About Us
The MacMurchy School of Highland Dance is based in Alliston, Ontario and is comprised of recreational and competitive dancers from age four to adult under the direction of Maggie MacMurchy, British Association of Teachers of Dance and ScotDance member.
From September to May, over 75 dancers participate in weekly classes focused on technique, form, history of the dance, and building self confidence. Each spring a recital is held to showcase the progress of each of the students in the form of a traditional Scottish ceilidh, complete with music, food and bagpipes.
At the conclusion of each season, dancers have the opportunity to take individual evaluations and theory exams through the BATD. The testing process requires a great amount of discipline to study theory and to work hard in class to reach the technical requirement for each grade level while giving each student a goal to work towards throughout the year. Our dancers perform extremely well with over 86% of the students receiving the highest honors on an annual basis. The past three years have seen eighteen dancers receive nominations to participate in the Sadie Simpson Highland Scholarships, a prestigious event attracting young people from across North America.
In addition to the recreational classes, approximately one dozen of our dancers compete at highland games throughout Ontario, Canada and abroad. Combining the athleticism of sport and the grace of dance, the school performs extremely well, bringing home medals and trophies on a regular basis. These events range from competitions in school gymnasiums to traditional highland games where hundreds of dancers participate alongside pipe and drum bands, showcasing Scottish Canadian culture and history.
As ambassadors for the art of Scottish dance, they volunteer their talents at various events such as Robbie Burns Night, local festivals, fundraising events, Canada Day celebrations as well as for seniors in various retirement homes across our region. These events help give the School a place within the community, promoting the discipline and building strong local ties.
Since 1994, the MacMurchy School of Highland Dance has seen dozens of students move forward in their dance careers. While some enjoy the friendship and camaraderie from classes with their peers, others have become teachers themselves and enjoy sharing their skills with the next generation of highland dancer.
