Welcome to the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada.

Karen MacLeod-Wilkie
Teaching Monday in Charlottetown and Wednesday in Summerside.
Karen’s love for dance began as a child; whenever she heard music, she had to move. Karen studied Highland Dancing and then taught, in Moncton NB and Sydney NS until her late teens. She also joined the Moncton Pipe Band as a piper, under the direction of her dad. In Sydney she received her Associate’s Certificate. Over the years Karen has enjoyed ballroom dancing, liturgical dance, step dance, and even explored hip hop. Karen has written and directed eight Dinner Theatres in church communities. Four years ago, Karen returned to her passion for Highland Dancing with the Burke Celtic Studio, whose encouragement led her to return to competing and performing. Karen is delighted now to share her passion for dance through teaching.

Karen is an ordained minister with the United Church of Canada and lives with her husband and three children in North Wiltshire. At University she first studied Occupational Therapy, later she received her Masters of Divinity and now is working on her Doctor of Ministry. Dance delights the soul, disciplines the mind, and strengthens the body. Come and share the gift of dance with Karen.

Brooklyn Tchozewski
Brooklyn will be teaching on Tuesday and Thursday in Summerside.
A competitive Highland dancer since the age of six, Brooklyn has competed and performed across Canada, the United States and Scotland. As a provincial representative for Saskatchewan, she competed at the Canadian Championships for seven consecutive years before moving to Alberta. She has won countless awards for her dancing and most notably, she was a Finalist at the 2008 World Highland Dancing Championships in Dunoon, Scotland.

Over her career, Brooklyn has had the privilege of performing at Disney World's Magic Kingdom, as well as Stirling Castle in Scotland, and competing aboard the Queen Mary ship in Long Beach, California. Having attended a specialized arts secondary school, she obtained a Fine & Performing Arts diploma upon graduation. She has her Associate teaching qualification in Highland dancing, and also has training in ballet, jazz and hip hop. Brooklyn has been teaching dance since 2007 at the Calgary School of Highland Dance.

Samantha MacKinnon
Samantha will be teaching on Monday in Charlottetown, Wednesday in Cornwall and Thursday in Summerside.

Samantha is a BATD Associate teacher who began step dancing when she was just three years old. She is trained in tap, jazz and highland as well as voice, piano and violin. She has performed at the Maritime Fiddle Festival, Christmas Daddies, Fiddlers & Followers, and International Teahouse, among other events. She has competed and performed across the Maritimes, winning many awards in solo and group classes. When Samantha was 15 she began teaching privately in her home, growing to manage her own school in East Royalty of 60 students, ages two to adult. Her students have gone on to win numerous awards in solo and group categories across the Island.

Samantha spent the past summer as the step dance choreographer and lead for The College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts' "Ceilidh at the College" and was step lead for the College's production of "Highland Storm." Samantha is entering her final year at the University of Prince Edward Island as a Journalism student.

Paige began step dancing for 14 years, since the age of three. She has performed across the Maritimes at different venues, Ceilidhs, concerts and festivals. She has competed all across the island winning many awards in solo and group categories.

She is trained in Contemporary as well as violin and voice. She has had the chance to perform at the Miramichi Folksong Festival, Fiddlers and Followers, Breakfast Television, Masdam Cruise Ships, The HCMS Welcome Home Troops concert, just to name a few. Paige is entering her grade 12 year at Bluefield High School. She spent this summer in The College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts’ production of Highland Storm as a stepdancer, in addition to showcasing her fiddling as well.

Katie Ramsay began taking lessons at the College of Piping at the age of five, in both Highland dancing and step dancing. She has been involved in numerous competitions and performances throughout the years and has developed a strong sense of leadership. Through her experience, Katie has learned to be creative with various techniques, which enables her to produce challenging and fun choreography. Katie’s compassion for the Celtic arts continues to grow and she is very excited to instill that feeling in her students.