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Highland Dance Associations

Highland Dancing is governed by Global, National, Provincial, and Local organizations to ensure that dancers can compete at competitions around the world and to ensure that a consistent technique and style of dancing is performed at all competitions.

C.H.D.A.    A.H.D.A.     ScotDance Canada    ScotDance Alberta    S.O.B.H.D.    B.A.T.D.     S.D.T.A.     U.K.A.

The C.H.D.A. is the local competition organizer and Highland Dancing Association for Calgary. It is a local branch of the Alberta Highland Dancing Association. Being a member of C.H.D.A. means that you hold a membership in a "local." Being a member of a local allows dancers to register at a reduced rate at many Alberta competitions. The C.H.D.A. organizes four competitions each year as well as the Calgary Chinook Open Championship.

Members of C.H.D.A. are able to attend the associations twice yearly workshops, held on the Sunday following select local competitions. These workshops are taught by the judges from the previous day's competition. C.H.D.A. also offers its members free Pipe Practices the Saturday before every local competition, they are usually held at the Nat Christie Centre (Alberta Ballet Building) from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. Please visit www.chda.ab.ca for exact date, time, and location details of upcoming Pipe Practices. C.H.D.A. holds general meetings at 7:30pm every third Monday of the month at the Centennial Arenas (off Crowchild trail). Members also have the opportunity to participate in association sponsored trips to out of town competitions. If your child is a provincial representative to the Canadian Inter-Provincial Highland Dance Championships C.H.D.A. will also provide you with substantial financial assistance towards your trip to "Canadians." Membership in C.H.D.A. has its privileges but in order to offer its members so many benefits members are required to volunteer a set amount of time at competitions and are encouraged to take part in association fund-raisers.

For more information on the C.H.D.A. visit their website by clicking on the following link www.chda.ab.ca.

What are B.A.T.D. & S.D.T.A & U.K.A?

The British Association of Teacher's of Dancing (B.A.T.D.) the Scottish Dance Teachers' Alliance (S.D.T.A.) and the United Kingdom Alliance (U.K.A.) are professional bodies based in the United Kingdom who conduct Highland Dance exams around the world and certify professional Highland Dance teachers. Teachers who are members of any of these associations must pass a dancing exam as well as an oral theory test. Members of any of the associations are required to adhere to a code of conduct for their association as well as follow the by-laws of their association. The associations offer professional development for teachers while sometimes offering workshops for dancers. All three associations are voting members of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing, giving them a role in regulating Highland Dancing worldwide.  

The associations have identical syllabi for the traditional Highland dances, however they have slight technical differences for some National dances. Most Highland Dance teachers in North America are members of either the B.A.T.D. or the S.D.T.A., while the U.K.A. has members mainly concentrated in the United Kingdom. Either B.A.T.D., S.D.T.A., or U.K.A. methods of performing the National dances are accepted in competition.

Teachers must be full members of one of the three professional teaching associations to have their students compete worldwide in competitions sanctioned by the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing. These associations along with the S.O.B.H.D. ensure that the standard and technique of Highland dancers continually improves, while allowing dancers to compete worldwide with the confidence that their technique will be universally recognized by S.O.B.H.D. judges.

For more information on the B.A.T.D. S.D.T.A, and U.K.A. click on the pictures below to visit their websites.

Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (S.O.B.H.D.):

The S.O.B.H.D. is the world governing body of Highland Dancing. It is responsible for the standardization of Highland Dancing around the world. It is made up of representatives from many different Highland Dancing bodies and associations from around the world. The main function of the S.O.B.H.D. is to bring about co-operation between recognised associations, organisations, individuals, and dancers connected with Highland Dancing.

The board is responsible for sanctioning all Highland Dance championships and providing championship winners with S.O.B.H.D. championship certificates. Each year the S.O.B.H.D. also selects the championship steps to be performed by dancers at championships around the world. They also publish an official Highland Dance technique book for dancers and teachers.

The Board comprises delegates from the Examining Bodies, Affiliated Organisations in Australia, Canada, South Africa and the United States which represent the many Highland Dance organisations in those countries. Representatives of organisations in the UK, a limited number of Competition Organisations, Independent Members, and Honorary Members also have voting rights with the S.O.B.H.D. 

The S.O.B.H.D. maintains a World Wide Judges Panel to which entry is by examination.   Those examinations are held periodically in different cities and countries with at least an annual exam in Scotland.  A World Wide Registration Scheme for dancers is also operated by the S.O.B.H.D.   Competitive dancers register with the local S.O.B.H.D. Registration Agents within their own country, i.e. ScotDance Canada (Canada). Dancers carry an S.O.B.H.D. Registration Card which shows their current performance category or level and it entitles them to compete at all competitions within that category anywhere in the world. 

The Examining Bodies and Affiliated Members of the S.O.B.H.D. comprise qualified teachers. The represented Competition Organisers and many Associate Members run competitions under S.O.B.H.D. rules.   Competition Organisers not in direct membership of the S.O.B.H.D., of whom there are hundreds throughout the world, run their competitions under S.O.B.H.D. rules, usually under the auspices of an S.O.B.H.D. Affiliated Member, such as ScotDance Canada.

ScotDance Canada:

ScotDance Canada is the professional teaching association for Canada, as well as the national regulator for all Highland Dance events sanctioned by the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (S.O.B.H.D.) in Canada. ScotDance Canada (an affiliate member of the S.O.B.H.D.) has provincial branches, such as ScotDance Alberta, who are responsible for the organization and regulation of Highland Dancing in their province. Each year ScotDance Canada holds the ScotDance Canada Championship Series, where dancers from each province compete for the title of Canadian Highland Dance Champion. ScotDance Canada also selects the host Canadian city for the ScotDance Canada Championship Series. ScotDance Canada holds a national teachers and judges conference every two years. ScotDance Canada offers on-line competition entry, scruitineering, and competition organizer software and services for competition organizers in Canada.  It also offers on-line processional development courses for teachers and judges across Canada.  ScotDance Canada has voting representation on the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing where global Highland Dance regulations and standards are set.

To visit ScotDance Canada's website click on the image below.

ScotDance Alberta:

ScotDance Alberta is a branch of ScotDance Canada. It is the provincial body responsible for registering dancers and teachers with the S.O.B.H.D. To receive your "ScotDance Card" you must go through ScotDance Alberta. It also organizes an annual professional development conference for teachers and judges in Alberta as well as a provincial dancers' workshop every two years. ScotDance Alberta ensures that there are professional technical advisers at all competitions in Alberta, as well as providing competition organizers with guidance in regards to S.O.B.H.D. and ScotDance rules and procedures. Dancers must register with ScotDance Alberta to take part in competitions worldwide and teachers must also register with ScotDance in order to have their students receive ScotDance cards. ScotDance Alberta is also responsible for the regulating of Highland Dance teachers' professional conduct in Alberta.

Alberta Highland Dancing Association (A.H.D.A.)

The A.H.D.A. is the provincial competition organizer for Alberta. They are in charge of organizing and running the annual Alberta Highland Dance Championships and the Alberta Open Competitions. Its membership is made up of local and regional Highland Dance associations and organizers from across Alberta, such as the Calgary Highland Dancing Association. It has regular meetings where delegates from each member association and a representative from ScotDance Alberta plan the provincial competitions and deal with provincial issues relating to Highland Dance competitions. A.H.D.A. is an associate member of the S.O.B.H.D. and has voting representation at the ScotDance Canada Annual General Meeting.For easy to download entries visit www.ahda.ab.ca!

To learn more about the A.H.D.A. click on the image below to be taken to their website.

© Johnson School of Highland Dance Inc. 2004

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