Meet Our B.A.T.D. Executive

Christine has been dancing since the age of 2 ½ years, winning the Scottish championship at Cowal in 1957. 

She is the principal of the Christine E. Aitken academy of dance in Paisley & Johnstone and has been teaching for 38 years, chairman of the association's Highland Committee and member of the Stage and Ballet Committee. 

She has been for many years, a delegate of the Association on the RSOBHD, and also their Technical Committee. 

She is also Vice Chairman of the Scottish West region. Christine is an examiner with the B.A.T.D. and also R.S.O.B.H.D. adjudicator.

Diane MacPhee Krugh has been a member of the B.A.T.D. for 49 years and teaching Highland for over 50 years, and for the past 43 years has been the dance director at St. Thomas' episcopal school (k-12 private school) in Houston, Texas, where she teaches Highland dancing full time with her sister Donna Cusack.

Together they have produced eight different United States champions, winning thirty US Championship titles. Eight of their students have placed in the top six overall places in the juvenile, junior, and adult World Championship thirteen times. In 1997, their student Michelle Cumagun won the juvenile world championship.

Diane is the Vice President of the B.A.T.D. and is also a member of the B.A.T.D. Highland committee.

Diane is the national registrar for FUSTA (ScotDance USA).

She is also the co-chair for the B.A.T.D. North American Sadie Simpson Scholarship Highland Weekend.

Diane is an examiner with a fellow in Highland and National branches with the B.A.T.D. and a member of the RSOBHD's judge’s panel.

Diane travels on a regular basis conducting workshops and adjudicating at many competitions and championships all over the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, and Scotland.

She is happily married for 47 years and has a son, Neil, and a daughter, Sandra.

Diana started dancing at the age of 6 years, took her first professional exam in her early twenties, and worked as a professional dancer in various cabarets. 

Diana was employed at N.R. Rothchild & Sons Merchant Bank in the internal audit department and later expanded her knowledge at the Halifax Building Society. 

Diana is the Managing Director of her Dance Studio, training pupils to a professional standard in performance and Teacher qualifications, with many pupils now working in the industry all across the globe.

Diana is a Fellow, Examiner and Life Member of the B.A.T.D. She was Vice President of the Association from 2019-2023 and is now the current Treasurer and member of the Executive Council. 

Diana is a member of the Rules Committee, Conference Committee and delegate for the SRA, TDCI plus the third level designated Child Protection Officer for England. 

She is the Chairman of the B.AT.D. London Region and was a past member of the Standardisation committee.

Christine was awarded a member of the order of the British empire (MBE) in the 2014 new year’s honours list for services to Scottish Highland dancing.

Christine was elected chairman of the world governing body for Highland dancing in November 2006-now known as the Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing.

Christine was awarded the prestigious Atholl clasp award from the Atholl dancing association in November 2019.

Christine is also a Trustee and Examiner of the British association of teachers of dancing as well as an international adjudicator on the Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing.

Among Christine’s many competitive credits are, six times world Highland dancing champion. Although well renowned in the world of Highland dancing, Christine has also achieved recognition in both tap and ballet. She has held the titles of British senior ballet champion; Scottish junior and senior ballet champion; Scottish junior and senior tap champion. Collectively, in all three disciplines she has accumulated over 250 championship titles.

She is always in great demand lecturing, examining and adjudicating all over the world.

Christine was trained at the Stewart school of dancing in Alexandria, Scotland. Christine's teachers at the school were-Miss Jessie Stewart Haggarty MBE, Miss Agnes Stewart and Mrs Nancy Haggarty Gibbons. Christine is most indebted to all three ladies for giving her the skills and the passion she has for dance.

She now teaches dance full time and is thoroughly enjoying being able to devote her time and expertise to the dancing world. Christine is happily married to Donald MacPhee who is a well-known piper and RSPBA adjudicator.

Mark started dancing at the age of 6 and took his first B.A.T.D. examination in 1981. 

In 1991 mark took his first professional qualifying exam with the B.A.T.D. and has been a life member since 2015. 

Mark has taught at schools in Essex and east London and opened his own dance studio in 2012 where he continues to teach over 300 attendees. 

Mark was a member of culture shock UK hip hop dance troupe in the mid-2000s and has choreographed for many shows and troupes. 

He has entered countless students, adults and professionals for exams in his career. 

Mark is Vice-Chairperson for the B.A.T.D. London Region events Committee and in 2023, Mark was elected to the Executive Council, and he is very proud to represent the Association in which he has spent his dancing life.

Betty joined the Executive Council in June 2025, she is a Fellow & Life Member of the BATD.   

Betty joined the BATD in 1981 as an Associate in the Highland Branch and during her time with the BATD she has held a number of positions within the Association, including Chairperson of the Scottish East & North Region for 17 years and Chairperson of the Scottish East Region for 6 years. 

She has previously served on the Disputes Committee and as a BATD Technical Delegate on the RSOBHD. 

Betty is an International Adjudicator with the RSOBHD, judging Highland Dance Competitions throughout the World.  She is currently a delegate on the RSOBHD for the Australian Board of Highland Dancing.   

She started dancing age 2½ in Highland and competed from age 5, she then added Tap, Ballet & Modern and trained at the Frances Paterson School in Edinburgh.  She had a successful competitive career winning Championships and placing in the World Championships at Cowal.   

Betty currently teaches Highland Dancing in Dalkeith and recently developed a love for Line Dancing, which she also now teaches 10 classes a week.  When not teaching, she runs her Dancewear Business and has designed her own brand of dance shoe “Reel Point-Pro” which is worn by Champions all over the world. 

Betty is happily married to Richard who is very accommodating of her many hours of involvement in the world of dance. 

Christine is an Examiner, Fellow & Life Member of the B.A.T.D. She started Highland Dancing at the age of 4, being taught by well known piper and adjudicator Iain C. MacDonald. She was a successful competitive dancer from the age of 5, until passing the RSOBHD adjudicator exam in 1975. She was also a resident dancer on the Gaelic tv programme Se Ur Beatha.

Christine was a member of the B.A.T.D. Highland Committee having been secretary for 10 years. She was a B.A.T.D. delegate to the RSOBHD and B.A.T.D. delegate to the RSOBHD Technical Committee. As an RSOBHD adjudicator, she has judged in Canada, America and the UK.

Christine was Principal of the Helen Young School of Dancing in Paisley until her retirement in 2015. She joined the B.A.T.D. in 1969 and is qualified to examine in 12 branches of dancing. She loves Theatre Branches as well as Highland.

Lesley has been involved in Highland dancing since her 4th birthday. Her mum was a dancer, so it was the natural activity to be involved in.

Lesley had a successful competitive journey winning all the championship titles in Scotland and the ultimate prize of World Adult Champion in 1984.

Lesley opened her own class aged 18 and her pupils have won every major title around the world including her three world champions. This making Lesley one of the very few people to be a world champion herself and having taught world champions at all three levels.

Lesley taught physical education for 38 years in high schools specialising in human movement studies and aesthetics. This choice of career coming from her successful participation in athletics, volleyball and basketball. Lesley was an accomplished musician at school sitting as first clarinetist in the school orchestra.

Lesley is chairperson of the B.A.T.D. Scottish East branch and a member of the Highland Committee. Becoming a member of the Executive Council in 2024 is a great honour for Lesley.

John started dancing at the age of 10. During his amateur competitive days, he won over 40 Championships in the Classical Sequence genre. He is currently a member of the Executive Council and is the B.A.T.D. delegate to the Sequence Advisory Committee of the British Dance Council.

At district level John is the Vice Chairman of the Northwest area. Along with his wife Ann they have entered and won many Inventive Dance competitions around the UK, this includes the B.A.T.D. event held during the Conference weekend.

John is also the Scrutineer for the association's "Roy Sharpe Medallist Competition" in the Ballroom Genre.

John danced with his wife Charlotte in Ballroom and Latin competitions and represented Britain and Scotland in International competitions and had a very successful dance school for around 50 years.

John is a fully qualified Scrutineer and has adjudicated at major Championships throughout the UK and has also served as an International Adjudicator abroad.

He was the Past Senior Vice President of the Association, Examiner, Life Member and is currently an Executive Council Member.

He is also a founder member of the Scottish Rock and Roll Federation and Member of the Ballroom Committee for both Latin and Ballroom and was the Scottish West Region chairman for many years.

John along with his wife Charlotte are also recipients of the prestigious Carl Alan award for Dance.

Adele has performed and choreographed in many commercial and stage productions in the UK and abroad, including Stars in Their Eyes TV series, Buena vista London and Paris live Disney stage show-cast as Cinderella, P&O cruises, various Royal Variety tv shows, dancer for Cher, Take That, David Hasselhoff (Germany tour), Steps backing dancer at the Brit Awards, Cliff Richard (Germany tour), Barrymore tv series.

Choreography TV credits include-CBBC Balamory, Boogie Beebies, Tickabilla, and Bits and Bobs. Choreographer to various live shows around the UK including assistant choreographer for the Brit awards.

In 2000 Adele moved back to the West of Scotland from London. Adele has enjoyed re-immersing herself in her mother’s dance school which she has now taken over as director. 

Adele is an Executive Council member and Examiner with the B.A.T.D. and continues to be in demand as choreographer, judge and lecturer both at home and abroad working regularly with clients from Italy, Portugal, France, Canada and the USA.

Amber Harvie began dancing at the age of 2, under the tutelage of her mother, Marion Harvie. She has danced and taught in various parts of the world including New York, Toronto, Halifax, Hong Kong, Moscow, and parts of Europe.

Currently the owner & director of The Cumbrae School of Dancing in Ottawa, Canada, Amber has now been teaching for over 30 years. She was a faculty member at Toronto’s Sheridan College ( Musical Theatre program), DanceTeq at The National Ballet of Canada, The American Theatre Dance Workshop in New York, as well as The Brant Lake Dance Center in upstate New York.

Amber holds her BATD Membership in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz, and also is a member of the RAD, holding her certificate in Ballet teaching studies and ARAD. Among her professional dance credits are a Broadway-based production of '42nd Street' in Moscow, 'Tribute to David Merrick' in NYC, 'Time Steps: the musical' (NYC), & Silverseas Cruiselines with Jean Ann Ryan Productions. Amber has performed with the Ottawa Ballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. She has a variety of film and television credits, and has been a back up dancer for Cyndi Lauper as well as Asian pop star, Sally Yeh, who she performed with in Hong Kong and Malaysia.