Scottish Dance – The new edition of the Collins Scottish Dance

Scottish Dance – The new edition of the Collins book ISBN 978-0-00821056-4

I was given the new version of the Collins book Scottish Dance as a present last year and have used it on a regular basis since then at the Aberdeen Branch Ceilidh class. I didn’t really use the old version as it was split into three sections – RSCDS dances; other popular Scottish country dances; then a few ceilidh dances at the end. The new edition has many more suitable dances for ceilidh teaching. In fact, the bulk of the book is simple dances. How many of you have wondered how to do The Bluebell Polka? In The Dashing White Sergeant, sensibly for non-dancers, the turns are with the right hand – the way it is mostly danced in Scotland. The Sausage Machine, The Packhorse Rant and The Marmalade Sandwich are all there! The layout and the instructions are clear and very easy to follow. The book is a helpful asset in my ‘ceilidh box of tricks’. The book is well organised with formations and definitions at the beginning, followed by easy dances in alphabetical order, then moving on to more tricky dances – mainly Scottish country but again in alphabetical order so very simple to find: dances such as The Duke of Perth, The Flowers of Edinburgh, Hamilton House, and Mairi’s Wedding. There is an appendix listing the sources of the dances, and a very good index at the back with all the formations, devisers and dances. If I decide that I want a dance with do-si-do I can go to the index and find how to do that formation and also the dances it appears in. I would certainly recommend the book as a very good addition to a new teacher’s file for simple warm-up dances and also for anyone teaching ceilidh dancing like me. If you are asked to arrange dancing at a St Andrew’s Night, a Burns supper, a Hogmanay Dance, a wedding or even a simple birthday party with guests who are not all Scottish country dancers, you will find this new edition very useful. Available from the RSCDS shop and well worth the money! £6.99 in the UK. Sheila Bain, Aberdeen Branch

Please note there is a serious mistake in the instructions for The Virginia Reel on page 139. It appears as if it is a 32-bar dance rather than a 40-bar dance. Bars 25-32 should read: eight slip steps down the middle and eight slip steps back again. Bars 33-40: First couple followed by 2nd, 3rd and 4th couples cast off to the bottom for eight walking steps. 1st couple join both hands to make an arch and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th couples meet partner and dance under the arch for eight walking steps to re-form the set with a new top couple.