Noriel Tarca

I was first introduced to Scottish Country Dancing was when aged 7 or 8 at the Port Adelaide Caledonian Society Bairns’ Class.  My parents were members of the Society and every Saturday evening there was a children’s class from 7.30pm until the adult programme began.

Dancing for me went into recess for some years, but after I married and had two boys I returned to the Port Adelaide Caledonian Society Country Dancing Class which began in 1968. I started my own class, on a Tuesday morning, in March 1986, just after I passed my Preliminary Test.  The class continued for a couple of years, with a change of day, until I merged the day dancers with a Friday evening class which still continues.  I passed my Teacher’s Certificate in August 1988.

In 2009 I took on the position as Teacher of the Port Adelaide Caledonian Society Scottish Country Dancing Class.  The teacher withdrew and the class was about to close.  As this was where it all began for me I was motivated to see the class continue.

I have been a guest teacher at Weekend Schools in South Australia, Melbourne, Sydney and Wellington, New Zealand.  I was honoured to be invited to adjudicate a Scottish Country Dancing Competition in Sydney, NSW, in May 1996.  During the Easter weekend in 2009 I convened an afternoon workshop and called dances for 200 plus people at the Scottish Country Dancing Ball at the National Folk Festival in Canberra, ACT.

In August 1995 I attended my first Summer School at St. Andrews, Scotland, as a recipient of the Sir Lyell McEwin Fellowship.  The Fellowship funds are used to foster Scottish activities and traditions and recipients are required to spread the knowledge gained overseas to fellow dancers/pipe. drummers/kilt makers/ adjudicators, etc.  I returned to St. Andrews in 2000.  In recent years I have attended four Canadian (TAC) Summer Schools.