Jean Noble

Born in Scotland, Jean Noble has been a dancer, and has spread the joy of dancing, all her life.  After a bit of world travel with her father in the RAF, the family settled in Canada and became part of the community of dancers in Toronto.  The family danced with the Calvin social group while Jean lent her young and gifted talents to Bob Blackie’s Lothian Dancers.

     Inspired to setup a Social Group, Jean initiated the Hillcrest group in 1975, even before she received her full teachers’ certification in 1980.  It’s been 40 years now that she has continued to lead a vibrant group of dancers both young and mature, beginner and advanced with her extraordinary capacity to be gently instructive while enhancing everyone’s enjoyment of the dance.  

Jean has also helped tutor Toronto’s teacher candidates since 1997, honing the skills of “some of the best prepared candidates” over the years.  She has also been invited by the Teacher’s Association of Canada (TAC) to tutor Unit 3 candidates at summer school in Canada.  Jean’s legacy is certainly the development of many of the SCD teachers that currently teach and maintain the art of SCD in the Toronto area and well beyond. 

Over the years, from 1985 to 2007, Jean has been invited to teach at a staggering 37 SCD workshops throughout North America.  And since 1997 she has taught Toronto Association classes to children and beginners up to Level IV.  She was also part of the Toronto Association Executive from 1993 – 1997, leading membership and convening events such as the Tartan Ball, Dancing in the Park and the Children’s Festival.  All the while, Jean has never missed an opportunity to promote SCD and all things Scottish at multicultural events such as Toronto’s Caravan and Mississauga’s Carassauga as well as participating in the outreach activities of the Association’s Demonstration Pool. 

To all her endeavours Jean brings an infectious mixture of enthusiasm, humour and a sense of fun.  For her dedication she was awarded a Scroll of Honour from Edinburgh in 2008.  However, this time the Toronto Association commends Jean’s dedication to her Hillcrest group for the past 40 years, and recommends a Branch Award be presented to her to commemorate this and all of her achievements and contributions to Scottish Country Dancing.

~ Deirdre MacCuish Bark, Chair, RSCDS Toronto Association