dancers to practice and perform at their best!
Who is this Workshop for?
Highland dancers (recommended 10+), teachers, and parents
All sessions will be recorded and available to all ticket holders for 30 days, so no need to miss out!
All ticket holders are automatically entered into a raffle to win one of three awesome prizes:
Sandy Gribbin
Growing up as a competitive highland dancer, Sandy never thought much about overuse injuries or proper body mechanics during movement. It wasn’t until 10-15 years later of still dancing with the same intensity and drive that led to numerous bouts of shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis when she knew she needed to change her training focus.
Wanting to continue as a competitive dancer, Sandy turned her focus to training smarter and learned the importance of recovery and rest, while improving her overall fitness level through targeted strength training, body mechanics and alignment. She has taken her knowledge as an experienced dancer and certified personal trainer to develop different methods of fitness training, known as Fit for Reel by Studiofit™.
Physical Therapist, DPT
Laura Donlan has competed in highland dance throughout the world for the past 28 years, winning numerous championship titles throughout the United States and Canada. Her passion and love for dancing do not stop with competing. She created Highland Wellness and Strength in 2016 after adding cross-training to her training routine as well as recovering from multiple injuries. The goal is to share her knowledge of self-care and the importance of cross training in a dancer's life. Laura also has her doctorate in physical therapy.
Yoga Instructor
Anthea Bundy successfully achieved her 200HR teaching qualification in Ashtanga Yoga. As a previous highland dancing competitor, Anthea won over 80 championships worldwide, including the World Championships at Cowal in 2010 and 2012. She hung up her highland dancing shoes in 2012 as she was accepted onto the Musical Theatre Course at the Dance School of Scotland in Glasgow. After a car accident, Anthea had to have knee surgery. She took up yoga to help with her recovery to get back to dancing professionally, and she has loved yoga from then on!
Performance Coach
Dietitian/Nutritionist
Lisa Wright has always been an avid swimmer and runner. In college, Lisa found the bike and raced competitively, qualifying for Collegiate Cycling Nationals twice. Lisa then competed in triathlons for many years before taking a break to focus on raising her 3 boys. Lisa is a registered dietitian and enjoys combining her love of sports nutrition with her love of triathlon by becoming a USA Triathlon level 1 coach in 2017. Lisa has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and has been a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist since 1991. She is a licensed in Maryland as well as Tennessee and North Carolina.
Psychologist
Dr. Katie Proffit is a North Carolina native, where she lives with her husband and two children. She works in private practice as a licensed psychologist and provides therapy to children of all ages. She loves working with families to develop better coping strategies for managing stress and anxiety. Before psychology, Katie’s first love was Scottish Highland Dance. She loved traveling with her family and friends (dance friends are THE best!) to compete in competitions throughout the U.S. and Scotland. Katie was a champion dancer who loved creating and performing both individual and group choreographies.
Footwork Highland Dancers
Jess and Bec are two very passionate Australian Highland Dancers who live to bring a fun, fresh and fit approach to the dance form they love so much. They are both SDTA members, championship competitors and senior members of the OzScot Australia team. They have created Footwork Highland Dancers, a dance studio with a difference that promotes collaboration, creativity, and smart dance training. They aim to showcase Highland’s cultural beauty as well as the fabulous workout it provides and above all, the powerful friendships it creates!
What You'll Get on Saturday and Sunday Sessions
Dancer Woes: Hips, Ankles, Knees & Toes (well, feet!) Instructor: Laura Donlan, DPT
This injury prevention class will focus on how to keep your body happy and healthy so you can continue doing what you love…dancing! We will address some common training issues that could lead to injury and how to reduce the likelihood of injury. We will also address more common dance injuries, including warning signs, risk factors, and general stretches and exercises for each injury. Please bring your questions to get your answers. Laura is excited and looking forward to seeing you during this wonderful wellness weekend!
Managing Performance Ups & Downs Instructor: Dr. Katie Proffit
Did you know that high quality performance is a combination of both physical and mental preparation? You work so hard every day to get stronger, build endurance, and perfect your technique; but are you doing the same for your mental fitness? This session will provide information on performance-related anxiety and stress and how it impacts athletes. Participants will also learn practical strategies to manage stress so that they can handle the highs and lows before, during, and after a competition. Katie looks forward to seeing you there!
Highland Performance Nutrition Instructor: Lisa Wright, RD
To be able to practice and perform at your best, your body must be fueled properly through healthy food and hydration. Learn what types of foods are best before and after a dance practice, and how much and what type of fluids are necessary to stay well hydrated. Did you also know that how you should fuel your body on a competition day differs from a training day? Come away from this session with key tips and takeaways how to eat to provide your body with energy and proper recovery each and every time you dance.
Glute Training: The Key to Turnout and Elevation Instructor: Sandy Gribbin, MA
Harness the power of your glute muscles to master turnout and elevation for your dancing. This class will teach you tips and tools to strengthen the glutes you can to incorporating into your training right away. Bring your foam roller as well to use for glute activation and recovery techniques as well!
Competition Ready with Yoga Instructor: Anthea Bundy
This class will focus on how you can prepare and get ready as you lead up to a big competition. Before a competition, we need to prepare ourselves mentally and physically, and this means becoming aware of our body and having a positive mindset. Join Anthea, where she’ll be teaching breathing techniques, stretches and postures you can use to be at your best on competition day.
ChampFit - Fling & Sword Edition Instructors: Footwork Highland Dancers
Get ready! This class starts with a short warm-up followed by dance & fitness style circuits set to Highland tunes. We focus on the cardio, strength, and power required for both the fling and sword, to create a unique total body workout that dancers will love! Participants can wear runners or dance sneakers for the class and will just need a water bottle and resistance band.
Purchase pass of your choice (i.e. Day 1, Day 2, or Both Days).
Saturday Only
Sunday Only
Both Saturday and Sunday
Register for the Day(s) you plan to attend by clicking on the class calendar.
*Purchasing a pass will NOT automatically register you for the workshop sessions. After purchasing your pass, please then REGISTER for the workshop day(s) you plan to attend by clicking on the link included in the pass purchase description or through the online schedule
©2017-2025 STUDIOFIT, LLC. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I fitforreel@studiofitllc.com | Terms and Conditions | Refund Policy
