Contact Info:
Owner: Marie Grimes
Phone: 509-879-3352
The Northwest Highland Dancers practice at the Spokane School of Dance Studio. This studio is located at 5521 North Wall,
Spokane. www.SpokaneDance.org
History
The NWHD were formed in June of 2002 by Marie Grimes, Instructor. The group of dancers started out
with only 9 dancers and currently have over 50 dancers. In these last 6 years, they have proven themselves
as a powerful group of dancers placing very highly at local and non-local competitions.
The NWHD are also an afflilate of the Spokane St. Andrew's Society. The Society hosts many activites
through out the year, in which the dancers perform and partake in. If you would like to become a member of the St. Andrew's
Society...please visit them on their website at www.SpokaneScots.org.
E-mail Marie - Click here
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Instructors
Brielle has been dancing for 19+ years and took up Scottish Highland Dance
at the age of 13. Dancing on the Shadle Highland Team eventually becoming co-captain, captain and has been the instructor
for the team since the since the fall of 2006. Brielle competed in the Seattle area and other ares in Washington, Oregon, Canada and well as
Scotland in 2004 where she received 1st and 2nd places. She also placed in the Northwest Regional Championship as a Premier
level highland dancer. In 2009, she received her Member's teaching certificate through the British Association Teachers
of Dancing. Over the past 5+ years, she has been teaching along side Marie Grimes. Brielle is looking forward to the many new students at Spokane's School of
Dance. Currently at SSD she teaches the Shadle Highland Dance Team and teaches the teenage beginner classes.
Objective of NWHD
The primary objective of the Northwest Highland Dancers is to promote public awareness of Scottish
heritage and traditions through the instruction and performance of highland dancing.
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Instructors Marie
Grimes has had 28+ years of dance experience and 23+ years of dance experience in Highland Dancing with 14+ years
of teaching experience. Marie was a student of Elizabeth Coyle and danced with the Spokane Valley Highland Dancers as she
grew up.
She began her teaching career
with the Shadle Highland Dancers in 1997, where she continued to teach for 8 years until one of her old students, Brielle
began to take over for her. Marie founded the Northwest Highland Dancers in 2002 with only 3 students and today the numbers of
students are approaching near 50. Marie Grimes received her teaching certificate for Highland Dancing at the age
of 18 through the British Association Teachers of Dancing located in the United Kingdom.
She is a member of FUSTA (Federation of the United States Teachers and Adjudicators)
and the SOBHD (Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing). She also served as the Delegate for the NW Region of FUSTA from
2006-2009.
Marie successfully competed throughout
the U.S., Canada and Scotland until the age of 13, at which time she turned her attention to performance, running/organizing
competitions and taking medal tests through the BATD to work her way towards her teaching certificate. Marie received her
Member Teaching Certificate for Highland Dance in 1997. She continued her pursuit of certifications and now also holds her
Fellow Teaching Certificate for Highland Dance and Member Teaching Certificate for Scottish National Dance.
In the fall of 2007, she passed her judges exam through the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing,
which enables her to judge all over the world. Currently she runs and organizes an indoor competition held in the
fall in Spokane, runs the dancing competition for the Spokane Highland Games, and was the chair for the United States Championship
for Highland Dancing which was held in Spokane in July of 2011. Marie's goal is that each child reach their potential in highland dancing and have fun while learning this traditional form
of dancing. At Spokane's School of Dance, Marie teaches all of the younger beginner dancers ages 3-14, as well as all
of the advanced students of all ages.
Marie Grimes, Instructor
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