Teachers

Sharon Barker

Sharon Barker was born in Aberdeen, Scotland and moved to Calgary with her family when she was a young child. She started Scottish Country Dancing at the age of 7 and has been a part of many of the classes and demonstration teams in the Calgary area. She has over 45 years of dancing experience.

Sharon received her Preliminary Certificate from the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society in 1998 and her Full Certificate in 2002. Since then, she has been teaching classes in Southern Alberta on a weekly basis. She has also taught at many day and weekend workshops across North America. Recently, she has taken up tutoring dancers to become teachers and loves sharing her passion for Scottish Country Dance with others. In addition to teaching, Sharon has also held several board positions with both Calgary Branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and the Scottish Country Dance Teachers' Association (Canada).

Sharon has interests in other forms of Scottish and Irish dance, as well. These include Irish Ceili Dancing, Highland Dancing and Scottish Step Dancing.

Beth Birdsall

Beth Birdsall, an enthusiastic Scottish country dancer since childhood, became an RSCDS-certificated teacher in 2011 and fully certificated in 2022. From her home base of Boston, she has taught around the northeastern US, including at New Hampshire Highlands, Pinewoods Scottish Sessions (as an MC), the Albany Fall Frolic, and assorted classes and parties.

She co-chaired the Pinewoods Scottish sessions for two years, and has served on the Executive and Teaching and Music Committees of the Boston Branch.

She loves Scottish country dancing for its mixture of precise technique and enthusiastic sociability, and for the joys of finding new friends on the dance floor all around the world -- not to mention the marvelous music!


	Teachers Sharon Barker Sharon Barker was born in Aberdeen, Scotland and moved to Calgary with her family when she was a young child. She started Scottish Country Dancing at the age of 7 and has been a part of many of the classes and demonstration teams in the Calgary area. She has over 45 years of dancing experience. Sharon received her Preliminary Certificate from the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society in 1998 and her Full Certificate in 2002. Since then, she has been teaching classes in Southern Alberta on a weekly basis. She has also taught at many day and weekend workshops across North America. Recently, she has taken up tutoring dancers to become teachers and loves sharing her passion for Scottish Country Dance with others. In addition to teaching, Sharon has also held several board positions with both Calgary Branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and the Scottish Country Dance Teachers' Association (Canada). Sharon has interests in other forms of Scottish and Irish dance, as well. These include Irish Ceili Dancing, Highland Dancing and Scottish Step Dancing. Beth Birdsall Beth Birdsall, an enthusiastic Scottish country dancer since childhood, became an RSCDS-certificated teacher in 2011 and fully certificated in 2022. From her home base of Boston, she has taught around the northeastern US, including at New Hampshire Highlands, Pinewoods Scottish Sessions (as an MC), the Albany Fall Frolic, and assorted classes and parties. She co-chaired the Pinewoods Scottish sessions for two years, and has served on the Executive and Teaching and Music Committees of the Boston Branch. She loves Scottish country dancing for its mixture of precise technique and enthusiastic sociability, and for the joys of finding new friends on the dance floor all around the world -- not to mention the marvelous music! \| RSCDS Scotland \| InterCityScot \| Strathspey Server \| \| RSCDS Greater D.C. Area \| Updated: August 22, 2025 \|