Rebecca began teaching highland dancing at the age of 16 and has been teaching in the Edmonton area for the past 29 years. She is a Fellow of the Scottish Dance Teacher's Alliance and a member of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing Adjudicator's Panel. Rebecca is also the Alberta area exam tour organizer for the SDTA Highland Dance Exams. In 2022, Rebecca was honored to be made an Examiner with the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance (SDTA).
Rebecca has taught students who have won numerous championships around the world including the Canadian Championship, the North American, the Scottish Open and the Commonwealth Championships. Her student Katie Lee, was also the winner of the Junior World Champion title in 2011 in Scotland. The McKinnon School of Highland Dance also performs regularly throughout Edmonton and area at various events.
Rebecca has been fortunate in her judging career to have judged the Canadian Championships (2019), the US National Championships (2017) and the World Championships of Highland Dance (2019).
Outside of dancing, Rebecca is a teacher with Edmonton Public Schools. She lives in Edmonton with her husband, Rob, and her daughter, McKenzie.
Katie Lee started dancing at the age of 4 and has had the honor of training under Rebecca McKinnon for most of her competitive and professional career. She is a member of the Scottish Dance Teacher's Alliance and a member of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing Adjudicator's Panel.
Katie has had a successful competitive career traveling around Canada, the United States, and Scotland. She is a four time Canadian champion and won the World Junior Championship in Dunoon, Scotland in 2011. She enjoys sharing her passion for highland dancing through teaching and judging.
Outside of dancing, Katie enjoys playing basketball, touch football and practicing yoga in her spare time. She has a BSc in Biology and Nursing. She currently works in cardiovascular surgery in Edmonton.
Katie Lee
Rebecca McKinnon