Meet Katherine

With over two decades of commitment to the art of Scottish Highland Dance, Katherine is a seasoned professional who has achieved success as a performer, competitor, and teacher.

Katherine has competed and performed in venues across the U.S., Canada, and Scotland, and continues to do so as an adult dancer. Notable personal competitive achievements include: qualifying for the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (B.A.T.D.) North American Sadie Simpson Highland Scholarships in 2006; winning the North Eastern U.S. Open Championship in 2025; placing in the top 6 at the U.S. East Region Championships in 2007, 2008, 2023, 2025, and 2026; and in 2026 qualifying to dance as an East Region representative in the 2026 United States Inter-Regional Championship (USIR) – the ScotDance USA National Championship – held in Dallas, TX in July.

Katherine was Miss Vermont 2011 and competed on the Miss America stage in 2012. She was the first highland dancer to represent the dance style in the talent competition at Miss America. Today, she and her students perform with both local and internationally-recognized Celtic musicians, at community events, and at Scottish and Celtic cultural events.

In 2007, she earned her Associate teaching credentials from the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (B.A.T.D.) and in 2022 she earned her full Member credentials. This certification is recognized worldwide in Highland dance and as a credentialed instructor, Katherine’s students may participate in ScotDance USA events as well as Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (R.S.O.B.H.D.) events worldwide, compete in highland dance, take B.A.T.D. exams, and are taught to a globally-recognized standard.

Katherine is incredibly proud of the many individual accolades her students have achieved, including students qualifying for the USIR in 2023 and 2026, five students achieving nomination to the B.A.T.D. North American Sadie Simpson Highland Scholarships since 2023, and one student placing 2nd in the Senior Scholarship and 4th in Choreography at that event in 2024. Additionally, several students have received scholarships to further their dancing and have earned placement on international highland dance teams for events like the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

Beyond their competitive achievements, Katherine is committed to growing the whole dancer in her school. While she focuses on technique, musicality, strength, flexibility, and stamina, she also emphasizes a healthy mindset, goal-setting, cross-training for strength and injury prevention, and finding personal fulfillment, friendships, and joy in dancing. In addition to the individual growth and achievement of personal goals her students experience, Katherine encourages teamwork, collaboration, and good sportsmanship across the offered classes, performance, and competitive opportunities.