About Us
After 14 years in the same location, STRATHCONA SCHOOL OF DANICING is moving! We are pleased to be offering classes in the studios at the Edmonton School of Ballet, 8205-90 Avenue, Edmonton. This is located just east of Bonnie Doon Mall.
Meanwhile, you can still contact us by phone or email:
Strathcona School of Dancing
Phone: (780) 466-4231
Emai: info@danceatstrathcona.com
MEET OUR STAFF
Strathcona School of Dancing was founded in 1995 by Bill Troock, Kelly Abrahart and Jacques Bourgouin.
BILL TROOCK, Highland Teacher
Born and raised in Edmonton Alberta, Bill has been an active teacher, adjudicator and choreographer for over 30 years. His students have won many championship titles throughout North America and Scotland, including three Canadian Inter-Provincial titles. In addition, his students have successfully finished in the top six in the Juvenile, Junior and Adult World Championships.
Bill began dancing at the age of 6 with Pat Horlor. Over the years, his teachers have included Kathryn Horlor, Angus MacKenzie, Heather McGregor and Evelyn Jones.
He is a Member of the World Wide Judges’ Panel of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (S.O.B.H.D.); a Fellow and Examiner with the Scottish Dance Teachers’ Alliance (S.D.T.A.); a Member with the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (B.A.T.D.); Independent Member of ScotDance Canada and Honorary Life Member of the Alberta Highland Dancing Association.
In 1986 & 2000, he chaired the ScotDance Canada Championship Series held in Edmonton. Bill continues to plays an active role in ScotDance Canada as the National Chair for Competition Organizers and an Advisory Committee member. He also serves on the Executive of the Edmonton Highland Dancing Association and Highland Dance Teachers & Judges of Alberta.
Bill has traveled extensively throughout Canada, United States, Australia, South Africa and Scotland adjudicating, examining and conducting workshops. In 2006, Bill traveled to New Zealand to conduct workshops and had the honour of judging their first SOBHD Open Championship and then again in 2007 judged the first New Zealand National Championship.
In 1995 along with his teaching partners Kelly Abrahart and Jacques Bourgouin, they opened the Strathcona School of Dancing where they continue to teach together. In addition to his dancing, Bill is currently employed by Sabre Inc. as the Senior National Sales Manager.
KELLY ABRAHART, Highland Teacher
Kelly is a Fellow of the SDTA, a Member of BATD, and a member of the SOBHD judge’s panel since 1996. She is also the provincial representative of the ScotDance Canada Judges Committee.
As a dancer, Kelly competed since the age of four, winning several major competitions and championships, including the Alberta Provincials 4 times, and finished 1st runner up at the Canadian Championship in 1980 and 1981.
Kelly has been co-owner, with Bill Troock and Jacques Bourgouin, of the Strathcona School of Dancing since 1995. Over the years, their students have won many championship titles in Canada, the U.S. and Scotland, including the Provincial, Canadian and British Overseas championship, as well as several top 6 finishes at the World Championships. They also enjoy doing choreography and have had several performing opportunities including shows with Natalie McMaster, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and local ban, Celtic Fusion Illusion.
Kelly currently lives in Sherwood Park with her husband, Heinz, and two daughters, Ashley and Lauren.
JACQUES BOURGOUIN, Ballet, First Steps, & Step dancing teacher, L.I.S.T.D. (Cecchetti Branch)
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Jacques did most of his dance training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet where he graduated from their Professional Division Program in 1988. He went on to tour with the company in the production of “The Nutcracker“ which toured across Canada and “Romeo and Juliet” which toured the former Soviet Union. He was also invited back to dance in the school’s 25th Anniversary Production of “Don Q”. Jacques has also performed with and choreographed for “Le Cercle Moliere” a french Theatre Company and danced and toured extensively with L’ensemble Folklorique de la Riviere-Rouge, both from Winnipeg. His folk dancing has taken him around the globe to Ivory Coast-Africa, Istanbul-Turkey, France, Spain, USA and across Canada to many major International Dance Festivals.
In 1990, Jacques moved to Edmonton to perform with Ballet North and Northern Light Theatre before taking up teaching. Moving back to Winnipeg, he completed his teacher training in the Cecchetti method with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
Now residing in Edmonton, Jacques is co-owner of the Strathcona School of Dancing and a teacher at The Edmonton School of Ballet. He was ballet master and choreographer for the Edmonton Festival Ballet Company from 1997 until 2002. He has choreographed for the official change-over ceremony of Bonnie Doon School to L’Academie Vimy Ridge Academy, choreographed the men’s variation for the Pulcinella Suite which was performed with the Edmonton Symphony and worked on the opening ceremonies for the Canadian 2000 Championship Series of Highland Dancing held in Edmonton where the New Dress Alberta Tartan was presented to the whole world. He has worked with the Edmonton Opera, restaging “Aida’s” dance section and danced in “La Traviata”. He restaged “The Graduation Ball” for The Edmonton School of Ballet in honor of the first Graduating Class of L’Academie Vimy Ridge Academy.
Jacques has trained in all three major ballet syllabi, Vaganova, R.A.D. and Cecchetti. Teaches Ballet, Pas de Deux, Repertoire, Jazz and Step Dancing. He is an examiner for the Edmonton School of Ballet “Junior Grades” program. He has taught at several dances studios in Edmonton and Sherwood Park throughout the last 12 years. He also enjoys adjudicating dance festivals such as the Prince George Dance Festival in 2003, Yellowhead Rotary Arts Festival in Hinton April 2005, Peak Invitational in Burnaby BC March 2008 and several others.
GHISLAINE SHIELDS, Highland Teacher
Ghislaine has been competing in Highland dancing since the age of five and has represented Alberta at the Canadian Championship in 2001 and 2004.
She first began to student teach at the studio in 2004 while working on her SDTA Associate membership which she received in 2005. Ghislaine completed her Members in 2006. As well as teaching at Strathcona, Ghislaine also taught at Edmonton Dance Factory form 2006 to 2008. Her future plans include further study to take her judge’s exam.
Currently, Ghislaine continues to take Highland, Ballet and Hip Hop lessons and still competes in Championship competitions in Highland. She is a full time student at the University of Alberta in the Faculty of Education.
BARB PROWSE, Studio Administrator
Studio Administrator since 2003, Barb’s experience in Highland Dancing comes from being a parent of four children involved over the years. A member of Edmonton Highland dancing Association since 1987, Barb has served on the executive for many years as President, Competition Secretary and currently, as Membership Chair. As a delegate to Alberta Highland Dancing Association; Barb has also held the position of Competition Secretary for the Provincial Championships several times and acted as President for three years. She is a Life Member of the Association.
She brings these experiences and her organizing skills to the studio to keep parents better informed on all the studio happenings and Highland events.
Barb lives on an acreage several miles east of Sherwood Park, and when she is not at the studio or a Highland event, is often at an Arabian Horse show. She lives with her husband, Cameron, who has been piping for dancers at local and provincial competitions for many years.
