For nearly 80 years, Adeline
Duncan has been involved with Highland dancing.
Mrs. D taught in Victoria and
trained many outstanding dancers including two World Champions,
Jennifer Lindsay and Angus MacKenzie. Her other pupils read like a
who’s who in Highland dancing – Cheryl Rafter, Jennifer Wilson, Anne
Reid, Kathy Whyte, Lynn Griffiths, Kathy Giebelhaus, Laurel Adamson,
Gayle Allen and of course, her daughter Heather Jolley. In addition
to these active teachers there is a long list of successful
competitors whose names are prominent on all the trophies at the BC
Highland games.
Mrs. D has been the recipient
of many accolades.
Mrs. Duncan was a Life Member of
the Victoria Highland Games Association in recognition of her many
years of work and dedication to them and she and her late husband
Ian were also Life Members of the St. Andrew's and Caledonian
Society in Victoria.She was elected an Honorary Member of the
Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing in Edinburgh, Scotland.
She was named an Independent Member of ScotDance Canada. She also
was presented with the Atholl Clasp recognizing her contributions to
the Highland Dancing Community. She is a former member and examiner
of the British Association Teachers of Dance and the UKA.
Mrs. D has always had a keen
interest in anything to do with Scottish culture. Her husband, Ian,
was a very well-known pipe major and through him she became actively
interested in piping, and pipe bands. Mrs. Duncan was a lifetime
supporter of the City of Victoria Pipe Band, and through the
marriage of her niece, Nancy to the pipe major of the Simon Fraser
University Pipe Band she became a fan of them too!
Although she was a very
successful teacher, judge and adjudicator, Adeline made every
attempt to attend meetings, workshop and competitions. Her advice to
young teachers was “Never presume you know everything – you can
always learn. There has never been a workshop that I attended where
I didn’t learn something!”
She always enjoyed watching
any competition, big or small, whether she knew the dancers or not.
She was particularly pleased by the successes of her great-niece
Fiona Lee, who is carrying on the family dancing tradition.
Mrs. Duncan passed away early
morning, July 23, 2009. We have lost a true legend in Highland
dancing!
Reproduced and edited from an article by Elizabeth Johnston in the
Canadian Highland Dance Experience – Past, Present and Future
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