Teachers & Musicians 2023
Marjorie McLaughlin, Teacher
Marjorie was born in Glasgow and first learned Scottish Country Dancing in school in Scotland. After her family immigrated to the United States, her father, Tom Easton, began a SCD class in Cleveland, Ohio, and she danced in that class throughout her teen years. In 1973, after moving to California, she became a member of the San Francisco Branch and served in various capacities on the Branch Committee and as Chair of the Asilomar Weekend. She took her Preliminary Certificate in 1985 and earned her Teacher's Certificate at St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1987.
In January of 1992, she married a fellow dancer, Richard McLaughlin, and moved to San Diego, where she regularly teaches for the San Diego Branch. She maintains an active interest in the Teachers' Association of Canada and chaired the local arrangements committee when TAC held its AGM in San Francisco in August 1991. From 1998 to 2003 and again from 2017 to 2021, she was editor of the TAC newsletter, TACTalk.
She has had the pleasure of teaching workshops in many North American Branches and enjoys the opportunity to teach, and learn from, dancers in other areas. She lectured on SCD history as part of the celebration of the Tokyo Branch's 10th Anniversary and traveled to New Zealand to teach at that Branch's Labour Weekend Workshop. Her dance travels have taken her to such places as Austria, Nova Scotia, and Greece! It's the most incredible and rewarding hobby she can imagine.
Geoffrey Selling, Teacher
Geoffrey always looks forward to attending Midwest events, whether to teach, or just dance and see friends. There is a warmth and friendliness in the Midwest that epitomizes the spirit of Scottish country dancing.
For more than 50 years, Geoffrey has been one of North America’s most sought after Scottish country dance teachers—providing all levels of classes as well as workshops for new and experienced teachers. Workshops have taken him to such faraway places as Japan, and the St. Andrews, as well as all over the USA and Canada.
Geoffrey has danced and taught in the Delaware Valley Branch since 1969. On 18 occasions, he has “tutored”, i.e. prepared teacher candidates for their certification exams, in the Delaware Valley Branch and at the TAC Summer School. In l980, Geoffrey and his wife, Cecily, wrote the Handbook for Scottish Country Dance Teachers (now in its third edition), which is used in candidate classes world-wide Geoffrey is the author of numerous articles in TACTALK, the publication of the Teachers Association of Canada, as well as in the RSCDS’s Scottish Country Dancer magazine.
In the summer of l998, Geoffrey was appointed an Examiner of the RSCDS. After 25 years of examining, and training new North American examiners, he has stepped down as an examiner to pursue other activities. In 2009, Geoffrey was awarded the Society’s Scroll of Honor. In 2013, Geoffrey trained 10 North American teachers as tutors in a course at the TAC Summer School at Mt. Allison College.
Geoffrey believes it is important to keep the Society’s focus on the traditional dances and style of Scottish country dancing, all bound together by an emphasis on dancing socially. As the Society necessarily modernizes, Geoffrey works to keep the old-world graciousness in his students’ dancing.
Geoffrey is now retired from his professional life as an elementary school science teacher, but volunteers with watershed organizations and teaches adults about stream health and water quality. His hobbies are hiking, baking, gardening, dancing (Scottish and Polish) and best of all, being a grandpa! His wife, Cecily, is an accomplished Scottish country dance teacher and tutor in her own right.
Laura Risk, Fiddle
Laura Risk’s fiddling has been described by filmmaker Ken Burns as “a revelation and achingly beautiful” and Living Tradition hails her “powerful, percussive style... bursting with energy and passion.” Originally from California, now living in Montréal, Laura performs and teaches Scottish and Québécois fiddling internationally and has over a dozen albums to her credit. She has played for Scottish country dancing for over two decades, primarily with Nicholas Williams and their band Les Joueurs de Bon Accord, and has recorded three CDs of dance music: Les Joueurs de Bon Accord and Encore Une Fois! with Nicholas, and Host of the Air with James Gray and Susie Petrov. Laura has been a staff musician at Pinewoods Scottish Session and English-Scottish-Contra Session (ESCape), and Scottish music coordinator for the Pinewoods English-Scottish Session. Laura holds a PhD in Musicology from McGill University and recently joined the faculty at the University of Toronto Scarborough as an Assistant Professor of Music and Society. www.laurarisk.com
Nicholas Williams, Piano
Nicholas Williams has developed a reputation as a versatile and sought-after musician in the traditional music scenes of Québec and New England. He has been playing for Scottish Country Dance for over 15 years, with Laura Risk and Les Joueurs de Bon Accord. His rhythmic and nuanced style of piano playing is influenced by his experience playing for Québécois, English, and Contra dances. Originally from Ottawa, Nicholas completed a BFA in world music and composition at York University, then moved to Québec in 2000, where he has enjoyed a full immersion into the rich Québécois traditional music scene. Also an accomplished accordion player, he currently tours internationally with the renowned Québécois band Genticorum, with the Alex Kehler & Nicholas Williams duo, and with fiddler Laura Risk.
Ralph Gordon, Bass & Cello
Ralph Gordon is a uniquely versatile musician, bringing more than 45 years of musical experience to the bass and cello. He is a regular member of several dance bands that encompass Scottish, English Country dancing, contra and square dancing, swing, waltzes, and couple dancing. His solid sense of rhythm and timing makes many styles of dancing an enjoyable experience for players and dancers alike. Ralph, classically trained, studied music at West Virginia University and the Manhattan School of Music. He performed with the New Jersey Symphony, then toured with Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians. He eventually returned to West Virginia where he joined the ground breaking folk ensemble, Trapezoid. Nine years and four recordings later he left the group in 1986 to become a free lance musician. He toured with Freyda and Acoustic Attatude and has been a member of Childsplay for 20 years. Ralph has performed with many individuals and groups in a multitude of musical styles and settings from weddings and special events to Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Blues Alley and Strathmore Hall. Ralph has played at festivals across the country and venues around the world. He is a sought after freelance artist and session musician in the Washington/Baltimore metropolitan area. Ralph can be heard on many recordings, often contributing to arranging and producing. He teaches bass and performance classes at summer and weekend camps across the country.