"... Sabra MacGillivray, the glory of the world, whose subtle choreography, flawless execution and breathtaking lightness - her feet tap and kick and point but the centre of her body is still and her arms float in arabesques above - outline the finest kind of highland dancing and step-dancing you will ever see."
(Stephen Pedersen - Halifax Herald)

Sabra MacGillivray,
dancer/instructor/musician

Sabra MacGillivray is one of Atlantic Canada’s leading ambassadors of Highland and Scottish step dancing. She is a champion highland dancer, a stallar step dancer and a talented musician. She tours and performs with her sister Kendra and brother Troy most often as a highland or step dancer, or accompanying the fiddle on piano or bodhran. She has performed all over the world including Canada, United States, Scotland, Ireland, Nunavut, and Australia. She choreographs her own steps and her quick and intricate footwork are always a crowd pleaser. She combines movements that she has learned in Cape Breton step, Highland, Irish, and Flamenco dancing. Sabra was one of six dancers from Canada to be invited to perform at the Royal Military Edinburgh Tattoo in Scotland as a soloist. She has her own dance documentary entitled “Steps with Sabra” which was part of a Dance Atlantic series by New Scotland pictures which continues to air on Bravo television. She is an award winning choreographer and has been spreading her love for dance, culture, and tradition all over the world.

Sabra’s competitive highland dancing career
Sabra’s teacher and mentor, Janice Macquarrie, is who taught Sabra everything she knows in highland dancing. Sabra's list of awards is an impressive one… 5 time Nova Scotia Champion, 10 Interprovincial representative at the Canadian Championships, 8th overall at the World Highland Dancing Championships in Dunoon, Scotland, 2 time world finalist, International Gathering of the Clans Champion, and 2-time Atlantic Canadian High Aggregate winner just to name a few.

Sabra’s first competition was when she was five years old and her last competition was when she was 29 at the 2005 Interprovincial Canadian Championships when she competed with the Macquarrie Dancers for the last time in a dance entitled “The Last Dance”. Ironically, this was the last dance that her mother saw her perform before she lost her battle with cancer just 2 weeks later. They placed first in Canada.

Sabra’s solo step dancing career
Due to her upbringing of traditional music, Sabra began to learn step dancing by watching. She then took lessons at the Gaelic College from Betty Matheson and Jean MacNeil and she was well on her way learning traditional Cape Breton steps and then choreographing her own at an early age. She’s had the pleasure of performing with other well-known step dancers as Kelly MacArthur and Bonnie Jean MacDonald.

Sabra & Macquarrie Dancers
As a member of the award-winning dance group Macquarrie Dancers, under the direction of instructor Janice Macquarrie, the Macquarrie Dancers performed in CBC's productions of the ECMA Gala Award Show, Celtic Electric, and "DRUM! They also danced at the Boston Tree Lighting, Tall Ships celebrations in Halifax, and have been guests of the 78th Highlanders Pipe Band concerts. They’ve won numerous awards at the National level with Janice’s incredibly unique choreographies.

Sabra & teaching
Sabra received her teaching certificate in highland dancing when she was 16 years old and currently teaches from her home in Creignish, Cape Breton. She has provided instruction in both highland and step dancing at workshops all over the world including Bathurst - Australia, Charleston - South Carolina, Denver - Colorado, Longford - Ireland, Iqaluit - Nunavut, the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts – St. Anne’s Cape Breton, and all over the Maritimes.

Her group of young and vibrant highland/step dancers are called the Celtic Touch Dancers. They’ve won awards on a provincial and national level with Sabra’s choreographies and have had the honor of performing at the International Celtic Colors Festival and festivals all over Cape Breton. Their most recent accomplishments have been performing at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida in March, 2009 and placing 2nd at the Interprovinical Canadian Championships held in Toronto in July 2009.

Sabra & Percussion
The rhythm of the steps with hard shoe is what drew Sabra to pursue step dancing. Sabra's desire to express her rhythm has led her to become an accomplished bodhran player. She is mostly self-taught but has had direction from Michelle Stewart of Scotland. She has also tried her hand in pipe band snare drumming and played with the Antigonish Highland Society Pipe Band at the North American Championships in Maxville, Ontario.

Sabra & Squid
Sabra has had the honor to work with the amazing persussion group SQUID. Sabra performed with SQUID at the Ottawa National Arts Center, the Granville Green concert series in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, DRUM!, and the Halifax Drum Fest. SQUID also made an appearance with Sabra on the documentary “Steps With Sabra”.

Sabra & Ferintosh
Sabra has also had the pleasure of performing with the Scottish baroque trio, Ferintosh, for the past 6 or 7 years. The collaboration of the exceptional music played by Ferintosh, which is often of ancient Scottish descent, and Sabra's highland and step dancing has impressed audiences at festivals around the Maritimes and beyond. They’ve toured in California, the Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp in Denver, the International Celtic Colors festival, and the Piccolo Spoleto festival in Charleston, South Carolina.