Ottawa SDCCS 2025: What You Need to Know Ahead of the ScotDance Canada Championship Series
What is SDCCS (ScotDance Canada Championship Series)?
The ScotDance Canada Championship Series (SDCCS) is an annual multi-day Highland dance event which moves around Canada each year. SDCCS offers many exciting competition and social opportunities for highland dancers!
The highlight of SDCCS for many dancers is the Canadian Championships (hence why SDCCS is sometimes referred to as “Canadians” or “Nationals”!), but the Series also offers competitions for dancers who aren’t competing in the Canadian Championships!
This post includes all you need to know about the events offered at SDCCS, how registration works, tips for getting there and accommodations, how to best experience the Series, and what to expect if it’s your first time attending.
Registration is opening for competitors on in March 2025, so we are giving you the full run-down from our experienced teaching staff & parents who have attended SDCCS for MANY years!
Get official information and updates from the SDCCS Website and Facebook Page.
Why Highland Dancers Love SDCCS
Each year, hundreds of dancers gather in a chosen Canadian city for a week of tough competition, spending time with their dance community, and getting to enjoy the best dancing the country has to offer.
SDCCS hosts the prestigious Canadian Highland Dancing Championships (more on that below), but the week-long event has grown to mean so much more than that one competition.
It’s important to note that this event is open to ALL LEVELS! From ages 4 to adult, Primary to Premier, any Highland dancer from around the world will be able to find an event to participate in at SDCCS.
Of course, the various competition events are exciting, but there are several events unique to SDCCS that are not to be missed! One of our favourite events is the banquet, where even after long days of hard work, dancers slip off their heels after dinner and get ready to party. Plus, the choreography event showcases some of the most creative minds and talented performers around!
Attending SDCCS is an occasion that dancers dream about year-round – there’s no other event quite like it!
SDCCS Ottawa 2025
This year, SDCCS will be in Ottawa, Ontario, at the Rogers Centre in Ottawa.
The Series will be July 5th-9th, with events happening each day, as well as evenings. After giving the event schedule, we’ll unpack what each of the events mean for dancers.
SDCCS 2025 Ottawa Schedule of Events
What are the Different Events and Competitions at SDCCS 2025?
Let’s unpack the schedule – what do each of the events mean? Should you register your dancer for it?
Dancer and Professional Registration (Friday afternoon, throughout the week)
Dancers and dance professionals have the opportunity to register mainly on both the Friday afternoon and the Saturday morning. We recommend leaving a good amount of time for your registration – even with the amazing number of volunteers who make SDCCS happen, you should expect a bit of a line up.
However, if you can’t be there on Friday or Saturday, don’t fret! You can register any day of the week.
Pin Exchange, Pen Pal Meet and Greet, and CPD Session (Friday evening)
Each SDCCS includes a pin exchange, where all participants are welcome to bring pins that they make or which represent their province or dance school, and then exchange them with other dancers. This, along with the Pen Pal Meet and Greet, is a great social start to the week!
The CPD session will be a professional development session open to the many dance teachers and judges who will be attending SDCCS.
Highlands Day, Pre-Premier Special Event, start of Premier Special Event (Saturday morning and afternoon)
Who it’s for: Primary, Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Premier
The first day of competition offers the opportunity to dance for all ages and categories, from Primary to Premier. With Premier (restricted and non-restricted) events in the morning, and Pre-Premier and special events from Beginner, Novice, Intermediate and Premier in the afternoon, there’s something for everyone!
If you have a dancer age 4, all the way through to adult dancers – you can and should compete on this day! You’ll be blown away by the 9 stages filled with dancers from all over the world.
Saturday also includes a Pre-Premier special event, which is a Trophy Fling for Beginner and Novice Dancers
The Premier Special Event for this year is a solo in honour of Donna Jean Macdonald. Saturday will see the dancers 7 and under 16 years dance their solos.
Opening Ceremonies (Saturday Evening)
Who it’s for: All dancers, parents, and spectators.
Opening ceremonies are the official start of the event, typically featuring a performance from local dancers, a parade of provincial representatives, speeches from SDC officials, and a performance from a non-Highland dancer (past examples include a comedian, a hoop dancer, and many others!)
We recommend everyone attends the opening ceremonies, as it’s such a great way to kick off an exciting week.
Closed Canadian Championships (Sunday Morning and Afternoon)
Who it’s for: Provincial Representatives (top 3 Premier dancers from each age from each province) ONLY.
Ottawa will be hosting the annual Canadian Championship event, where provincial representatives for each age group compete for the title of Canadian Champion. Under 16s will dance in the morning, and over 16s in the afternoon.
Dancers DO NOT REGISTER THEMSELVES for this event. They first have to make the provincial team (top 3 for their age) and then your province will register you.
This fierce competition offers the opportunity for dancers who aren’t competing, including ambitious Pre-Premiers, to take in the best dancing Canada has to offer. If your dancer isn’t competing, we recommend stopping by to see some phenomenal dancing that is sure to inspire your dancer. This day also offers the opportunity to explore our beautiful capital city!
Looking for more information about how this event works? We have a blog series for that!
Canada's Capital Celebration Banquet and Gala (Sunday Evening)
Who it’s for: all dancers, parents, spectators, vendors, and more!
The banquet is one of the highlights of the week! Anyone can buy a ticket to the banquet and enjoy dinner, the presentation of the Canadian Championship swords, a dance party, and more.
Provincial team representatives in New Brunswick do not buy their own ticket. When you make the team, our province takes care of this for you! Other provinces – you’ll need to check with your teacher to see how your province manages this.
For all others, you should plan to purchase a ticket if you want to join in on the celebration.
Pre-Premier Competition and Premier Nationals, PLUS Intermediate and Premier Special Event (Monday Morning and Afternoon)
Who it’s for: Primary, Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Premier
Once again, all dancers have the opportunity to compete, with Primary having a second shot at their competition dances, Beginner/Novice/Intermediate dancing reel and Nationals, and Premiers (restricted and non-restricted) competing Nationals in the afternoon.
If you have a dancer age 4, all the way through to adult dancers – you can and should compete on this day!
This year, there will be an Intermediate and Premier special event Jig happening after the Premier dancing finishes.
Pre-Premier and Premier Special Events (Monday Evening)
Who it’s for: Pre-Premier, Premier
This year will include an exciting Pre-Premier choreography event: Duets in honour of Rosemary Breman. The music has been assigned and all pairs will dance to the same tune.
The Premier solo events will continue with the 16 and overs.
Pre-Championship and Canadian Open Championship (Tuesday Morning and Afternoon)
Who it’s for: Premier
This day brings the opportunity for Premier dancers to compete one more (or two more times). The Open Championship is open to all Premier dancers – not just Canadian provincial representatives. This means an opportunity to compete against dancers from all over the world!
Plus, the Pre-Championship (open only to dancers who have never won a championship) takes place in the morning. Dancers under 12 years must make the choice between competing in the Pre-Champ and Open-Championship, but dancers over 12 years can technically compete in two events in one day!
If you’re debating whether to register for the Pre-Champ or the Open Championship, or both, just keep in mind that this will be taking place at the end of four long days of dancers pushing their bodies to the max. Speaking from personal experience, doing both is certainly possible. “Enjoyable” and “painful” are bridges you may have to cross later down the line.
If you have a Premier dancer who has never won a Championship, we recommend doing the Pre-Championship only, but you do have the option to register for the Open as well. For those with Premier dancers who HAVE won a Championship or Pre-Championship, you cannot register for the Pre-Champ; so we recommend doing the Open!
Small Group and Large Group Choreography (Wednesday Morning and Afternoon)
Who it’s for: Choreography Groups (Pre-Premier and/or Premier)
Compared to the other events of the week, the group choreography events are very unique. Groups spend months creating dances that are exciting, emotional, and thrilling to watch. The hard work poured into these dances is truly impressive!
We highly recommend staying to watch this event, even if you don’t have a dancer competing! You’ll get to see a Highland dancing event that is very different than a traditional Highland dance competition.
WATCH BELOW: Saorsa Studio’s Small Group Choreography Groups, which each won 3rd in their respective age groups in Kamloops, 2024.
Registration for SDCCS 2025
Registration for SDCCS opens in batches, as grouped below:
- Registration for Individual Events – March 17th at 1pm EDT.
- Registration for choreography events – March 31st at 1pm EDT.
All registration is handled online – More information on the SDCCS website.
Note that dancers do not register themselves for the Closed Canadian Championship or group choreography events. Those will be handled by a dance professional.
The demand for registration has been seen to place strain on website servers when registration first opens, so be sure to approach the situation with patience.
Accommodations and Host Hotels for SDCCS 2025
Organizers have secured hotel blocks for attendees to book in at a special rate throughout Ottawa. Check out details and booking information here. Many hotels are now sold out, so if you’re in need of accommodations, don’t wait to book!
Attending SDCCS as a Parent or Spectator
Ticket Information
Entrance tickets and passes are essential for anyone looking to attend the event. We recommend that you buy your passes or entry tickets ahead of time. They will be available at the door, but having the tickets ahead of time will take stress off of your shoulders. It is possible that the venue may hit capacity through the busier days (typically Highlands day and Nationals day), so you may not want to take the chance.
Tickets and passes are typically sold separately from dancers registration, and typically come in one-day, multi-day, or complete event formats.
Additional ticket purchase may be necessary for some attendees to the celebration banquet and gala and opening ceremonies.
Stay tuned to the SDCCS website and social media for upcoming information on entries!
What to expect at SDCCS
If you’re wondering what you can expect out of the week, check out our blog about our experience last year at SDCCS in Kamloops, BC!
Staying Updated
Be sure to follow SDCCS on social media and check out their website for additional information as it becomes available.
See you there!
Parent Guides to Highland Dance
If reading this opened up some additional questions for you – like What is a Championship? or What is restricted versus non-restricted Premier? we have the guides to highland dance you’ve been waiting for!
Check out these additional posts for more background:
