Meet the Team
At the heart of the Fling Together Collective is a passionate team of Highland dancers turned dedicated administrators.
We're small in number, but our love for sharing all things Highland runs deep.
Get to know the faces behind the scenes who make it all happen!
I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a warm summer day at the San Diego Highland Games. I was four years old. At that point, I had already been doing ballet for two years and was completely enamored with dance in general. I was volunteering with my mother and her friend at the Games’ sheepdog trials, when I heard the sound of the pipes drifting over a hill. I grabbed my mother’s hand and dragged her towards the source. It was then I saw it for the first time, highland dance: strength, precision, and grace all wrapped up in beautiful colored kilts. I immediately pointed and said “Mom, I want to do that”, and, as they say, the rest is history.
Little did I know that summer day would have such a profound and lasting impact on my life. Highland dance has led to so many amazing experiences and irreplaceable opportunities. I have competed at the highest levels and performed around the world. There have been countless life lessons learned and life long friendships formed. Highland dance has given me so much. It is my hope that I can give back and hopefully leave it in an even better place than when I unexpectedly stumbled upon it all those years ago.
A bit on my non-Highland life: I studied Communications and Contemporary Dance at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC. I am a full time freelancer in the sports broadcasting industry, which has taken me on some pretty awesome adventures - including to several Olympics! I was born in La Jolla, California, and now I split my time between Colorado and my home state. When I’m not dancing, I’m usually outside with my husband and son — skiing, hiking, biking, surfing… Basically, if it involves movement and fresh air, I’m in. I’m so grateful for the opportunity Fling Together has given me — not only to combine my production and dance experience, but also to connect more deeply with our Highland community as we work together to build a stronger future.
Alexa Smith Founder
President, Treasury & Creative Director
I fell in love with Highland Dance at the age of 7, and am now grateful for the opportunity to share my passion with others! I am passionate about helping dancers find joy in their dancing, at every age and stage! Over the last 30 years, my competitive dancing career brought worldwide championship success in every age category. I now enjoy teaching a studio of over 50 students from tots to Adults, about half in person and half remotely online. My students have won many major titles including Regional, Provincial, and the US National Championships and the North American BATD Sadie Simpson Scholarship.
Although I enjoy the competitive dance world, I equally enjoy performance and professional dance including large group choreography. My dancers have performed around the world with several international Tattoo companies, and I’m grateful for all the amazing opportunities available to highland dancers today! I enjoy choreographing for professional performances with Fling Together, including NYC Tartan Week. Other special interests include helping Premier dancers advance to Championship level, studying and training candidates in Highland theory, creating choreography, and teaching workshops.
My favorite aspects of Highland are the lifelong friends and travel! The picture is in one of my favorite places (where I travelled for dance of course), Australia!
Kate DeGood Founder
Vice President & Education Director
Elizabeth Constantine Founder
Non-Executive Director
Meet Elizabeth, one of the co-founders of the Fling Together Collective nonprofit organization. Elizabeth embarked on her Highland Dancing journey at the age of 8, igniting a passion that has led her to opportunities around the world. Her professional accolades include enchanting audiences at Walt Disney Company resorts in Tokyo, Japan, and Hong Kong.
Elizabeth is a certified instructor with the BATD and founder of the Tampa Bay Highland Dancers, now known as Palm & Thistle Highland Dancers. Residing in Dunedin, Florida, with her husband, a fellow former Disney performer, and their loyal beagle, Elizabeth continues to leave an indelible mark on the Highland Dance world, driven by her unwavering passion and commitment to excellence.
Elizabeth has been Vice President of Fling Together Collective for the past 2 years and is now serving on the board as a non-executive director. She is leading the charge on a special Fling Together project that will take place in Clearwater, FL in 2026 - Stay tuned!
Ciara Wilson
Secretary & Communications Coordinator
Hey everyone! I’m Ciara and I am the new Communications Coordinator for Fling Together Collective. I am originally from Scotland and moved to New York City at the beginning of 2024 so I am excited to meet lots of new people through dancing, including you!
I have been a competitive Highland dancer for over 20 years now and have been so grateful to have travelled around Europe and the U.S taking part in Tattoos and other performance opportunities like the Highland Echoes Highland Holiday Tour 2024. I love all things choreography! Creating my own or learning from others, I love the challenge of both!
My role is to share important updates, promote events and ensure our message reaches you through our social media accounts. From trying to create engaging content to maintaining our website, I work behind the scenes to keep everyone in the loop and celebrate the amazing work happening at Fling Together Collective.
If you have any questions or just want to chat Highland, feel free to reach out at ciara@ftcdance.com!
Hi everyone! I’m Katie, the Community Outreach Coordinator for Fling Together Collective. I have been involved in Fling Together in various roles since its inception, and I was thrilled to meet many of you in person at NYC Tartan Week in 2024 where I served as the Dance Team Administrator.
I began taking Highland Dance classes at 7 years old and it was love at first pas de bas! Like many, I spent the early years of my dance career competing, eventually representing the Southwest Region at multiple US Championships. After a brief retirement in college, I became involved in the world of performance-based highland dance. I have had the privilege to perform in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Estes Park Military Tattoo, the International Belgium Tattoo, and the Highland Echoes Show. While living in Australia, I also had the amazing opportunity to participate in OzScot Australia and learn from Cheryl Roach. Being able to continue dancing in a more creative capacity has reinvigorated my love of highland.
My role in Fling Together has been to help connect the organization with outside opportunities. One of my favorite things I’ve spearheaded is the Practice Challenge 2.0 powered by Racery. I love the interactive nature of the challenge and all of the virtual “sightseeing” along the way. In 2025, my role will be shifting to “Member at Large”. I look forward to the variety of projects this new role will let me participate in.
Katie Neptune
Member at Large
Mariah Rust
FTDT Membership Coordinator
Hey everyone! I’m Mariah and I’m your new FTDT Membership Coordinator. I have met some of you, but not all, so here’s a bit about me:
I have been a Highland dancer for nearly 20 years and, as of this year, have danced in 10 countries! I’ve been lucky enough to dance all over the world thanks to Tattoos, competitions, dance conferences, and other performance opportunities, and I’m very excited to share my experience with you all to help you reach your performance-based goals!
As the FTDT Membership Coordinator, I’ll be sending out this monthly newsletter, posting the new Thread Together prompt each month, and helping new members get acquainted with all that Fling Together has to offer. And, if you ever have any questions, comments, concerns, or feedback, feel free to reach out to me at ftdt@ftcdance.com. I’m so excited to be working with all of you!
Beret Dernbach
Dancer Liaison for FTDT
Hi everyone! My name is Beret and I am the Dancer Liaison for FTDT starting this year. I have been involved in Fling Together in various roles since 2020 and I am so excited to take on this new position!
I have been a highland dancer for over 16 years, with a primarily competitive (championship) focus. But I have always loved choreography and performance, and as I continue dancing into adulthood, I am looking forward to taking advantage of more performance opportunities, including my first tattoo(s) in the next few years!
My primary role this year will be launching the FTDT Mentorship Program. We are very lucky to have recruited the best-of-the-best in highland dancing performance, cross-training, and wellness to give advice and build relationships with FTDT members. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me at beret@ftcdance.com!
