The Incredible Teachers Of The MidMichigan Highland Dance Academy. Christie Freestone, pictured here flanked by some of her students at the recent USIR competition in Mount Vernon, is the Director of the Mid-Michigan Highland Dance Academy where she heads a staff of nine Member and Associate teachers of Highland Dance. Over the past 35 years, her students have won over 100 championships throughout the world. She is a Member of the SDTA, a life-time Fellow Member of the BATD and a member of the SOBHD Judges? Panel. Christie is the founder and first president of the FUSTA organization. She has developed techniques for teaching young children to dance and has lectured internationally about her teaching methods. She has a Master of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education and currently teaches kindergarten in Ithaca, Michigan as well as Highland Dance at Alma College. Kate DeGood Kate DeGood Has won 36 championships in USA, Canada, Scotland and Australia. She is a 5 time U.S. Champion. 2 time 1st runner up world champion. She is a graduate of Alma College and is currently studying medicine at Wayne State.  She passed her SOBHD Judges exam in 2007. Sheena Moes Sheena has been teaching Highland dance at the Mid Michigan Highland Dance Academy for 4 years now and danced for 13 years.  Sheena qualified for Nationals 5 years and placed in the top six many times.   She is also a member of the BATD and is a SOBHD judge.  She has also taught champions dancers and is continuing to pursue that.  Sheena also teaches jazz and hip hop at the Academy of Performing Arts in Alma.  Sheena is going into medical coding and bililing.  Best of luck to everyone!! Hannah Faustman, Alma Highland Festival queen. Hannah Faustman, pictured center as the 2005 Highland Festival Queen, with Katherine Crombie and Leda Starkweather, is a very popular and acomplished teacher.  Hannah has been a student of Christie's since she was a small child.  She has been the MidWest Highland Dance Champion in her age group multiple times.  Hannah has also placed in the top 4 dancers at the United States Inter-Regional Championship on numerous occasions.  Hannah has been teaching at the dance studio for several years. The Dancer formerly known as Kira Cogswell, now known as Mrs. Kira Cogswell Vansteenkiste (Congrats Kira) is a past US over 18 champion and a habitual champ since she was a nipper. Kira is currently teaching a number of up and comers in her own studio just outside Detroit.   For further information see her web site at www.michiganhighlanddance.com  Katie McLintock, pictured here winning the over 18 division of the Ohio open championship.  Kt has qualified to the finals in the Cowal world championship in 2006 and 2007. Trish and Christie Trisha MacConnell originally hails from San Jose, California where she danced for twelve years at the San Jose School of Scottish Dancing under the direction of Norine Harmon. Since relocating to Alma in 2003 for college, Trisha has been both a dancer and teacher at the Mid-Michigan Highland Dance Academy. Trisha is a Sacramento Valley Open Champion, a three-time Western United States Open Champion and a five-time Western United States Regional Champion. Trisha has also been a Western Regional Representative to the United States Inter-Regional (USIR) Highland Dancing Championship ten times and has finished in the top six eight-times including second runner-up twice and first runner-up once. Currently, Trisha is the fourth runner-up in the adult class. Trisha is also a two-time World Junior Highland Dancing Championship finalist. Trisha has been an Associate member of the Scottish Dance Teacher's Alliance (SDTA) since 2002 and a Member of the British Association of Teache! rs of Dance (BATD) since 2004.  Trisha is a graduate of Alma College and is currently studying physical therapy at Duke University. If I could please get some pictures of the rest of the teachers along with some "copy" I will get them all in.