News Archives

Here you’ll find a collection of past updates, announcements, and highlights from the Nichols School of Highland Dancing. From competition results and student achievements to community events and special features, this is where you can read about what happen in previous months and years, showcasing the milestones and memories that have shaped our highland dancing school. Whether you’re revisiting a proud moment or catching up on stories you may have missed, this space keeps our history and spirit alive.

March 14/25 – Semester 3 Registration is now open! Please note the schedule and locations for each class. A list of dates and locations is available on the registration page, registration form, and a downloadable calendar is also available for your convenience. Also, please mark May 24th on your calendar — we are looking forward to performing at the Franktown Lilac Festival again!

February 26/25 – Semester 3 will run from March 20 to May 28, 2025.

January 25/25 – Happy Robbie Burns Day! We had a fun afternoon at the Carleton Place Legion Branch 192, A. Roy Brown Branch. Our dancers demonstrated several highland and national dances and we even got the audience up on their feet for a lesson in Ceiligh dancing, specifically the Gay Gordon’s/The Gordon Highlanders’ March.

December 16/24 – Registration is now open – Classes begin on January 8, 2025.

For this semester, classes will be held on Wednesdays, except for the following due to scheduling conflicts at the hall: Monday Jan 13th instead of Wednesday Jan 15th, and no classes the week of Feb19th.

Classes will be held at the Brunton Hall, located at the NEW Beckwith Township Municipal Office, 2022 Beckwith Park Lane, at Beckwith Park.

Remaining Semesters for 2024-2025, as follows:

Semester 2 – January 8 to March 5, 2025

Semester 3 – March 19 to May 28, 2025

Don’t forget that SDCCS 2025 will be held in Ottawa July 5-9, 2025! It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for highland dancers to participate in this national event, so close to home. To participate, dancers must have a competitive dancer card — please see Ms Victoria for details. Spectators are also encouraged! Dancers of all levels, from around the world, will be at this prestigious multi-day event.

December 11/24 – Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Christmas Open House! Merry Christmas and warmest wishes for a wonderful 2025!

September 5/24 – Registration is now open – Classes begin on September 11th and we have some exciting news! For 2024-2025, there will be a change of venue and a new schedule. Classes will now be held on Wednesdays (and a few Mondays) at the new Brunton Hall, located at the NEW Beckwith Township Municipal Office. The address is 2022 Beckwith Park Lane, at Beckwith Park. Please refer to the Semester 1 class calendar to confirm the date each week. I’m excited to see you on September 11th, at the beautiful new Brunton Hall!

Semesters for 2024-2025, as follows:

Semester 1 – September 11 to December 11, 2024

Semester 2 – January 8 to March 5, 2025

Semester 3 – March 19 to May 28, 2025

September 4/24 – Did you hear that the national event for highland dancing, SDCCS, will be held in Ottawa in 2025?! Over 1200 highland dancers from across Canada and around the world are expected in Ottawa from July 5th to 9th, for this amazing event. From primary, beginner, novice and intermediate dancers, to provincial and national champions, there will be something for EVERY highland dancer (and family!) to enjoy. Mark your calendars! It’s been decades since the last time SDCCS was here, so you won’t want to miss it!

July 8/24 – Summer competitive classes are underway. Please contact Miss Victoria if you are interested in attending.

March 14/24 – Classes for Semester 3 begin March 19th! To register visit the Registration & Resources page to complete the online form.

January 16/24 – Just a reminder that classes are on tonight (Jan 16/24), but may begin a few minutes late. IMPORTANT: Starting next week, all Tuesday classes will begin 30 minutes later, with the primaries beginning at 5:30pm and the juniors beginning at 6pm. If you have any concerns about the change in class times, please let us know!

January 9/24 – Happy New Year! As excited as we are to see our dance families, we feel it would be prudent to cancel classes tonight due to the anticipated inclement weather. Be safe everyone! 

December 5/23 – Christmas Open House! Looking forward to seeing both Saturday and Tuesday students tonight! Registration for January 2024 is now open – please visit the registration page to sign up.

November 25/23 – Dress warm and we’ll see you at the Carleton Place parade!

November 21/23 – The Christmas 2023 Newsletter was handed out this week. A copy has also been sent via email and it is available in our News and Events section.

October 21/23 – ** Schedule change! ** There WILL BE classes on Tuesday, October 24th. NO classes on October 31st.

August 31/23 – Registration is now open! Visit https://nsohd.ca/links-and-resources/ to complete the registration forms. We are also excited to announce extra classes on Saturday mornings, geared specifically to competitive dancers and/or those interested in competing! Note: There is a separate registration form for Saturday classes.

Aug 30/23 – We are looking forward to seeing all of you very soon! Registration opens shortly! The dates for the 2023-2024 dance year are:

June 12/23 – What a great end to the dance year! Thank you to all of our dancers and families for their commitment and support! Between the amazing Franktown Lilac Festival May 27th, the fun Beckwith Heritage Day on June 10th and the exciting Ottawa Highland Dancing Association (OHDA) competitions in April and June, there was something for everyone to enjoy! Some photos have been posted to our Gallery.

We hope you all have a fun filled summer. Miss Victoria will be dancing in Switzerland at the Basel Tattoo and Scotland at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for July and August respectively — be sure to watch for videos on our Facebook Group. Before they head off to Belgium and other international destinations this fall, Miss Adie and Miss Caroline will be providing summer lessons in Carp for those competing, or for anyone who would like to keep up their technique — or just misses dancing. More information to come soon on sign up for drop-in summer lessons! We will see you back at Centennial Hall in September!

May 22/23 – Summer Newsletter is available online, if your dancer didn’t bring home a copy.

April 23/23 – Due to unforeseen circumstances, classes are cancelled this week. A make up class will be added at the end of the semester. Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience!

April 22/23 – The Ottawa Highland Dancing Association (OHDA) is doing a Fling into Spring Fundraiser: Just in time for Mother’s Day delivery, in partnership with Richmond Nursery’s community fundraising program, the OHDA will be taking orders for gorgeous hanging baskets and planters! All proceeds directly support the costs of competitions, including facilities, awards for dancers, judging expenses, etc. Your support is greatly appreciated! Deadline for orders is April 29th at 9pm. Orders will only be accepted online and delivered at your choice of pick-up locations, including Stittsville! Place your order HERE!September 5/24 – Classes will now be held on Wednesdays (and a few Mondays) at the new Brunton Hall, located at the NEW Beckwith Township Municipal Office. The address is 2022 Beckwith Park Lane, at Beckwith Park. Please refer to the Semester 1 class calendar to confirm the date each week. Registration is now open! 

November 21/23 – Our Christmas 2023 newsletter was handed out in classes this week. Download a copy here.

May 22/23 – Our summer newsletter was handed out in classes this week. Download a copy here.

March 7/23 – Our spring newsletter was handed out in classes this week. Download a copy here.

July 5/22 – Adeline Barry Corneau (Miss Adie), has been nominated for the B.A.T.D North American Sadie Simpson Highland Scholarships event, located in Montreal this year! Miss Adie studied hard for her 2022 B.A.T.D. highland theory examination. We are all so proud of her and wish her the best of luck. Congratulations Miss Adie!

May 12/22 – The End of Year Newsletter can be downloaded here. Please don’t forget about the May 28th Lilac Festival.

May 6/22 – Where was Miss Victoria ? She was one of 32 highland dancers invited from the USA, Scotland and Canada to perform at the Virginia International Tattoo. The VIT is an exhibition of military bands, massed pipes and drums, military drill teams, Celtic dancers, and choirs — with over 8000 spectators attending each of the seven performances at the beginning of May in Norfolk, Virginia.

April 1/22 – The spring newsletter can be downloaded here.

November 30/21 – Two more Highland associations resumed competitions in November. The Ottawa Highland Dancing Association (OHDA) was in Greeley ON, on Nov 20th, & the Highland Dancing Association of Ottawa (HDAO) was on Nov 27th, in Aurora ON. Congrats to Miss Adie for winning the HDAO Aggregate Senior Intermediate trophy (with 3 x 1st Place!) and to Miss Victoria for winning the OHDA Aggregate Premier 19 and over trophy. Check out the Photo Gallery for a few more pics!

October 23/21 – Highland Dancing Competitions have officially resumed in Canada and our dancers had an amazing day at the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highland Dancing Association (SDGHDA) competition in Avonmore Ontario! This was the first competition in Ontario since 2020 and the highland dancers — from primary to premier — were very excited to be back on stage!

November 23/21 – Copies have been distributed in classes. An electronic copy of the CHRISTMAS 2021 NEWSLETTER can be downloaded here.

September 25/21 – Looking for highland dancing supplies? We’ve compiled a list of suppliers that may be helpful. Visit our Resources and Forms page or click here for a direct link to the document. This list and any associated links are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; no endorsement is implied.

September 12/21 – Classes begin this week, on Tuesday, September 14th at Centennial Hall in Franktown! Please visit our Classes page for schedule details. All students must print and complete the Mandatory COVID-19 Health Waiver /Self-Screening Tool before entering the hall/studio. Please visit the Resources and Forms page to download this important form.

August 23/21 – Thank you to everyone who attended the highland dancing workshops at Centennial Hall in Franktown, on August 18th! While the bagpipes may have been a wee bit frightening for a few of the adorable little ones, it was wonderful to see so many dancers discovering the joy of highland dancing. We are looking forward to seeing many of you, when classes begin in September! If you have any questions, please email us at nsohd@bell.net

August 18/21 from 5:30pm to 7pm – Highland Dancing is coming to Franktown! Classes for both new and experienced dancers, from 3 years old to adult. Please join us for a Meet-the-Teacher evening at Centennial Hall. Everyone is welcome for a free and fun 30-minute highland dancing workshop at 6:00pm or 6:30pm! All you need is athletic wear (e.g. shorts and tank, shorts and t-shirt), socked feet, a water bottle and your enthusiasm!