Membership

Welcome to the Western Ontario Highland Dancing Association.

We are pleased that you have chosen to become a member and hope that the years ahead will be enjoyable, bringing you new experiences, new friendships and most importantly, help your dancer grow in their dancing.   Your WOHDA membership year runs from September 1st to August 31st .

WOHDA was incorporated in 1967 to encourage and improve the level of Highland Dancing in Western Ontario.   At that time, most competitions were held in Toronto and it was often challenging for dancers from Western Ontario to attend on a regular basis.  So, Jenny MacLachlan, a dance teacher and judge, invited professionals and parents from across the region to a meeting in Woodstock Ontario.  Based on the plan presented, WOHDA was formed.   A Charter was granted by the Province of Ontario in 1970.

WOHDA is the largest competition organizer in Canada hosting 11 competitions a year.  There are currently five local districts, each hosting a competition and some workshops.  The Association is guided by a Board of Directors and an elected Executive.  Each year, WOHDA holds an Annual General Meeting, usually in November, where all members are invited to attend, put forth their suggestions and vote on matters at hand.

Members are encouraged to support their local District and be part of the team that volunteers to run their annual competition.  Don’t worry, no experience is necessary – there is always lots to do. Currently District Competitions are held in:

• Tri-Cities (Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo)

• London

• Guelph

• Halton Region

• Windsor

In addition to each District’s annual competition, WOHDA is proud to host a Pre-Premier Nationals competition, and the following prestigious events sanctioned by the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (SOBHD) in Scotland:

• Ontario Open Championship & Pre-Championship

• Western Ontario Open Championship

• Western Ontario Closed Championship

• Amethyst Open Premiership

On the WOHDA website you will find Entry Forms, competition results and a wealth of information on other dance events, latest updates, rules & regulations, costuming, current Executive and more.  We encourage you to visit and bookmark the WOHDA website www.wohda.com.  

Let us say again, that we are happy you have joined WOHDA.  We hope you will be with us, as part of the team, for years to come.