Allyson Parker started highland dancing at the age of four under Shauna Crosby and later trained with Debby Stevenson and Carolyn Spears. She has additional experience in ballet, step, and jazz. Allyson values how highland dancing builds lifelong friendships, resilience, and confidence, while also connecting her to her Scottish heritage as a direct descendant of Ship Hector passengers who arrived in Pictou in 1773.
Allyson has competed across Canada and the USA, proudly representing Nova Scotia at the Canadian Championships. Her dance career includes notable performances such as dancing for Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla during their 2014 visit to Pictou, performing at Disney World, and joining the RCMP ‘H’ Division Highland Dancers at the 2018 Belfast International Tattoo in Ireland.
Allyson Parker is a Fellow of the Scottish Dance Teachers’ Alliance (SDTA), a Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dance (RSOBHD) adjudicator, and a professional member of ScotDance Canada (SDC). She teaches highland dance in New Glasgow, NS, through her school, Parker School of Dance. Allyson is also the Competition Organizer for the Festival of the Tartans. Through SDC, she has served as the IT Committee Chair and is a current member of the Marketing Committee.
Beyond highland dance, Allyson holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Dalhousie University, as well as a Bachelor of Education, and a Master of Education in Early Elementary Pedagogy from St. Francis Xavier University. She works as an elementary teacher, a role she thoroughly enjoys.
Parker School of Dance 