HIGHLAND MIST SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCERS
Biography of Mel Briscoe

Mel Briscoe began Scottish country dancing in 1977.

He danced with the Boston Branch demonstration team from 1979 to 1986, and moved to northern Virginia in 1987.   He received his Preliminary Pass in 1982 at the Teacher's Association of Canada Summer School at St. Catharines, Ontario, where he also met his wife, Ellie.   Mel returned to TAC in 1984 for his Teacher's Certificate training from June Shore.

He has taught classes and workshops throughout Canada, across the United States, and in Japan and Australia.   He primarily enjoys dances done well, by dancers having fun, to music that is great.

Ellie and Mel Briscoe

Mel Briscoe is an oceanographer, retired from the Office Of Naval Research in Arlington, Virginia, where he was Director of the Ocean, Atmosphere, and Space Research Division.   He is now President of a consulting firm, OceanGeeks LLC, that helps ocean scientists collaborate.   Mel is also is the Vice-President and Director of Research and Education for the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, which helps shape the future of ocean science and technology.

In addition to SCD, his hobbies are: computers, scuba diving, ham radio, and photography.

Mel and Ellie once organized a week of scuba diving and Scottish country dancing on the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean.