.png)
Meet Our Team
Owner and Director
Ms. Evelyn
Evelyn Fite is an active competitive Premier level dancer in the South East region. She began dancing at age 7, but her love for all things Scottish began long before that. She attended her first Highland Games at age 1, and has been hooked ever since.
Evelyn has been accredited as a Scottish Highland dance teacher with the British Association of Teachers of Dance since 2021 and is a member of the Fling Together Development Team, which connects dancers all over the world with performance opportunities.
Evelyn has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Multimedia Journalism and a minor in Spanish from Virginia Tech. As well as teaching dance, she works in Public Relations for CareScout in Richmond.
Lead Teacher
Ms. Sarah
Sarah Gordon was a competitive Premier level dancer in the East Coast and Southern regions. She began her love of Highland Dancing in Richmond, VA at age 10, and would share her dance talent with friends and family as often as possible.
Sarah has been accredited as a Scottish Highland dance teacher with the British Association of Teachers of Dance for over 15 years.
Additionally, she is a special education teacher with 10 years of classroom experience and a Masters degree in Education from the University of Mary Washington. Sarah attended the University of Richmond as an undergraduate student, majoring in International Studies and Studio Art.
Associate Teacher
Ms. Bella
Isabella da Cunha began dancing at the age of four with Thistle and Shamrock Dance Academy in 2006, where a lifelong passion for Highland dancing was born. Over the years, Isabella has trained extensively in competitive Highland dance and has proudly represented the school at various competitions, including multiple appearances at the Eastern Regional Championships. Among her achievements, she placed as 4th Runner-Up at the Eastern Regionals—an accomplishment that reflects both dedication and love for the art form.
In 2023, Isabella earned her Associate certification with the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD), marking a significant milestone in her journey as both a dancer and an instructor. She is committed to sharing her knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm with the next generation of dancers.
In addition to her dance qualifications, Isabella holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work and Leadership Studies from Christopher Newport University. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, blending her commitment to helping others with her love for communication and performance.
About Us
We have been sharing Scottish culture and spreading joy in Richmond for nearly 25 years.
Our founder, Bridget Boswell, started teaching in 1980. Starting in 1993, she rented out of a local ballet school for a few years, before moving to her own space in 1998. In the 2000s, Bridget quit her corporate job to focus fully on dance and bought and renovated a house to use as a studio. She retired from teaching in summer 2025, handing the reins of Thistle & Shamrock to Sarah Gordon and Evelyn Fite, both her former students.
As of 2026, Thistle & Shamrock is owned and directed by Ms. Evelyn, with Ms. Sarah serving as lead teacher. We currently rent from Turn Cardio Jam Studio in Scott's Addition, Richmond, and are excited to start a more ambitious schedule of performances in Central Virginia.
Do you love movement, community, Scottish culture, or just having a good time?
Reach out to us! We'd love to have you join.