Drea Shepherd
Highland Dance
Drea Shepherd has been dancing since she was two years old – studying Highland Dance, Cape Breton Step Dance, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, Hip Hop, and Contemporary styles for over 18 years. She has been a student all her life at her mother’s Studio, the MacArthur School of Dance, as well as a student at the Cape Breton School of the Arts & Northside Dance for 8 years. She has been teaching dance for the past 6 years at her mother’s Studio, and has taught Step Dancing workshops around the island. Drea is an Associate Member of the SDTA, earning her full teaching certification in 2024.
Drea was a member of the Nova Scotia Highland Dance Select Team for 6 consecutive years, representing her Province at the National Championships each year. In 2018, Drea finished in the coveted top 6 overall at the Canadian Championships in her age group. She has won Runner-Up titles at every Championships she has attended in the Maritime Provinces over her dancing career, and won 7 Premiership titles. In 2019 she won a medal at the Scottish Championships at the Cowal Highland Gathering in Scotland, as well as many awards at other Championships, games and events in Scotland, Canada and the US. In 2021, Drea won the SDTA North American Senior Scholarship. She is a touring member of the award winning professional dance troupe, the MacArthur Dancers, and has toured throughout Canada, the US and Scotland performing and competing. The troupe has won three Group Choreography Titles at the Canadian Championship series. Drea has been Step Dancing professionally the past few years with Spirit of the Fiddle, for both the Cruise Ships and the Louisbourg Playhouse Series.
Drea has also studied music her entire life, including: piano, CB piano accompaniment, CB fiddle, alto sax, and Gaelic Song. She won the Treasure’s Of The Youth Scholarship, Julie Martell Youth Theatre Scholarship, Doris MacDonald Scholarship, Elite Competition Junior Scholarship, as well as many other scholarships for solo dancing in all styles. She has sung all over the island, including regularly singing the National Anthem at the Screaming Eagles Hockey Games and Highlanders Basketball Games. She has had the privilege of singing with Mary Jane Lamond on several occasions, one of her Gaelic mentors.
Drea graduated from RHS with Honours With Distinction in Advanced French Immersion, earning her French Fluency Diploma. She studied a year at Beinn Mhàbu in the Gaelic Foundations: Living Cultures Degree, immersed in the Gaelic cultures of the Mabou community – her grandfather’s place or birth and youth. She is currently studying her Bachelor of Science Degree at CBU, and teaching full time at the MacArthur School of Dance.
Summer Youth Session 3
Drea was a member of the Nova Scotia Highland Dance Select Team for 6 consecutive years, representing her Province at the National Championships each year. In 2018, Drea finished in the coveted top 6 overall at the Canadian Championships in her age group. She has won Runner-Up titles at every Championships she has attended in the Maritime Provinces over her dancing career, and won 7 Premiership titles. In 2019 she won a medal at the Scottish Championships at the Cowal Highland Gathering in Scotland, as well as many awards at other Championships, games and events in Scotland, Canada and the US. In 2021, Drea won the SDTA North American Senior Scholarship. She is a touring member of the award winning professional dance troupe, the MacArthur Dancers, and has toured throughout Canada, the US and Scotland performing and competing. The troupe has won three Group Choreography Titles at the Canadian Championship series. Drea has been Step Dancing professionally the past few years with Spirit of the Fiddle, for both the Cruise Ships and the Louisbourg Playhouse Series.
Drea has also studied music her entire life, including: piano, CB piano accompaniment, CB fiddle, alto sax, and Gaelic Song. She won the Treasure’s Of The Youth Scholarship, Julie Martell Youth Theatre Scholarship, Doris MacDonald Scholarship, Elite Competition Junior Scholarship, as well as many other scholarships for solo dancing in all styles. She has sung all over the island, including regularly singing the National Anthem at the Screaming Eagles Hockey Games and Highlanders Basketball Games. She has had the privilege of singing with Mary Jane Lamond on several occasions, one of her Gaelic mentors.
Drea graduated from RHS with Honours With Distinction in Advanced French Immersion, earning her French Fluency Diploma. She studied a year at Beinn Mhàbu in the Gaelic Foundations: Living Cultures Degree, immersed in the Gaelic cultures of the Mabou community – her grandfather’s place or birth and youth. She is currently studying her Bachelor of Science Degree at CBU, and teaching full time at the MacArthur School of Dance.
Summer Youth Session 3