Dancing around the World All branches and affiliated groups are invited to send in their news (maximum 200 words) to Caroline Brockbank caroline@ceilidhkids.com
Alderley and District Caledonian Society We are eagerly looking forward to dancing normally again. Indeed, some of our members have danced modified dances, within the rule of six and with masks, social distancing, and no physical contact or touching, such is their enthusiasm. We have booked our usual weekly class venue in anticipation of the restrictions being eased. There may be a reduction in numbers at first, but we hope that the more cautious of our members return. We will, of course, take the dancing easily to begin with.
Guingamp is awaiting its leaders’ return from the traditional boat festival at Portsoy in Aberdeenshire. Members have been told to study The New Rigged Ship! The Burns Ceilidh group in Pordic, on the other hand, have launched a monthly outdoor ceilidh class, as a first step towards RSCDS dancing. Rules for using halls will probably vary, but dancing will continue!
Robin Poulton
Dance Class in Canberra
We intend to repeat our advertising campaign which was highly successful in gaining new members shortly before the pandemic. Several dances have been arranged with live music to maintain interest and enthusiasm, and I’m pleased to say tickets are going well, indeed better than expected. The future looks bright and assured, and our message is the usual one: ‘Happy Dancing’. Peter Marshall
Outdoor dancing with Banffshire Branch An outdoor return to dancing event on 25 July took place outside the Sail Loft, Portsoy, on a beautiful sunny day. We had a fantastic afternoon of dance, starting off with a warm-up session led by Anne Taylor. Three sets of dancers followed a super programme led by Anne McArthur and Alison Smith, easing us gently back into dancing again with a mix of familiar and old favourites and some newer dances.
RSCDS dancers and U3A join together to dance in Canberra Unfortunately, the recent outbreak of Covid in Sydney and surrounds compromised our planned event in mid-August. Certainly, nobody from interstate would have been allowed to attend. However, we had a larger than normal attendance at a class where our regular dancers were joined by members of the local U3A class. Barry Longstaff
[The University of the Third Age (U3A) is a network of locally run interest groups that provide a wide range of opportunities to come together to learn for fun. (Ed.)]
Delaware Valley Gold Anniversary All lined up in on Portsoy Links Our secretary and Covid officer Liz Bulloch ensured safety guidelines were in place and being followed. It was just wonderful to be able to meet up and dance together again. We couldn’t have been happier and can’t wait for the next one.
Dianna Baillie
Scottish Dancing Restarts in Brittany Breton Branch took a deep Covid-free breath and relaunched in July. Some floors were grassy outdoors and others were inside and socially distanced. In Josselin, a beginners’ class was held on the medieval jousting grounds, led by teacher Anne MacLennan. Our Branch piper, Jean-Claude Madec played Flower of Scotland, celebrating our first meeting since January 2019. In Lannion, some of our experienced dancers stretched their legs (carefully) on tarmac, and later in a school room. In Port-Louis (beside Lorient on the south coast) Club Cluaran organized a July weekend of dance for beginners, with the group Alba Binhan in Séné near Vannes. RSCDS teacher Anne Dejean, from Grenoble, had to cancel, but Roland Telle very kindly took over, leading a cheerful event, appreciated by all the new dancers. The Swing Yer Tartan group in
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Delaware Valley Branch turned 50 during the pandemic. We planned to celebrate with a weekend of dancing in April 2020, now postponed to 2022! During our Zoom AGM we had a picture tour of all the places in which we have danced over the years: many churches, schools, and even private homes. One response was, ‘I guess to be on the executive committee you need to be able to find places to dance.’ We are producing a book of dances, Delaware Valley Gold (to follow on Delaware Valley Silver). We tried out submissions and gave feedback, and the committee decided on the dances. The book will be available both online and on paper, with music on CD and possibly online. People often wonder about our name. We have dancers from the three states that meet near Philadelphia: Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The area is drained by the Delaware River, hence the Delaware Valley Branch. Dancing began in a private home with friends who loved to dance together, but the growing group soon needed more space as well as to train teachers. We hope to start classes again in September and are proud that when we were not dancing, 88% of members renewed their memberships.
Cecily Selling
