Class details

Scottish Country Dancing is popular the world over. Regional variations do exist but the standardization of the oldest and many of the more well known modern dances by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) has meant that 90% of dances learnt in one place can be danced anywhere in the world—it can provide a social connection beyond language, age or culture.

Scottish Country Dancing has a long history—at least 300 years ago dances, some of which are still performed today, were being created and enjoyed, and this hasn’t stopped; even now dances (and their music) are being created to celebrate events, people, places and life in general.

Unlike many western social dance forms there are only 2 main types of step, and you don’t dance close to your partner (which means that your toes are usually safe!) - the skill is in learning the formations and remembering which way you are going! Some dances are very fast, others are slow—some are easy enough to dance at the first try, others require weeks of hilarious confusion before coming together. Dancing provides exercise both physical and mental, and a sense of achievement without ever being less than great fun. It can take years to learn all there is to learn, but 1/2 an hour to start enjoying it!

Dances being taught and danced Spring Season 2010

Dance Name	Number of Couples	Reel, Jig or Strathspey + Number of bars	Suitable for …..	Pertinent details - you needed to know how to do...
Domino 5	5 persons	R	Beginners	Reels of 3
Breakdown	3	R 32	Beginners	Reels of 3
Dunnet Head	4	R 32	Beginners	V simple
Scottish Reform	4	J 32	Beginners	Poussette
Flowers of Edinburgh	4	R 32	Beginners	Poussette
Barley Bree	4 (or more)	J 40	Beginners	V simple
Cumberland Reel	4	J 32	Beginners	V simple
Waltz Country Dance	8 or more around the room	W 40	Beginners	V simple
The Highlandman’s Umbella	4 Sq Set	R 42	Beginners	V simple
Shiftin’ Bobbins	4	R 32	Beginners	Double triangle position, 1/2 fig 8
St Andrew’s Fair	4	J 32	Beginners	V simple but fast
The Linton Ploughman	4	J 32	Beginners	Poussette
Hamilton House	4	J 32	Beginners	Simple but quite fast
Silver Grey	3	S 32	Beginners	1/2 fig 8
Moneymusk	3	S 32	Beginners	Reels of 3
Sugar Candie	3	S 32	Beginners/Intermediate	Corners, reels of 3
Ring of Brodgar	4 Sq Set	S 32	Beginners/Intermediate	Reels of 3, Grand Chain
The Byron Stathspey	3	S 32	Beginners/Intermediate	Petronella turns, reels of 3, Allemande
Posties Jig	4	J 32	Beginners/Intermediate	R&L, 1/2 fig 8. Simple but fast
Trip to Bavaria	4	R 32	Beginners/Intermediate	Simple but fast and all moving at once
MacDonald of the Isles	3	S 32	Beginners/Intermediate	Reels of 4, Snowball Grand Chain, R&L
Butterscotch and Honey	4	S 32	Beginners/Intermediate	1/2 reels of 3
Waverley (Fergus McIver)	4	J 48	Beginners/Intermediate	Poussettes + Double triangles
Miss Johnson of Ardrossan	5	R 32	Beginners/Intermediate	Reflection reels
Wild Geese	4	J 32	Beginners/Intermediate	R&L
Carlin’s Cairn	4	J 32	Beginners/Intermediate	No complex moves but requires concentration!
Belle of Bon Accord	4	S 32	Beginners/Intermediate	Reels of 4, slightly complex but slow
The Duke of Perth	4	R 32	Beginners/Intermediate	Corners, Reels of 3—very fast!
The Silver Tassie	3 (4 cple)	S 32	Beginners/Intermediate	Need to know the ‘Rondel’
The Fisherman’s Reel	5 Sq set	R 5x32	Beginners/Intermediate	Reels of 3, not difficult but a bit different and everyone moves at once
The Indian River Strathspey	3	S 3x32	Beginners/Intermediate	Reels of 3, ladies chain
Lady Sophia Lindsay	4	R 32	Beginners/Intermediate	3’s+4’s start opposite sides. Reels of 3 in tandem
The Banks of Clyde	3 (4cpl)	S 32	Beginners/Intermediate	Rondel
The Black Mountain Reel	5	R 5x32	Intermediate	Corners, reels of 4
West’s Hornpipe	4	H 32	Intermediate	Mirror reels
The Wind on Loch Fyne	3	S 3x32	Intermediate	Triangular set, Interlocking reels of 4
The Montomerie’s Rant	3 (4 cpl)	R 32	Intermediate	Reels of 3, (slightly unusual start of 2nd reel)
Maxwell’s Rant	3 (4 cpl)	R 32	Intermediate	Mirror (or reflection) reels of 3
Anderson’s Rant	3 (4 clp)	R 32	Intermediate	Mirror (or reflection) reels of 3
Mairie’s Wedding	4	R 32	Intermediate	1/2 diaganol reels of 4, reels of 3
The Luckenbooth Brooch	4	J 32	Intermediate	Reels of 3 + simultaneous R&L
The Bees of Maggieknockater	4	J 32	Intermediate	Reels of 3 on side—1’s & 3’s changing partners after each 1/2 reel
Trinity Tensome	5	J 40	Intermediate	Petronella turns, reels of 3
Clutha	4	Sq Set: R 48	Intermediate	R &L, Ladies Chain
Pelorus Jack	4	J 32	Intermediate	1/2 Diagonal reels of 3
The Byron Strathspey	3	S 32	Intermediate	Petronella, Reels of 3, Allemande.
The Piper and a Penguin	4 Sq Set	R 88	Intermediate/Advanced	Simple but long!
Polharrow Burn	5	R 32	Intermediate/Advanced	1/2 diag reels of 4, both ends
Irish Rover	4	R 32	Intermediate/Advanced	1/2 diagonal reels of 4, reels of 3, diagonal R&L
Black Mountain Reel	5	R 32	Intermediate/Advanced	Corners, reels of 4
Ian Powrie’s Farewell to Auchterarder	4 Sq Set	J 128	Advanced	Not that difficult but long!