Founded in 1947 and incorporated in 1978, the Manitoba Highland Dancers' Association (MHDA) is a non-profit organization run by volunteers.
This organization provides our dancers with high caliber competitions, honoraria, scholarships and workshops. We rely on membership fees, donations, grants and fundraising events. The association functions on a year round basis, coordinating 6 competitions each year (two of which are championships). The MHDA runs these competitions starting in the Fall and ending in the early summer. Each year the association runs the Manitoba Closed Championships, where dancers are selected to represent Manitoba at the Inter-Provincial Championships held each year in the month of July.
Our dancers, ranging in age from four year to adulthood, are taught by a body of certified highland dance teachers. All teachers are members of ScotDance Manitoba, a provincial affiliate of ScotDance Canada, and governed by the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing.
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Pavilion of Scotland 2009
New Location:
GLENWOOD COMMUNITY CENTRE
27 Overton Street
August 2nd to 8th, 2009
Every year the M.H.D.A. performs at for the Scottish Pavilion during Folklorama. It is a time to showcase what our dancers can do, and show off our Scottish Pride. Please fill out and email back to Moira Melvin at mmelvin9@mts.net. If you have more than one dancer in the family, please submit one form per dancer.
Online Volunteer Form Downloadable Formats: PDF Word
Please see below for map to Glenwood Community Centre
Dedication Ceremony of “Sarah’s Swords”
On Saturday, June 6th a special dedication ceremony of “Sarah’s Swords” will take place at the beginning of the morning awards at the Forks Market during the Mid-Canada Championships and Competitions. Sarah Brown who was a student and assistant teacher of mine, passed away as the result of a vehicle accident on September 10th, 2007 at the age of 20 years. She was the Beloved daughter of Phil and Cyndi Brown, long time members of the Manitoba Highland Dancers’ Association and supporters of anything Scottish. She was sister to Shawn, a former member of the Boy Scout Pipe Band, 177 Air Cadet Pipe Band and currently with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders. During the many years she was a student of mine, I noticed that she naturally gravitated to the young dancers, especially the Primary dancers of whom she so dearly loved, and they her. In her soft spoken way, she was able to guide these Primary dancers along their first basic movements and steps for which they will long remember.
Sarah always loved the challenge of a good strong Sword Dance, executing her infamous split high cuts with grace and ease. All her dance mates would stand in awe as she, with no bother at all, would extend her little legs out the widest – always the winner in the split high cut pretend competitions we had in class! It is only fitting that in honour of Sarah’s name that the beautiful, white handled flat swords be used in the Primary Class at any and all competitions held in Manitoba. The swords are inscribed with Sarah’s name as well as, “Airson gaol air dannsa” which is “For the Love of Dance” in Gaelic flowing down each blade.
History tells us that the Sword Dance is a dance of victory. Each Primary dancer who is fortunate to dance over these swords will be victorious regardless of the competition and will be told one day all about the young, beautiful girl who won her victory in Highland Dance as well!
Gaelyn McGregor
Wanted:
Looking for a certified Highland dance teacher starting in September in Dauphin, Manitoba.
Please contact Chris at 638 - 8114 after 6 or email at thedukes@mts.net
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