David Wilton

David, Director of the David Wilton Dance Clinics, was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and moved to Scotland at the age of 4. He began Highland Dancing at 5 years of age initially being taught by Linda Napier, in Arbroath.  After moving to Forfar, David continued his dancing tuition with Frances Paterson and soon after catapulted to success by winning his first dancing championship entered at age 7. In his career, he went on to win 192 championships including 7 World Championship titles with the bulk of his tuition coming from his mother, Delma Wilson.  David is a Fellow of the United Kingdom Alliance and the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance and through this imparts his knowledge and experience to dancers throughout the world as an instructor and lecturer.

Parallel to his dancing career David is a professional Bagpiper teaching full-time at the High School of Dundee, one of Scotland’s leading Independent schools, as the Pipe Major. Under David's guidance the band won the Novice B World Pipe Band Championships in 2022. Prior to this David worked at as a full-time Bagpipe Instructor at The National Piping Centre, in Glasgow, Scotland. In Summer 2021, David was appointed Pipe Major of Grade 1 Police Scotland Fife Pipe Band having had short stints leading Lomond and Clyde and MacKenzie Caledonian Pipe Bands. A list of David's piping and dancing accolades is presented below.

David now lives in Arbroath, Scotland, with his beautiful wife and daughter, Clare and Caoimhe.


HIGHLAND DANCING

• 192 Championship titles accumulated over 17 years

•  5 North American

• 2 Australian Champion of Champions

• 2 European

• 13 British

• 10 Commonwealth

• 8 Scottish Open (96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 02, 03, 04) and the first person to have won the 8 years twice

• 7 World (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 11) accumulating 4 Adult titles.

• In the top 2 in the world from 2002 onwards - runner up 3 times.

• 9 best male dancer at Cowal, in a row.

• 5 SOBHD Oscars (champion of champions)

• 2 Scottish Area Final wins with Dundee and Angus.

• Competed and won championships in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, England and Scotland

BAGPIPING

• Pipe Major of Police Fife Scotland Pipe Band

• Led Lomond and Clyde Pipe Band to Champion of Champions win in 2017 - Grade 2

• Pipe Major of British, UK and Scottish Champions, Lomond and Clyde - Grade 2

• World Champion Drambuie Kirkliston Pipe Band - Grade 2

• 2nd in Grade 1 World Championships

• Prize winner at both Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meetings Silver Medals.

• Premier Grade Piobaireachd winner - Highlands and Islands.

• First winner of the Premier Grade Piobaireachd - Capt. MacLellan Memorial.

• Winner of the A grade Piobaireachd - London Piping Championships.

• Winner of the SPA Former Winners MSR

• Overall B grade Light music winner Inveraray Games 2 years in a row.

• B Grade MSR winner - London Piping Championships.

EDUCATION

• Graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy for Music and Drama with 1st class honours in Scottish Music - Piping

• Alumni of Forfar Academy, Inverbrothick Primary School and Chapelpark Primary School

• Fellow of the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance

• Fellow of The United Kingdom Alliance

NON-COMPETITIVE AWARDS & QUALIFICATIONS

• 2004 and 2007 Youth Ambassador of the Year for Angus Council

• 4x Young Achiever Awards for Angus Council

• Piping & Drumming Qualifications Board examiner through Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association

• Member of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s Music Board

• Director of David Wilton Dance Clinics