Spotlight on a dancer: Lisa Brooks

How long have you been dancing?

I have been taking Highland Dancing classes since age 6. In my dancing career I have also dabbled with Jazz, Tap, Modern, and Classical Ballet.

What are your favourite dances to perform?

 When it comes to Highland Dancing, my favourite dances are those that demonstrate an amount of fluidity and grace in addition to the strength required throughout the entire style (for example, the Seann Triubhas, the Village Maid and the Blue Bonnets). The strength I developed in Highland has served me very well in other dance disciplines and made the big jumping sequences some of my favourite!

What do you enjoy most about dancing?

What I enjoy most about dancing is the sense of freedom and of "being home". When I dance it's as though nothing can go wrong and I am at my most honest. 

What were your favourite performances?

I have been privileged enough to compete at the ScotDance Canada Championship Series on many occasions, which was awe-inspiring. My favourite competitions generally are those that include choreographic works as you see each dancer's individual style even more clearly. I have greatly enjoyed performing in local events such as The Scottish Society of Ottawa's Hogman-Eh!, family reunions, and seniors' homes. 

What do you do when you’re not dancing?

Rest my legs! When I'm not dancing myself I am teaching dance classes full-time and work in arts administration. When I have a quiet moment to myself I try to bake some cookies or muffins and attempt to play piano, though I have still very much a novice. 

Tell us something that might surprise us about you.

 In addition to being a member with the Scottish Dance Teachers' Alliance (SDTA), in my early twenties I attended Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in their Teacher Training Program. I graduated with distinction from the school and am now a Permanent Associate with Cecchetti Canada.

Any exciting upcoming projects or shows you’d like to share with us?

I am hopeful to be making a trip to Scotland in the near future, am looking forward to travelling to Saskatchewan for SDCCS 2022, and am of course looking forward to Robbie Burns Day!