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.

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.

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.

Eilidh McMillan

Eilidh started dancing at the age of 3 & was taught by her mother Aileen Robertson.

Eilidh is a 3 time Champion of Champions receiving the Oscar award from the RSOBHD.

She is an 11 time United Kingdom Champion & also holds British Open, Commonwealth, Scottish, Northern Canadian, & North American titles. In her competitive career she won 90 Championship titles in the Junior & Adult classes.

She placed many times in the top 6 in the World Championships in all three Categories qualifying 9 years in a row.  In 1998 she won the Scottish Championship at Cowal & placed 4th in the Juvenile World Championship at the age of 12.

Her main triumph was being awarded 5th place in the Adult World Championship & gaining the award for the top Scottish Dancer in the World Championship in 1996.

Eilidh is a Fellow & Examiner of the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance & serves on the Highland Committee.

She is a Delegate on the Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing representing ABHDI, & is an Adjudicator on the RSOBHD Worldwide Panel of Adjudicators & has Judged in Canada & USA.

Eilidh has performed for many years in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo & has danced in Las Vegas, Virginia, Berlin, Zurich, Basel, & China. She was appointed Dance Captain at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2014 & still enjoys being involved with the Tattoo.

Eilidh teaches at the Aileen Robertson School of Dancing & is delighted to be back teaching at the MRM Memorial workshop.

Diane MacPhee Krugh

​Diane MacPhee Krugh has been teaching Highland for over 50 years, and for the past 42 years has been the Dance Director at St. Thomas’ Episcopal School (K –12 private school) in Houston, Texas, where she teaches Highland Dancing full time with her sister Donna Cusack.

Together they have produced eight different United States Champions, winning thirty US Championship titles.  Eight of their students have placed in the top six overall places in the Juvenile, Junior, and Adult World Championship thirteen times.  In 1997, their student Michelle Cumagun won the Juvenile World Championship.

Diane is the Vice President of the BATD and is also a member of the BATD Highland Committee. Diane is the National Registrar for FUSTA.  She is also the Co-Chair for the BATD North American Sadie Simpson Scholarship Highland Weekend. Diane is an Examiner with a Fellow in Highland and National Branches with the BATD and a member of the RSOBHD’s Judges Panel.  Diane travels on a regular basis conducting workshops and adjudicating at many competitions and Championships all over the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, and Scotland.

She is happily married for 46 years and has a 40-year-old son, Neil, and a 30-year-old daughter, Sandra. 

Alison Plemmons

BIO COMING SOON!

Daniel Carr

​BIO COMING SOON!