Patricia (“Pattie”) MacKenzie has devoted her life to the teaching of dance and the mentoring of young people. She has taught in her school in Port Alberni for over 50 years, producing numerous champion dancers, a multitude of enthusiastic and qualified teachers and legions of dance lovers. She retired in 2020 from her role as Artistic Director of Dancestreams Youth Dance
Company, a position she held from 1996. During her tenure, the Company toured throughout Canada and internationally, was granted a Creation Residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts, was named to the Top Forty Under Forty for Vancouver Island, and many dancers progressed to professional careers as dancers, teachers and administrators. She has worked closely with and rehearsed the works of renowned choreographers from across Canada and the USA. Her enthusiasm and encouragement have propelled young dancers to successful careers both in and out of the arts. As a Scottish Official Board Judge, she adjudicates at
competitions and championships world-wide, and she continues to pursue more knowledge by attending teachers’ workshops, master classes and seminars throughout Canada & USA. She is married to bagpiper husband Phillip, mother to grown daughter Kirsten, and grandmother to three young boys.

Training First

Pattie believes every student's dance education should be built around quality instruction, strong technique and artistic development. That's why our ballet program doesn't participate in the commercial competition circuit. We would rather use that time to train dancers in smaller, focused classes, maintaining a healthy balance between dance, school and family life.

Our Highland program is different: Competition is an established and important part of Highland dancing, combining technical precision, musicality, athleticism and artistry. Our Highland dancers have opportunities to train, perform and compete as part of that tradition- locally, throughout BC and across Canada.