Teachers

Rebecca Blackhall-Peters

Rebecca was born in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. She has now moved to the Okanagan Valley and is residing in Summerland, BC. In 1995 she took up SCD and earned her Teacher’s Certificate in 2001. As she had a background in classical ballet, pointing her toes was not a problem, however, it took quite a bit longer to learn the formations and dances! She has taught a General class in Fort Langley for the last 18 years, and taught at the Vancouver Branch. She now teaches the Naramata Scottish Country dance class in Penticton.

She has taught workshops throughout North America, and has been a core teacher at TAC, St Andrews and New Zealand Winter School.

John Brenchley

Born in London, John started dancing soon after leaving school, joining classes run by the RSCDS London Branch.

Attending St Andrews in 1983. John started the process of teacher training and whilst there, met his future wife, Christine, who was visiting from Australia.

In 1989 they emigrated to Perth, Western Australia where John has taught all levels of class from beginners to advanced technique. He has also taught at winter schools in Western Australia and Victoria and at New Zealand summer schools, most recently, Nelson in 2023/24 as well as weekends in Cairns and Melbourne.

John’s aim as a teacher is that dancers should have fun and find enjoyment from dancing dances to the best of their ability, particularly interacting with other dancers and maximising teamwork.

When not dancing and teaching, John enjoys devising dances for friends and fellow dancers to commemorate special occasions and has had several accepted for publication by the RSCDS.

Margaret Gawler

Although I moved to Australia from Scotland as a child, I maintained my love for Scottish music and dances. In 2002, my husband, Ross, and I discovered Scottish Country Dancing and enjoyed it as the first recreational activity we both liked. It became our escape from work.

We've danced at Winter Schools across Australia and attended Summer Schools in New Zealand and Scotland. A highlight for me was taking my father in his late 80s to a New Zealand Summer School in Nelson. He surprised the visiting band from Scotland by being able to sing words to old Scottish tunes that they didn't know had words, and they delighted in writing the words down.

I began teacher training in 2017 and gained my full certificate in 2022.

In May 2019, I became the full-time teacher at the Waverley Scottish Society, one of the local groups in Melbourne, after the long serving teacher retired.

Since gaining my certificate, as well as the weekly class, I've taught at several Branch Days of Dance and classes and a Weekend School.

Janet Johnston

Janet Johnston was brought up in Fife but moved to Edinburgh to start her nurse training.

She started dancing as a child learning her early Scottish Country Dancing from her parents. She was taught Highland dancing too and learned step dancing when she attended St Andrews Summer School.

She gained her teaching certificates at Summer School and attended initially as a student before being invited to teach. Janet has taught in many places both in the UK and overseas, and is honoured and delighted to be returning to Australia for the 2026 Winter School.

Janet is presently chair of Teachers Association Scotland and will return to Scotland after this Winter School to direct this year's Summer School.

Helen Smythe

Helen has danced since she was a child when her Grandmother introduced her to dancing at the Cambridge Club. Helen got her provisional certificate around the year 2001 but gained her full certificate in the new unit system in 2016 after her family of three girls were a little older. She is a teacher in two clubs in the Waikato region - Cambridge and Lochiel. Helen loves to dance both new and old dances and hopes to help newer dancers enjoy dancing as much as she does. It is all about fun and friendship but you tend to have more fun if you can dance well together as a team. Outside of dancing Helen has been a Maths teacher at Cambridge High School for too many years to count.

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