Deryck Mitchelson, Scotland
Deryck started lessons, age 5, at the Tolmie School of Dancing in Dundee, run by his mum Wilma Tolmie and latterly also from Mary Neill, both former World Champions. He had a highly successful competitive career, winning his first championship aged 7, accruing many major titles over 20 years, culminating in 6 World Championships and 7 Champion of Champion titles.
Deryck is a fellow member and examiner in Tap and Highland with UKADance and In 2023, he was honored to be elected as the RSOBHD's first vice-chairman. He is a director of Cowal Highland Gathering and dancing Convenor of the World Highland Dancing Championships.
Out with dance, Deryck loves listening to live music and enjoys performing with his Celtic Rock band, The Cutting Edge.
Aileen Robertson- Scotland
Aileen Robertson started dancing at the age of seven taking classes in all forms of dance. After beginning to compete in Highland she continued her career by winning every major Championship title in Scotland.
The highlight of her career was winning the World Junior Title in 1972 & continuing to win the Adult World Championship in 1974 & 1976. She also won the SOBHD Oscar award for Champion of Champions & was given a Civic Reception from Kyle & Carrick Council.
Aileen is a Fellow & Examiner of the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance & was taught by Elspeth Strathern. She is a Life Member of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing & an Adjudicator on the RSOBHD Worldwide panel. Aileen is an Independent Member on the RSOBHD.
Aileen has a successful Dance School based in Ayr & is Founder of the Ailsa Craig Highland Dancers. The Robertson School have had many successes in Choreography. A highlight was to be recognised as the Dance School gaining the most winning choreography teams at the Highlands & Islands Music & Dance Festival.
Aileen is Dance Director of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo & leads the Tattoo Dancers to perform in Tattoos Worldwide. She has choreographed for Tattoos in Melbourne & Sydney Australia, Wellington New Zealand, Virginia, Basel, Zurich, Berlin, Lichtenstein, Dusseldorf, Oslo, Las Vegas, Shanghai, Mumbai & New York.
One of her biggest Honours was having dancers perform for the Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebrations at Windsor Castle in 2016 & with a team of 50 dancers again for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in Windsor in 2022. The Performers from the Tattoo also performed with the Royal Marines at the Mountbatten Festival of Music in the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Aileen was honoured & privileged to become an Honorary Member of the FUSTA Hall of Fame in 2019. This was awarded to Aileen for representing FUSTA/Scotdance USA on the RSOBHD for over 30 years.
Aileen was the recipient of the prestigious RSOBHD Atholl Clasp award in 2021.She was also presented with the Pooley Sword at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2024.
Aileen is delighted to return to California as an Adjudicator in 2025.
Janice Macquarrie- Canada
Janice Macquarrie, a former champion Highland dancer began her dance career in Antigonish, Nova Scotia at age nine. She competed for fourteen years then after receiving her teaching certificate went on to train many dancers in her area. Her students have won major awards including Nova Scotia, Canadian and North
American titles as well as first and second runner-up positions in World
championships. She is also an award-winning choreographer. Sharing her knowledge and talent with dancers and teachers is of great importance.
It is rewarding to see many of her former students pass these teaching skills on
to their students and run very successful dance schools. Janice received her Associate, Member and Fellow teaching certificates and is now an examiner with the Scottish Dance Teachers’ Alliance. She is also a full panel adjudicator with the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing. She has had the opportunity to judge and give workshops throughout Canada as well as Scotland, Australia,
New Zealand and the United States. Best of luck to the ScotDance USA 2025 organizing committee as well as all dancers and teachers!
Jill Young- Canada
Since 1979, Jill has been deeply engaged in the Highland Dance community. A member of the SDTA, she has served on the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing Judges panel since 1990. Jill's competitive career spanned many successful years, winning numerous major Championships across North America and Scotland. Her judging experience extends across continents, including North America, Australia, and Scotland, where she has officiated at prominent events like the SDCCS, USIR Championships, and the Cowal World Championships.
Remaining an active member of ScotDance Alberta, Jill has held various positions over the years, including co-Chairperson for the 2018 SDCCS event in Calgary. In her hometown of Calgary, she continues to nurture dancers of all levels, from novices to champions.
Judy Clark- New Zealand
Judy has been teaching Highland and National Dancing for over 40 years. Many of her pupils are now teachers and adjudicators and many have won North & South Island, New Zealand, Grand Australasian, Champion of Champions Championship, International Championship (Gosford), Australian Commonwealth, British, Commonwealth and Scottish championships. 2005 saw Judy’s pupil Morgan Bamford win the first of her seven World Championships culminating in the Adult World championship in 2013. Morgan is the only dancer who has won all Scottish Championships at Cowal from under 9 years through to 15 year consecutively .
Judy is a fellow and examiner with the British Association of Teachers of Dance. A founding member of ScotDance New Zealand and know Life Member Judy is a member of the worldwide adjudicators panel and has adjudicated throughout New Zealand, Australia, USA, Canada, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Judy has tutored workshops throughout New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, Canada and USA and currently teaches New Zealand and overseas dancers using Zoom and individual workshops/lessons using a tutoring package using Facebook. .
Judy has been a Principal of Year 3 – 13 schools. Judy retired in 2021 but has been busy relieving for Principals. In her spare time Judy loves to cross-stitch, read, go walking, watch Australian and American politics on TV and the exciting cycle races in Europe.
Natalie Quick- Canada
Natalie Quick is a Fellow of the BATD, a member of the RSOBHD judging panel and an active member with Scotdance Ontario. Natalie began dancing at the age of three and has trained in highland, ballet and pilates. Her major accomplishments include three time world champion, six time Canadian champion, six time Ontario champion, and numerous other championships across North America and Scotland. Natalie enjoyed performing across North America with Celtic Accent and performed a solo at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Natalie has judged championships in Canada, USA, Scotland and Australia. She has been teaching for over 25 years and teaches in Toronto at her studio Highlandin6.nNatalie's students have won numerous championships. She lives in Toronto and works as a senior manager at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Natalie is thrilled to be judging the USIR in Santa Clara in 2025.
Brian Green, USA
Brian Green has been piping for over 45 years. He began learning the pipes at the age of 9 after watching a performance of a Highland piper, Scottish snare drummer and Highland Dancer at his elementary school in upstate NY, receiving his early instruction from Dr. Harold Kirkpatrick.
Brian has been actively piping for Highland dancing for over 30 years. He received valuable feedback on dance piping from Jeannie Brauns (founder of the Braemar Highland Dancers in upstate NY) and pipers Jimmy Fee and John Recknagel.
Brian also competes with pipe bands, having participated in bands at all levels. He is currently a member of The 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band, a Grade 1 pipe band from Milton, ON. Brian now lives in Gurnee, IL (approx. 40 miles north of Chicago) with his wife Pam (a former highland dancer and current Scottish snare drummer), and daughters Courtney (tenor drummer) and Fiona.
This will be the seventh time that Brian has piped at the USIR (prior years: 2015 [Atlanta], 2016 [Grand Rapids], 2018 [Gettysburg], 2021 [CCCS, Fort Lauderdale], 2022 {Madison], and 2024 [Boston]) and he is looking forward to coming to Santa Clara to pipe this year!!
Alastair Lee- Canada
Alastair started with the Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band. Joining SFU in 2008, he was privileged to win the Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championship in his first two tries (2008 & 2009). In concert, Alastair can be seen playing both pipes and keyboards.
As well, solo pipe competition has been a focus for Alastair. In Scotland he is now in the Former Winners MSR at Oban as well as the Gold Medal for Piobaireachd at Oban and Inverness. Alastair also plays for highland dancing on a regular basis.
In his private life Alastair graduated with honours in 2013 from the Art Institute of Vancouver in professional sound engineering. He currently works full-time at the well-known Scottish importing firm Tartantown Ltd. as a bagpipe technician, shipper and sales associate.