel. She is Head Delegate on the Board representing FUSTA/Scotdance USA, & also serves on several Committees of the RSOBHD including the Technical & Judges Committees.

Aileen has a successful Dance School based in Ayr & is Founder of the Ailsa Craig Highland Dancers. The Robertson School have had many successes in Choreography. A highlight was to be recognised as the Dance School gaining the most winning choreography teams at the Highlands & Islands Music & Dance Festival.

Aileen is Dance Director of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo & leads the Tattoo Dancers to perform in Tattoos Worldwide. She has choreographed for Tattoos in Melbourne & Sydney Australia, Wellington New Zealand, Virginia, Basel, Zurich, Berlin, Lichtenstein, Dusseldorf, Oslo, Las Vegas, Shanghai & Mumbai.

One of her biggest Honours was having dancers perform for the Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebrations at Windsor Castle in 2016 & with a team of 50 dancers again for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in Windsor in 2022.

Aileen was honoured & privileged to become an Honorary Member of the FUSTA Hall of Fame in 2019. This was awarded to Aileen for representing FUSTA/Scotdance USA on the RSOBHD for 30 years.

 Aileen was the recipient of the prestigious RSOBHD Atholl Clasp award in 2021 presented to her by the Atholl Dancing Association.

She is delighted to be returning to the Marguerite Reid Memorial Workshop in 2023.

Elizabeth Gollan

Elizabeth Gollan was trained by Frances Paterson in Edinburgh, Scotland in Highland, Ballet and Tap. She is a Life Member of the BATD, and a Fellow of UKAdance.

Previously a teacher and director of Paterson School of Dancing for over 30 years she now teaches dancers of all levels at her own school.

Elizabeth has trained dancers who have won championship titles in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, France, Canada, South Africa and the United States, as well as the RSOBHD UK Champion of Champions.

Having spent 27 years working in the Finance Sector, Elizabeth changed job direction in 2016 and is now Director of Administration of the RSOBHD. 

Elizabeth is delighted to have been asked to lecture at the Marguerite Reid Memorial Workshop weekend.  She hopes everyone has a weekend full of learning, fun and making new memories.

Linda Armstrong

Linda has been teaching in California for over 50 years.  She is the current secretary of the B.A.T.D. in California.  She has had dancers that have qualified to compete in the United States Championships for over 25 years and many of her dancers have won the championships in their various age groups. 

She also has been fortunate enough to have 4 World Champion dancers that have won in Scotland during the annual trip to Dunoon, Scotland.

Her parents immigrated to California from Canada in the 1950’s and her dad was a piper in various bands.  Her 3 brothers were also involved with piping and drumming and it has continued to her children and grandchildren.

It is an honor to be asked to do the Marguerite Reid Workshop this year.

Sandy Gribbin

Sandy Gribbin is a member and teacher through the British Association of Teachers of Dance.  She grew up as a competitive highland dancer, winning numerous championships throughout her competitive career.  Sandy is now the head choreographer and Dance Director for the Highland Echoes show, a professional production of Scottish music and dance.  In addition to her love for highland dance, Sandy is a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor through the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and a Certified Exercise Specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).  After earning her Master of Arts degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sandy took her knowledge as an experienced dancer and trainer to develop different methods of fitness training for highland dancers, known as Fit for Reel by Studiofit®.  Sandy created Fit for Reel by Studiofit® as a way for dancers and teachers to find cross-training techniques with the ultimate goal to improve a dancer's strength, power and stamina, while reducing the risk of overuse injuries.  She works with dancers worldwide through online 1-on-1 personal programming, group classes, and workshops, all created to help dancers achieve their goals and prevent injuries through balanced body training.