Our Instructors
Emily Ritter: Co-Director
Lead: Adult Classes
Emily Ritter (she/her) began Scottish dancing at the age of four in her hometown of Kansas City. She has made a name for herself as an award-winning dancer in the United States and internationally, both competitively and as a performer. As a certified member of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD), she has enjoyed sharing her passion for dance with students of all ages as a professional dance teacher for over fifteen years.
In addition to her position as Co-Dance Director of the NYC School of Highland Dance, Emily is also the Creative Director for Shot of Scotch NYC, NYC’s Premier Scottish Highland Dance company. When not dancing, Emily works in the publishing industry.
Stephanie Ward: Co-Director
Lead: Kids’ Classes
Stephanie Ward (she/her) is a Member of both the Highland and Scottish National branches of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD), and a member of the Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (RSOBHD) Judges Panel for competitions.
Stephanie began her competitive dance career at the age of six in Colorado. Highlights included twice placing in the top three in North America for her knowledge of dance theory as a student at the BATD North American conference, thrice qualifying for the US National Highland Dancing Championships, winning the ScotDance USA Pre-Championship, and placing 5th-runner up in the ScotDance USA Premiership. She has also performed on professional Highland dance performance teams around the world, including at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Internationale Taptoe Belgie in Oostende, Belgium, and the Virginia International Tattoo in Norfolk, VA.
In addition to her position as Co-Dance Director of the NYC School of Highland Dance, Stephanie is the Membership Director for the performance group Shot of Scotch NYC.
When not dancing, Stephanie works as a Product Manager in the Financial Services industry. She holds a BSE in Operations Research and Financial Engineering and a certificate in Environmental Policy from Princeton University.
