Preparing for Examinations
Christine Aitken
Christine started dancing at the age of 3 and studied Highland, Tap, Ballet and Modern Dance. Her dance teachers were Miss Effie Drummond (in later years known as Mrs Effie McCowan) for the theatre branch and Mrs Jessie Haggerty MBE for Highland Branch.
Christine competed regularly at Highland Dancing competitions and at the age of 10 won the Scottish Championship at the world famous Cowal Games in Dunoon Christine is the principal of her dancing school which this year is in its 61st year.
Christine has taught many pupils over the years and they have been very successful in exams and competitions and many now have their own dance schools.
Christine is at present Past President, Fellow and an examiner of The British Association of Teachers of Dancing having been chairman of the Associations Highland Committee and a member of the stage and ballet committee. Christine is an Independent Member and Worldwide Adjudicator for Highland Dancing with The Royal Scottish Official Board Of Highland Dancing She is the Convenor of the RSOBHD Judges Committee and a member of their Technical Committee.
Christine often travels to United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand examining, Judging and lecturing especially for the British Association of Teachers of Dancing.
It is a privilege and pleasure to be one of your lecturers at this years Annual Conference of The British Association of Teachers of Dancing.
Have a wonderful Conference everyone.
Yours in dance. Christine E Aitken FBATD RSOBHD Adjudicator.
Jessie Stewart Haggarty MBE Tribute Dance
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.
Sadie Simpson Tribute Dance
Helen Ford
Helen is a Fellow and Examiner of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing, she is also a Licenciate of the London College of Music in Speech and Drama.
She was President of the Association of Teachers of Dancing from 1991 – 1995 and has served on the Associations Stage and Ballet Committee as Chairman for many years and also as a member of the Highland Committee. She was the Overseas Administrator for the Association for ten years and was Director of Administration for the RSOBHD from 2007 – 2016.
She is delighted to present the Sadie Simpson Honour Dance which she choreographed along with her very dear friend May Martin. The dance was presented at a banquet held in honour of Sadie Simpson on the occasion of Sadie’s retirement as Overseas Administrator. The dance was performed by Christine Lacey MBE.
Commercial Dance Lecture
Catriona Hunter
Miss Catriona Hunter is an inspiring teacher and performer. Cat has been a member of the BATD since 2014 and has her HND in Professional Dance Performance from the Fine Arts Centre of Excellence.
Cat has taught in schools across Scotland where she has encouraged and inspired students with her knowledge and passion for dance. Cat has choreographed for professional shows and pantomimes as well as school performances in Disneyland Paris, GoDance and on Broadway. Cat now runs The Murray Hunter School of Dance where she has hugely successful students who have won BATD scholarships and championships and gone on to train professionally at some of the Britains best colleges.
Miss Cat can’t wait to be returning to the BATD annual conference to dance with you all.
Musical Theatre Lecture & Jazz Technical Lecture
Lisa Ritchie
Lisa trained at the Royal Ballet Upper School where she gained her Teacher Training Qualification and was awarded the prize for Dance Quality and Musicality on graduating. Lisa then joined Cork City Ballet as a Soloist and Choreographer before returning to London to further her Musical Theatre Training at Laine Theatre Arts for a Post Grad Year.
Since then her Musical Theatre career has stemmed over 22 years. Her credits include; Carousel (Regents Park ), Follies ( National Theatre ), On The Town ( Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre ), Wonderland (National Theatre), Singin’ in the Rain (Palace Theatre), High Society ( UK tour ), Carousel ( UK tour ), Sinatra (UK Tour); Anything Goes (Kilworth House), Chicago (Cambridge Theatre), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (International Tour), Cool Rider (Duchess Theatre), 42nd Street (Curve Leicester), White Christmas (Sunderland Empire), Fame (Aldwych Theatre), Singin’ in the Rain (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Night of 1000 Voices (Royal Albert Hall). Her TV credits include: Saturday Night Take Away, John Bishop’s Christmas Special and Justin Lee Collins, Westend Star. Her film credits include; Greatest Days, Mama Mia, Here We Go Again and workshops for Matilda.
Alongside her performing career, Lisa has continued to teach Musical Theatre and dance in some of London’s most prestigious colleges. Currently, she is teaching full-time at Arts Ed, Mountview and Urdang.
Contemporary Lecture
Rosie Mackley
“Rosie (she/her) is a versatile Scottish dance artist working broadly in the sector including in performance, teaching, choreography and project management. She trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating with the prize for best overall student from the BA Modern Ballet degree and went on to gain an MA in Dance Producing and Management during COVID and most recently, a Level 5 Teaching Qualification from the British Ballet Organisation with Distinction. She is committed to continual learning and enjoys the intersection of skills and knowledge in her freelance work. In her teaching practice, Rosie prides herself on creating a healthy, nurturing environment for dancers to challenge themselves, building strong technical foundations, artistry, performance and self confidence in various dance genres. Rosie’s passion and skill for teaching and choreography has been recognised by a number of organisations including The National Youth Ballet of Great Britain, The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (Young Ballet Company), Citymoves Dance Agency, Aberdeen Art Gallery, Danscentre and more.
Lyrical Dance Lecture
Lauren Calderbank
Miss Calderbank began her training at the Scott Stevenson School of Dance under the
guidance of Christina Stevenson and Christine Grace from the age of three. She trained in
both B.A.T.D and R.A.D Graded and Major Examinations and was a bursary and T.D.C.I
championship winner at both regional and national level as well as both the B.A.T.D Junior and
Senior Ballet Scholarship winner. She was also the original demonstrator for the new B.A.T.D. Modern Grades,
presenting the grades with Miss Grace on behalf of the B.A.T.D at district meetings all over the UK and at the Annual Conference.
Miss Calderbank qualified as a teacher within the B.A.T.D at the age of 17 and has since
gone on to be a Fellow and Examiner of this association. This includes being trained to
examine the B.A.T.D’s new and pioneering Hip Hop syllabus by Zac Healey and Tom Malone
of Ruff Diamond. She is also an experienced festival and scholarship adjudicator, freelance choreographer and
guest lecturer, leading workshops in ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre Commercial all over the North of England.
Her main role is that of teacher at the Scott Stevenson School of Dance in Doncaster where
she trains students in all disciplines including R.A.D vocational examinations up to Advanced.
The school has gone from strength to strength and has maintained a 100% distinction rate in
all R.A.D examinations for three years running, an achievement the school is especially
proud of. Within the school, Miss Calderbank has trained and choreographed for many
B.A.T.D Scholarship winners, T.D.C.I Championship winners, including the holders of the
English and British titles, as well as finalists of Miss Dance of Great Britain and the 2018 Dance Master UK.
Miss Calderbank also holds a BA (Hons) degree in history and PGCE in secondary education from the University of York.
Miss. Calderbank is looking forward to lecturing at this year’s B.A.T.D Annual Conference and would like to thank the Stage and Ballet Committee for the invitation.