Bethany Whiteside

Bethany Whiteside is a Senior Lecturer and Doctoral Degrees Coordinator at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, specializing in the cultural and social analysis of participatory dance. Her research employs ethnographic methodologies to explore ballet, Highland, and Irish dance genres, with a focus on accessibility and social implications of dance practices.

Her academic career includes founding co-editorship of the Scottish Journal of Performance, an ESRC-funded Visiting Research Scholarship at Temple University (2014), and leadership roles as Membership Secretary of the Society for Dance Research. Current teaching responsibilities include modules on the BA Modern Ballet program covering core skills, classical repertoire, and critical analysis.

Bethany's research outputs span dance ethnography, health interventions through dance, and pedagogical innovation, with recent emphasis on competitive Highland dancing (2024). She supervises PhD candidates in dance sociology and education while actively engaging with professional dance communities through publications, conference contributions, and media appearances.

Education: DPhil (University of St Andrews), MSc in Dance Science and Education (University of Edinburgh), BA in History (Cardiff University).