Scottish Country Dancer October 2023 by The RSCDS

SCOTTISH

Country Dancer The Members’ Magazine of the RSCDS

No 37 October 2023

R S C DS EVENT S WINTER SCHOOL 2024 18 - 23 FEBRUARY 2024 THE ATHOLL PALACE HOTEL, PITLOCHRY Co-ordinator: Fiona Mackie There are lots of exciting plans for the 2024 Winter School.

94th AGM & AUTUMN GATHERING 2023 GLASGOW 3 - 5 NOVEMBER THE KELVIN HALL, GLASGOW

To book your place and find out more please visit www.rscds.org/events

Visit the website to book your place now www.rscds.org/agm

SPRING FLING 2024

In the Society's centenary year, we return to Glasgow, the city where the RSCDS was born and its very first meeting took place, and to the beautiful Kelvin Hall. Here are some exciting highlights of Autumn Gathering 2023. Timetable for weekend to follow:

For any queries contact the RSCDS Events Manager Moira Thomson, moira.thomson@rscds.org

12 - 14 APRIL 2024 Cambridge Booking will open later in the year.

SUMMER SCHOOL 2024 14 JULY - 11 AUGUST UNIVERSITY HALL, ST ANDREWS Directors: Sue Porter + TBC • Attend as a resident or non-resident for any one or two of the four weeks

Bands • Ewan Galloway Scottish Country Dance Band will play for the Friday dance • John Carmichael's Ceilidh Band will play for Friday's ceilidh • Luke Brady Scottish Country Dance Band will play for the ball

• Morning classes at all levels and optional afternoon classes • Junior Summer Camp and Youth class • Social Dancing each evening

Teachers • Andrew Nolan will teach the Saturday morning class, accompanied by Angela Young • David Queen will teach the Sunday morning class, accompanied by Susan MacFadyen Programme Hawaii Branch have devised the Friday dance programme, Glasgow Branch the Saturday ball programme.

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Information on all events can be found at www.rscds.org/events

Teachers and musicians to be confirmed. Check the website and social media for updates.

The Autumn Gathering provides an opportunity for dancers from across the world to gather over a weekend full of activities.

Book an event!

• Units 2, 3 and 5 • The Class Musicians’ Course • The Ensemble Musicians’ Course • Dancing Achievement Award All classes and courses are subject to demand. Booking will open later in the year.

COME AND A N D JOIN JO I N US! U S!

Summer School 2023

Editorial It is extraordinary how popular Scottish country dancing has become over the past hundred years, not just in Scotland but elsewhere worldwide. As we look forward to dancing in the years ahead, we recognise that there are challenges for all of us in recruiting new members to our groups, and in persuading them to share the aims of the RSCDS. We know, too, that we need to adapt to very fast-changing times, as electronic communication and information sharing replaces paper advertising of events; downloadable dance instructions and music tracks are preferred to printed books and CDs; and wooden floors are disappearing under non-slip surfaces. In this issue, several groups in Europe share how they started and are increasing their membership. Christiane Orgeret in France describes how the Lyon group has grown over the years by finding solutions to the problems many of us face today. In Scotland, moves are afoot to encourage many more children to dance. TAS has produced a book and music for teachers who would like to introduce country dancing into the curriculum. Children’s dance festivals and days of dance are enthusiastically attended by children in Angus and other parts of Scotland. Other groups have had success with other initiatives: London Branch with careful planning have established a Tuesday Social aimed at younger working people, and in Wellington, New Zealand, a new afternoon class has attracted some of their older members back to dancing, as they can easily access public transport and do not need to drive in the dark. Class musicians are a golden asset, and Tim MacDonald hints at how to persuade an interested musician to play for Scottish country dancing. The Bluebell Band in Tokyo share what attracted them personally to playing for Scottish dances. RSCDS membership is holding up, but we cannot be complacent. The Society needs the expertise and participation of its members, and many think it is time to review how the RSCDS is governed and administered. Three previous Chairs and members’ letters in this issue opine that the Society needs to reform to prosper in the future. The annual income is far from being able to pay for our aspirations and expectations, and we cannot sustain the financial losses being incurred. Every branch needs to take an interest in the Annual Trustees and Financial report and ensure that members’ ideas and opinions are heard at the AGM. Delegates need to understand the difficulties and be ready to participate and find and suggest solutions. The Autumn Gathering must prepare the RSCDS for the future as well as being a joyful social occasion dancing to exhilarating music. Talking of change, I am very pleased to let you know that Marjorie McLaughlin, San Diego Branch, has agreed to take on the editorship of the magazine from now, and I would like to thank you all as readers and dancers for your knowledgeable and revealing contributions to the magazine, especially the assiduous editorial team and office staff for their additional support and enthusiasm. And finally, Spring Flings in Edinburgh and Toronto, Summer Schools in St Andrews and Nova Scotia, and dancing around the world: all those participating have shared in the joy of celebrating the centenary of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society this year. Let’s raise a glass of RSCDS whisky or gin for a toast - as Holly Boyd in her opinion piece says and we all agree: Scottish country dancing is the best pastime ever!

Contents RSCDS Events

News from Coates Crescent

Chair and Convenors’ Reports

In My Opinion

Growing a SCD Group in France

Getting Scottish Schools Dancing Again

Encouraging a Class Musician

The Joy of Playing Music for Dancing

The Tuesday Social

Daytime Dancing

A European Dancing Trip

Summer Schools

Spring Flings

Morison’s Bush

Dancing Around the World

The RSCDS Research Group

Reviews

21 Years of the Management Board

Letters to the Editor

Sadly Missed

Dancers’ Diary

The next issue of Scottish Country Dancer will be published in April 2024. Please refer to Notes for Contributors on the website. Send materials for inclusion no later than 31 January 2024 to the editor: mag.editor@rscds.org Please send enquiries about advertising to Cécile Hascoët: mag.advertising@rscds.org Editor Fiona Grant Editorial Team Caroline Brockbank, Helen McGinley, Jimmie Hill, Jane McIntosh Publisher The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society 12 Coates Crescent, Edinburgh, EH3 7AF Website www.rscds.org

Telephone 0131 225 3854

Email info@rscds.org

Graphic Designer Its All Good 10 The Haughs, Cromdale, Grantown on Spey, PH26 3PQ info@itsallgood.org.uk t: 01479 870 435 Printer HMCA SERVICES. Beech Hall Annexe, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. HG5 0EA

Fiona Grant, Bristol. Cover: RSCDS Summer School, St Andrews 2023. (Jon Davey Photography).

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News from Coates Crescent BRANCH AWARDS Members are the bedrock of RSCDS and without you the Society would not exist today. Congratulations to all the Branch Award recipients this year and a huge thank you for all your contributions to the strategic and charitable aims of the Society. Branch Aberdeen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fiona McIver Belfast Branch . . . . . . . . . Evelyn M. Redmond Castle Douglas . . . . . . . . . John Luff and Eric Landay Delaware Valley . . . . . . . . Cecily Selling Derbyshire Northeast . . Liz and Ian Stead East Angus . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lorna Valentine Exeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pauline Beeson Glasgow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Irene Harper Helensburgh & District . Irene Smith International . . . . . . . . . . . Jan Jones London Branch . . . . . . . . . Simon Wales London Canada . . . . . . . . Margaret Campbell Los Angeles . . . . . . . . . . . . Jon Reeves and Dana Dunaway New Zealand . . . . . . . . . . Michael Laidlaw Orange County . . . . . . . . Jan Lauer, Bob Patterson and Renée Boblette Ottawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Betty Anderson, Frances Murray and Pat Scrimgeour Tokyo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yumiko Kosugi Twin Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . Chandi McCracken-Holm, Fer Horn and Eric Dam Winnipeg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ron Krug Nova Scotia . . . . . . . . . . . Noni Regan For more information about Branch Awards, visit the Get Involved Section/member recognition at www.rscds.org

2023 AGM Elections to Management Board and Committees Elections for the vacancies will take place in November. All candidate profiles are available on the website. The results will be announced at the AGM on 4 November 2023

MOTION TO 2023 AGM With UK inflation still remaining high, the Society is consciously balancing the desire of the Society to provide more to members with the other financial constraints that members may be facing at this time by keeping the increase in the full annual subscription below inflation levels as at June 2023. “The Management Board proposes that for the year from 1st July 2024, the basic full annual subscription shall be increased by £2 to £28 per annum, with other membership subscriptions based prorata on this amount”

EDUCATION AND TRAINING During the year, the Education and Training Committee organised teacher certificate unit exams, Core Training for Instructors (CTI) and other assessments. Exams and Assessments were held at St Andrews, TAC, Toronto, Italy, London, Falkirk and Aberdeen. 34 members have completed Teacher Certificate Exams, 8 have taken Dancing Achievement Awards and 46 have sat Medal Tests. Worldwide, 13 instructors completed CTI and 26 are currently taking CTI training.

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Unit 1 The fixed dates for the Unit 1 written paper in 2024 are: 11 March (October date to be confirmed). The videos from the second Virtual Teachers Conference are available to watch again on the website: https://rscds.org/learn/ teaching-scottish-country-dance/elearning-teachers/virtualteachers-conference-2023. For teachers wishing to receive the Teachers’ e-newsletters, please ask your branch secretary to add your attributes to the RSCDS database. Get in touch with us if you are interested in running a Basic Teaching Skills course in your local area: https://rscds.org/learn/ teacher-training/basic-teaching-skills

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES The Membership Services committee has been very busy this year with the release of the Index to Formations and Book 53 and CDs. The Zoom launches of the publications were recorded on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRSCDS

YOUTH SERVICES At the 2022 AGM, members voted to pass a motion introducing a new free Junior Membership to encourage dancers under the age of 12 to dance. Youth Services and the RSCDS staff, together with branches with established youth classes collaborated on a Youth page on the Society’s website. A new Junior Membership handbook was launched at Summer School this year and was very well received by all the participants. The handbook includes quizzes, colouring sheets and achievement stickers, all aimed at introducing new members to Scottish country dance formations and vocabulary. There is even an opportunity to write a postcard to Rowan, the Youth Services mascot who is currently busy travelling the world. Branches are able to request Junior Membership handbooks to give to new members. More information is available on the RSCDS website, where you will also find a list of branches and groups that currently host classes for young dancers.

MEMBERSHIP FIGURES The RSCDS counts 160 Branches and Coates Crescent members. We recorded 9604 members in 2022-2023 (9572 in 2021/22; 9143 in 2020/21). We are hopeful of reaching our pre-covid figures which in 2019/20 were at 10,932 members. We would like to thank our members and branch officers once again for their support.

United Kingdom: 83 branches 4169 members: England 2070, Northern Ireland 126, Scotland 1927, Wales 46 Europe: 11 branches 583 members: Austria 40, France 203, Germany 189, Italy 56, Netherlands 17, Sweden 78 Australasia: 11 branches 1716 members: Australia 613, Japan 430 New Zealand 673 North America: 51 Branches, 2646 members: Canada 1114, USA 1532 South Africa: 2 branches 31 members International, Youth branch and Coates Crescent Members: 459 members*: International 196, Youth 41, CC Members 222 *Many of our members belonging to this category are from Argentina, Belgium, Australia, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, USA and Uruguay.

From the Chair

Membership Services William Williamson

Enthusiasm, determination, sell-outs, fun, friendship, and new ideas are all words to describe what I am witnessing during this the centenary year of the Royal Scottish Country Society. I hope that in 2023 we will continue to look ahead with the same optimism and vision that our founders had in 1923. The Centenary Ball in Edinburgh in March was a very special occasion and the many other events organised locally and nationally have been a real joy to attend. It seems I have cut more cakes than King Charles this year! I also had the great pleasure of visiting the 90th Summer School in St Andrews where over 600 dancers, a large increase in numbers, met over four weeks to enjoy dancing, music and friendship. Gary Coull, Chair Elect, attended the Teachers Association of Canada’s 50th Summer School and the Winter School in Australia. Gary and I have been heartened by the sheer determination and enthusiasm that we have seen from members and staff across the organisation, with all keen to see Scottish country dancing and the RSCDS flourish into the future.

…share any new ideas for everyone’s benefit. Following the worldwide Covid pandemic, we are proving to be a resilient organisation. Many branches and groups are reporting increased numbers in beginners’ classes and new ideas for additional social events such as ceilidhs, tea dances and joint activities are being organised. I hope that you will share any new ideas for everyone’s benefit. I do not need to tell you that the world is a very different place from 1923, or even 1993, when dancing and communication was very much at a local level. Now with modern means of transport and communication, dancers are meeting regularly online or indeed in person whenever and wherever they wish to across the world. Although we are a global organisation, it is at the local, weekly class or dance that we are going to build the future for Scottish country dancing, and I want to express my sincere thanks to you all for the dedicated work you are doing in your local branch, group or in our office to ensure we build an organisation that will continue to be successful in the years to come. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Fiona Grant for her dedicated work as editor of the magazine and to welcome Marjorie McLaughlin to this role. The great city of Glasgow, where it all began, is ready to welcome home the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society in November for the Autumn Gathering, and I hope to meet and dance with many of you then. The motto of Glasgow is ‘Let Glasgow Flourish’. Let us share this sentiment!

Angela Young Since April, the MS Committee has been extremely busy delivering two long-term projects. Dance Through the Decades was successfully launched in February utilising technology to reach as many worldwide members as possible. Following this, the decision was taken to continue with online launch sessions for all our products, sharing information as publications are released, giving direct access to contributors as well as creating opportunities for feedback and questions. As Convenor, I’m keen that we hear from as many dancers and musicians as possible while we work at creating products for all. The different Zoom sessions have been aimed at facilitating signin from various time zones. We realise this is a work-in-progress, so please get in touch with your thoughts on days and timings that could improve this offering. In May we launched the new digital version of the Index to Formations and Movements in Scottish Country Dancing. This online resource is free to all members through the RSCDS website after sign-in. Two Zoom sessions promoted this interactive resource, with committee members explaining the background and demonstrating the search facilities available for formations and dances. Many thanks to Keith Rose who has worked tirelessly on creating this extremely valuable resource..

RSCDS Book 53 for 2023 is designed as a book for all dancers and musicians In July, after 18 months of work by the committee, alongside branches and affiliated groups, RSCDS Book 53 for 2023 came to fruition and a full suite of content was released. This bumper centenary volume celebrates 100 years of the Society with information on branches, stories from devisers, musical memories and much more as 24 dances take you around the RSCDS globe accompanied by two CDs: by David Oswald and his Scottish Dance Band, and Nicol McLaren and the Glencraig Scottish Dance Band. There are new recordings of recently popular dances and those that have stood the test of time, as well as additional tracks for listening enjoyment. In an RSCDS first, the dance videos have been recorded by submitting branches and have been available on YouTube since the launch. The Index was also updated with all Book 53 information ahead of launch, an aim for all future publications. Many thanks to everyone involved. RSCDS Book 53 for 2023 is designed as a book for all dancers and musicians as well as for all those interested in Scottish dance. As a new dancing year begins for many, we will be holding additional Book 53 Zoom sessions in late September to share information, provide access to contributors and answer members’ questions about this special centenary memento edition. There will also be a special Zoom ahead of 30th September when we all Dance Through the Decades. For now, please make sure you are sending your centenary photos to info@rscds.org. We need your high-quality images of events, behind-the-scenes activity, social gatherings, musicians, dancers and more to tell the story of your Centenary year in our celebration book for publication in 2024. And please do get in touch with your thoughts as we look forward to the next 100 years!

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Education and Training Deb Lees This Centenary year we welcomed over 600 dancers to St Andrews from all around the world for our 90th Summer School. There was a definite air of celebration throughout, with special events each week, including a Big Ceilidh and a concert featuring musicians present and past, who have contributed so much to Summer School and the RSCDS over the years. A highlight was a joint dance with TAC, who were celebrating their 65th anniversary and 50th Summer School. The power of technology enabled us to see each hall dance the same programme at the same time with one MC announcing and recapping for the dancers on both sides of the Atlantic. A final Ball at the end of Week 4 completed a fantastic month of music and dance, making and renewing friendships, learning and developing skills, and sharing lots of laughter and fun. A huge thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make it happen, including the musicians and teachers, Moira Thomson and all the office staff and the two wonderful Summer School Directors, Jim Stott and Sue Porter.

The Virtual Teachers’ Conference will become an annual event This year we have maintained our focus on Continuing Teacher Development, including afternoon sessions at Summer School for teacher discussion on various topics, the Teachers newsletter and the second Virtual Teachers’ Conference (VTC). The VTC will become an annual event with five presentations across the week, which will remain available on the website, to view in your own time, either as individuals or watching together with other teachers and dancers. E&T are working with the Teacher’s Associations to develop material for next year’s VTC and welcome ideas and input from other branches and groups. This coming year we will be developing a range of video and other resources to support teachers, both during training and beyond. There is already a lot of information in the Learn section of the RSCDS website, but not always easy to navigate, so a complete review of this area of the website is underway. Work continues to develop Unit 1 into an online open book exam, which we are planning to introduce next year. Unit 4 information has been reviewed and updated and we have started work on guidance and resources for tutors. This will include developing a tutor training course, to be delivered face to face or online, so that the training is more readily available to prospective tutors anywhere in the world. Congratulations to all who have completed exams this year, especially those who have gained their Teaching Certificate and are ready to build their teaching experience in their own area and beyond. Well done also to those who have finished their CTI training and developed skills and confidence to make their local classes a fun and friendly place that will really encourage people to come back and bring a friend! My thanks to Rachel Shankland and Oluf Olufson for all their work during their term on E&T and I look forward to welcoming new committee members in November.

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Youth Services Philippa McKee Hello fellow dancers! I have just returned from St Andrews where a fun and energetic Junior Summer Camp (JSC) was reaching its conclusion. It is inspiring and encouraging to see the enthusiasm for music and dance from the young dancers. During the week we launched the 2023 Virtual Festival. We look forward to seeing the contributions to this year’s Festival. Entries are being sought under for two categories; “Dances through the Decades” and “Creative” with winners to be announced and celebrated at the Autumn Gathering. Thank you to our judges who have volunteered for the task of judging this year’s entries.

Grants are available to support Spring Fling events We were also able to launch our new Junior Members’ Booklet along with the opportunity for juniors to sign up to the new membership category. We talked to parents and guardians and were able to give JSC participants copies of the new booklet. A lively conversation about opportunities for young dancers ensued and certainly gave me some food for thought with regard to how Youth Services are placed to support events, initiatives and the fantastic work already done by branches and groups from around the world. I’d be very glad to hear from any readers with thoughts on this. Parents of young dancers can find out more and sign up for Junior Membership here; https:// rscds.org/get-involved/young-dancers/join-young-dancers We are very grateful to the support we have had from the Coates Crescent staff who worked so hard to get the Virtual Festival and Members’ Booklet ready for Summer School. We are so lucky to have their creative input and the time they put towards these projects. Away from the dance floor we have been speaking with organisers of previous Spring Flings to document thoughts and considerations for these events. The organisers from Edinburgh’s 2023 Spring Fling have drawn together a document which will provide a helpful reference for future organisers. We plan to do the same for Junior Summer Camp and other events such as the youth offering at the Autumn Gathering. I hope that a combination of these will provide a useful handover for future YSC members. We are also looking forward to a closer relationship with the Scottish Schools Working Group as we consider our role in this alongside Education and Training Committee. Information will be released soon regarding arrangements for Spring Fling 2024 so please look out for details in Branch Mailings, Dance Scottish Together and on social media. Abbie Brown and Erica DeGannes conclude their term on YSC this year and we would like to take the opportunity to say thank you to both for their contributions, creativity and insight throughout. It has been a pleasure to have them on our committee and they have brought some very valuable skills and experience to the team. We hope to welcome new members to the committee in November. Please get in touch regarding this, or any other matters relating to young dancers and musicians by emailing ysc@rscds.org

In My Opinion - The Best Pastime Ever Holly Boyd is a long-time dancer, compulsive dance deviser, secretary of the Montreal Branch of the RSCDS and co-teacher of the social/beginner class in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her maternal grandfather came to Canada from Scotland in the mid-1800s. In my opinion, Scottish country dancing is the BEST. PASTIME. EVER. It is social and physical. It requires thinking and memory: a total body/mind workout. I assume that, since you are reading this magazine, you are already a fan of Scottish country dancing. But how do we encourage others to join us? When my husband and I started dancing over 30 years ago, the experience was quite different from what it is today. We started at a social group that welcomed beginners. There were many expatriate Scots. We loved the music, the choreography, and the people. We were soon attending three classes a week. Socials, however, were not beginner friendly. You had to know the dances and dance them from a briefing. And Balls were completely out of our reach – not even briefed! But we went to workshops as well as classes and stuck to it. And we had many experienced dancers helping and advising us. Now Montreal is down to one class – the same class where we started. I now teach it with one other teacher. Over the years we’ve lost many members as they passed away, left Montreal or retired their ghillies. And, though we have some dancers who may, in time, take over teaching, we are down to only two active teachers. This one class is all we have left. It is essentially a beginners’ class. And it is hard for the dancers to improve as we constantly find ourselves with new dancers showing up each week. But without new dancers we will fail. And we do not want to fail. We find new members through Meet Up, Facebook and our website. Very few of them have any Scottish background. They come for the socializing, the exercise and the challenge. We go out of our way to welcome them and keep them dancing. Now that we are having socials again, our socials are beginner friendly – we walk all dances. We do have two or three ‘advanced only’ dances for our experienced dancers and ask the beginners to just watch those. It is a balancing act. Encourage, instruct, amuse and retain. I don’t know how other places are dealing with this problem. I have no idea what happens at classes in Scotland. Each group has to do what works for them while keeping an open mind as times change, and then changing with them. This isn’t easy for those of us who have been dancing or teaching for a long time. We all have opinions on how to go forward. Sometimes very strong, conflicting ones. Since we retired 10 years ago, we have travelled to dance. Last year in Spain we met a young Scottish man at a café, and I asked him if he did any Scottish country dancing. His answer: “Oh yes, in school, but not now. It is just for retired ladies to do in the evenings”. I doubt if this is the kind of answer the RSCDS wants to hear. While in Spain we attended the Iberian Peninsula weekend. A lovely group of people attended, from young to not young and in between, with many different levels of experience.

Holly and husband Don on their way to the Ball.

Unfortunately, the program (which I loved) was a little too complex for many of the dancers though each dance was walked. As we left, the committee for the 2024 weekend was busy adjusting their next year’s program to be more beginner friendly. I hope they leave a few challenges though! Obviously for those of us who love Scottish country dancing, we want to keep Scottish country dancing alive around the world for another 100 years. Not just for the Scottish ‘retired ladies’ but for everyone. The most important thing, for me, is that I would very much like our younger dancers to be able to continue dancing for as long as we have. The joy and friendship that this activity has given us over the years is priceless. We need to fit the structure and fellowship that makes Scottish country dancing so special into a changing world. And find more ways to let people know about it. It should be easy enough to spread the word. Because it is the BEST. PASTIME. EVER.

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Growing a Scottish Country Dance group in France Christiane Orgeret fell in love with Scotland while a French language assistant in Edinburgh, but it was not until a few years later when she returned to visit friends, that she was taken along to her first Scottish country dance class. On returning to Paris, she joined the Chardon d’Ecosse group, and Scottish country dances became her passion because they were so lively and varied. In conversation with Fiona Grant, Christiane describes how the dance group she started a few years later when she returned to work in Lyon, grew into a branch, and the challenges she had to overcome. Small beginnings La Chanterelle and La Ronde Folklorique, two folk-dance groups, organised dance weekends, including one annual Scottish weekend each. Although I was teaching English full-time and had three small children to look after, I wanted to do more Scottish country dancing and helped to persuade a small group of the dancers to meet once a month in 1986. Being the most motivated, I was quickly chosen to be the secretary, then ‘Présidente’ of the group – I didn’t know then that this would last 30 years! Finding new members to enlarge the group was difficult, and at first most came from other dance associations. We advertised everywhere we could, including getting the group added to the list of British Associations which was handed by the UK Consulate in Lyon to all UK citizens coming to stay in the area. An advert in the university English department proved more fruitful, and although many left to work elsewhere after they graduated, these energetic young people were very enthusiastic, and the Scottish group continued to attract a few new students each year.

were encouraged to attend and find out that dancing friendships extended further than the weekly class. A few of us attended the RSCDS Summer School in St Andrews almost every year and encouraged other members of the class to go too. We were taught by many wonderful teachers, whom we then invited to Lyon, and met people in St Andrews from all over the world who shared our passion, and thus expanded the magical network!

Financial independence Our class members were often young people and others with limited disposable income, and so we tried to keep the cost of the dance classes as low as possible. Our season ticket had the reputation of offering the least expensive regular hobby in Lyon! Nevertheless, we usually managed to make a class profit, which was used to subsidise and reduce the price of the weekend events, making attendance more attractive to all. We occasionally organised large ceilidh dances to attract new members and make a small profit. They were very successful, attracting 200 to 300 people, and made us more visible, but they did not often lead to new recruits because the immediate fun of ceilidh dancing is so different from the challenge of Scottish country dances with their complicated formations and steps.

Nadine’s Triumph, Lyon 1995

Expanding the group Key to the success of the group were the weekend events, which we managed to expand over the years. At first, they were held once a year with one invited teacher using cassettes. Over the years, they progressively became well known in the SCD world for the hospitality of Lyon members, happy relaxed atmosphere, serious emphasis on technique, quality of teaching, and the opportunity to attend classes on different levels, including Highland dancing. Classes and evening dances gave our members the opportunity to meet and often host dancers who travelled from other groups to spend the weekend dancing and socialising together. New dancers

Weekend 1998 St Galmier

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Lyon demonstration team 2002

Teaching Strategy Teaching at the weekly class was always done in French, as few could understand English. It is important for teachers to adapt to local conditions, as the key to class enjoyment is getting everyone moving and dancing. At the same time, the steps and style are an essential part of Scottish country dancing and our group wanted to be taught technique from the start. Our very first teacher for the weekend events was Philippe Rousseau from London. He and Alice Murphy from Carlisle taught us in French. Patrick Chamoin from Paris was our most regular weekend teacher for many years. As to weekly classes, Martin Sheffield from Grenoble visited us regularly, and Antoine Rousseau from Paris taught and danced with us while he spent three years as an engineering student studying in Lyon. Later, we had our own homegrown Lyon teachers, who passed their teaching certificates in St Andrews. After a few years, weekends were progressively taught in English, as members realised it was not a major obstacle and they could discover and benefit from the teaching of so many excellent and diverse teachers from Britain, Europe, America and New Zealand. What a joy it was to bring all this, and the wonderful live music, to ordinary Lyon members!

Every autumn, we put together a programme for the whole year in advance, so that the teaching was progressive from September until the end of June. Classes started as if everyone was a beginner, and experienced dancers agreed and were very happy to assist those less confident. As the year went on, the class adapted to the dancers attending, so that after the first hour with beginners, the next hour and a half was shared between intermediate and advanced dancers.

Hints for keeping beginners Not everyone who comes to class for the first time stays, so it is important to keep advertising for new beginners, whether it is using the internet, social media, or other more local noticeboards. We advertised the classes and ran dance events with easy dances for friends, families, and other dance groups, to encourage them to try out Scottish country dancing. Every new member of the class was given a copy of the book Thirty Popular Scottish Country Dances. Groups of us went to other events, such as the Montpellier Ball held each year, the weekend workshops in Grenoble, Méaudre, Turin, Paris, or further away (Budapest, Brittany, Jersey, London, Vienna). The RSCDS Summer School in St Andrews was our key reference: not only did we subsidise several young future teachers to take their certificates there, but we even paid half the cost of the whole group (over 20 people) attending Summer School in 2009 and 2015.

Raphaëlle set up a ‘Lyon Glams Team’ of young Lyon dancers who went to Newcastle once a year, with some parents helping with the logistics. Newcastle was a wonderful occasion, with many young (and some older) teams from all over the UK and Europe meeting to show off their technique and choreography. Another daring project we carried out successfully was to organise Units 1,2 and 3 of the Teaching Certificate in Lyon, and Units 4 and 5 two years later. Patrick Chamoin was our devoted and hyper-qualified and efficient mentor. It was Raphaëlle’s idea, but I was in charge of most of the organising. A rather onerous task, my swan song as it were, but it was worth it: all our 14 candidates passed and are now teaching in many groups, mostly in France, including Lyon for 4 of them. I am proud to think that several of them would not have dared or been able to afford to take the exams in Scotland, and that we brought new blood to SCD in France.

Personal Commitment Dancing was a family interest and all dancing felt natural to me, whether it was ballroom, rock and roll, or historical dancing. As Cocteau said, ‘Birds never sing better than when in their own family tree’. Meeting Scottish country dancing was love at first sight for me: the sheer joy of feeling the wind in my hair while responding to the music! My interest only increased over the decades because of its symbolic value: there is almost total equality between men and women when they dance together as couples, all couples play the same leading or helping roles in turn. The need for teamwork between everyone in the set reflects an almost utopian social cohesion. Over the years, I tried to mirror this equality and teamwork within our group as an activity for all ages, and for people from all backgrounds. Scottish country dancing is a social activity where the sense of achievement and shared enjoyment comes from everyone working together to perform the dance as best as they can. At the same time, each dancer should get the chance of achieving the best technique he or she is capable of.

Christiane Orgeret and Alex Gray at the formation of the Lyon Branch.

Becoming an RSCDS branch By 1991 the group was affiliated to the RSCDS, and in 2009 Alex Gray, the then Chairman, welcomed the formation of the new branch, now named the Lyon Branch of the RSCDS. It coincided with my daughter Raphaëlle passing her full Certificate, so she took over much of the teaching. As a primary school teacher, she taught quite a few young pupils to dance, and opened a new dance group in her school neighbourhood, encouraging them to bring along their parents. Her influence and charismatic teaching no doubt increased the number of younger people dancing in Lyon. She also set up an international team, who travelled to Newcastle to compete in the Scottish Country Dance Festival providing an opportunity for many young proficient dancers, some from isolated groups, to join forces and meet for rehearsals. After several years running the international team,

RSCDS Lyon 2010

Wishing Mdme. Présidente a happy retirement

The Future Advertising events and classes is essential to keep our group going and using our mailing list of past attendees at previous events has been very important in letting dancers know what we have planned. Often visitors think about coming again to our weekends, even if they do not come every year. Membership of the RSCDS is very important for Scottish country dancers in France. Unlike the UK, it is not possible for us to drive a few miles to a dance each Saturday or to attend another group’s class without travelling many miles. Summer School is a wonderful opportunity to meet other dancers and introduces our members to different teachers as well as expanding their knowledge and enjoyment of dancing. I was shocked to hear some members in Britain ask what they got for their RSCDS subscription. Supporting the RSCDS in its aim to spread the enjoyment of Scottish country dancing and allow people to dance in the same way wherever they meet in the world is very important. Few of us would be dancing today if we did not support the RSCDS as a worldwide organisation.

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Start Dancing – getting Scottish schools dancing again! TAS is the Teachers Association of Scotland – for anyone teaching country dancing in Scotland, qualified or not. We hold two in-service workshops per year and in the past we have subsidised young teachers in training. Start Dancing is published by TAS primarily for use in Scottish schools but is equally suitable for children’s and beginners’ classes. The background Scottish country dancing has been taught in Scottish schools since before the foundation of the SCDS. It is just ‘something we learn’ as we are growing up. This teaching traditionally took place in the weeks before Christmas in preparation for the school Christmas Party. Scottish primary schoolteachers typically had and still have no formal training in the teaching of country dancing. They teach the dances they know – most commonly, the so-called ‘social dances’ such as The Gay Gordons and The Dashing White Sergeant. There was a time when the training of PE teachers included the RSCDS Preliminary Certificate, most notably at Jordanhill College in Glasgow, but most PE teachers went into secondary schools. Jean Milligan and Ysobel Stewart wanted to encourage the teaching of Scottish dances in schools and to introduce Scottish country dance sections in all the Scottish music festivals. Today there are very few music festivals with country dancing, and very few schools take part.

Days of Dance Some years ago, with the help of RSCDS branches and groups, Scottish schools started non-competitive days of dance. The most successful involve around 600 primary-age children for a morning or an afternoon in a large local hall where there is massed dancing to a live band. These events are usually highly successful and inclusive, without the stress of competition. Many members of TAS work very hard to help organise and run both festivals and days of dance.

Festivals on the decline In the past, several towns and cities had music festivals which included country dancing. They were competitive with both schoolchildren and adults taking part. Three factors are leading to their decline. The first and most obvious is covid and lockdown. For two years no festivals took place. The second reason is that the new Scottish curriculum does not favour competition. It is all about inclusion and cooperation. Choosing 8 children out of a class of 20 to compete means the others feel rejected. The third reason is economic. If a class teacher accompanies 8 children to a competition, who teaches the remaining children? There is simply no spare capacity in schools. One festival which has been running very successfully for decades and involving all the primary schools in the area this year had one team entering. This is not sustainable.

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A Huge Task In any one year there are around 377,000 primary school children in Scotland and close to 2000 schools with around 25,000 teachers. Country dancing is normally taught from P4 - P7 (roughly ages 9 - 11). This means that each year, potentially, it could be taught to c.215,000 children, 40,000 in Glasgow alone. What is clear is that the RSCDS in Scotland can only reach a tiny minority of schools. This was recognised by TAS a few years ago when we decided to produce a book of very simple yet fun country dances which could be attempted by any primary teacher with no country dance training. Start Dancing – a new book of simple and fun dances, along with eight of the commonest ceilidh dances – was published by TAS in August with the music downloadable from the music website Bandcamp.

An impossible situation made even worse by Covid The situation today is not good, and worse since Covid. Children currently in P7 may never have done any country dancing or at least not since P4. It is unlikely that any P5 or P6 child has done any. Three years of teaching have been lost. This is a long time in a child’s education, sufficient to cut the link to a tradition which we have all taken for granted. Entries at the few surviving competitive festivals are down and some festival country dance sections are in danger of disappearing altogether.

Simpler dances, one by Jean Milligan Although the RSCDS has published dances for children, many are unsuitable for teachers with no country dance training. Some contain dances with corners, allemandes, half figures, and 8 bars of pas de basque, which untrained schoolteachers avoid. A few years ago, as a result of pleas from schoolteachers for simpler dances, TAS decided on this project. All the dances fit the rules for use in competitive festivals and they are all eminently suitable for use at days of dance or at school ceilidhs or parents’ evenings. The book contains 24 easy reels and jigs, all 32 bars, some 4-couple dances, some 3-couple and some 2-couple. No Scottish primary teacher would teach strathspey to their classes. They contain only very basic figures and a minimum of setting. Some of the dances were devised by TAS teachers at a TAS dance-devising workshop; some are wellknown simple dances: The Jindalee Jig, The

Buckshaw Reel, The Loon Mountain Reel, and Good Hearted Glasgow. John Wilkinson gave us permission to change his Kelly’s Kaper, written for the TV presenter Lorraine Kelly in 2015 for the STV Children’s Appeal, from a 3-couple dance in a 3-couple set to a 3-couple dance in 4-couple set so that it would qualify as a potential festival dance. Two of the dances were devised by sisters in their Branch children’s class. One was devised by a school class for their musician, Mrs Pat Clark. One of the dances, Miss Ross’s Delight, was devised by none other than Jean Milligan herself. Most of the dances have Scottish names so that schoolteachers can use the dance to link in with other aspects of Scottish history, geography, and culture. For example, The Alloway Reel uses only tunes associated with Robert Burns. Burnt Tatties allows teachers to teach Scots dialect. The Stone of Scone would link in with lessons on Scottish history. All the dances are written in simple language which any non-dancing teacher will understand. Apart from the dances, there is information about steps, formations, and different progressions.

Dances every Scottish child should know We also asked ourselves as part of this project – what dances should every Scottish child know when they leave primary school? We agreed they should all be able to take part, with confidence, in The Gay Gordons, The Canadian Barn Dance, The Dashing White Sergeant, The Virginia Reel, The Flying Scotsman, Strip the Willow, The Circassian Circle, and The Eightsome Reel. Those are included in the book so that teachers, who may know the dances, have information about the barring, and what language to use when teaching them.

What music should Scottish children be dancing to? TAS decided that the music for all the dances should be recorded. We asked ourselves the question: what tunes should Scottish children know and be dancing to? The answer we agreed on was all the great traditional ones such as Bonnie Dundee or The Muckin’ o’ Geordie’s Byre. Just because there are dances called Mairi’s Wedding or The Flowers of Edinburgh, it should not

mean that Scottish children cannot dance to the music, so in the recordings you will find many familiar tunes that ‘go with’ other dances. After all, the late great Bobby Brown would suddenly drop in Mrs Macleod’s Reel or The Deil to any reel set if he felt the dancers needed an injection of adrenalin! A few original tunes were composed by Frank Thomson, Ian MacPhail and Pat Clark.

Five Great Musicians We asked four of our great accordionists to record six dances each: Neil Copland with Mo Rutherford, Ewan Galloway, Ian Muir (Prestwick), and Frank Thomson. The recordings are unique examples of the work of those tradition bearers – their individual choice of tunes, and their own distinctive styles of playing. The tracks are all very ‘Scottish’ and are very suitable for use in a Scottish educational setting. All the music is downloadable from the Bandcamp website: startscottishdancing.bandcamp.com.

The Book We decided to publish the book in two versions. There is the printed book, but there is also a downloadable pdf version, free to all UK schoolteachers who apply to Tas.secretary@mail.com. The pdf version can also be ordered by anyone else with a suggested donation to TAS. Although the book is aimed at schools, all the dances are suitable for use in any beginners’ class or as a simple warm-up dance in any adult class.

Financing the project! TAS, in common with many branches and groups, has accumulated cash in the bank over the years. In the past we have subsidised young teacher candidates, so we decided to finance this project ourselves with no help from anyone else. We very much hope that RSCDS Branches, groups, and members will support this initiative by buying a copy of the book, donating it to their local primary school, and letting them

Angus Schools Day of Dance Lorna Valentine describes how Dance Scottish has spread to many schools in the Angus area.

Fun at the Angus Schools’ Day of Dance For many years East Angus Branch, like many other branches in Scotland, attended at various primary schools in the region to teach children the dances for their annual days of dance which were held at various locations. Then for a number of years, although the days of dance were still being held, there was not much involvement with the local Branches. Angus Active Schools, having for a few years had volunteers work with them as helpers and MCs for primary school ceilidhs, then contacted the Branch to see how we could work together to bring more dancing into the primary schools, initially just in Arbroath. A school was chosen to trial, volunteers signed up to help, and by the end of the following year, every primary school in the Arbroath area had an opportunity to Dance Scottish at either a lunch or after-school club and some of the teachers attended a professional development day led by Jayne Riddet from Dumfries Branch. One school took it further and started a family night led by a branch volunteer, where family members and children from pre-school

to primary 7 learnt some ceilidh and easy Scottish country dances. This led to the school holding a family ceilidh in the local community centre. Due to costs, it was decided that the Angus Schools’ Day of Dance would be one large combined event in Strathmore Hall in Forfar and in 2019 and 2020 approximately 400 children danced to the music of the Deirdre Adamson Scottish Dance Band. Then the pandemic struck, locked down just days after our Day of Dance. Working again with Active Schools, volunteers from East Angus Branch were the first to be allowed back in to work with the children with teachers anticipating the benefits both mentally and physically of dancing together after the long period of isolation. We began in October 2021 and danced through to December outdoors, sometimes in wellies and always in hats, scarves and gloves. As restrictions began to lift, we were able to move indoors at the beginning of 2022, this time during school hours which enabled us to get the teachers more involved. 2023 took volunteers into three rural primary schools, who integrated Scots Language, Art and IT with learning the dances. They also devised their own 64-bar sequence which they performed at a family ceilidh in March, held in Carmyllie Village Hall. In April 2023 we saw the return of the Angus Schools’ Day of Dance in

know that their teachers can download a copy free! Finally, we hope that Scottish schoolteachers will use this book, integrate country dancing into their lessons, teach their students the importance of dance and music in Scottish culture, but above all, show their classes that country dancing is fun! Scotland’s third national sport! The TAS working group responsible for this project were Jimmie Hill, Sue Porter, and Jayne Riddet. More information about the Start Dancing project is on the TAS website: countrydanceteachersofscotland.org.uk The book costs £10. If you would like a downloadable copy, we suggest a donation of £8 to TAS. To order the book or get a pdf copy, email tas.secretary@mail.com To download the music, go to startscottishdancing.bandcamp.com All 24 tracks cost £12, or if a teacher only wants one track, it costs £1. the Strathmore Hall in Forfar with approximately 260 children dancing again to the music of Deirdre Adamson and her band. It was obvious from the standard of the dancing that schoolteachers had spent a lot of time practising the dances with the children and the enjoyment was there to be seen on their smiling faces. Overall, a positive outlook for Scottish dance in the Angus area and this has led, after a great many years’ absence, to a children’s class being started in Arbroath. Assisted by Angus Active Schools, a free hall let was obtained in one of the schools, paperwork prepared, courses attended, and we were up and running in October 2022. Although small in numbers the children are keen to get started again when the schools go back in August. The hall is booked, and we hope, with the help of promotion by Active Schools, to welcome some more members to our class. We now have volunteers working in Montrose primary schools so who knows where that will lead? East Angus Branch has been lucky to have a close association with Angus Active Schools which has allowed us to deliver Scottish country dancing to a great number of children over the past five or more years. We have an enthusiastic co-ordinator, Kelly Moonlight, who has encouraged the children, volunteers and school staff with ideas and suggestions and brought us all together to Dance Scottish. Children’s days of dance and festivals have returned all over Scotland in 2023 and many, East Angus included, have been helped with funding to pay for musicians, transport and halls from a generous grant received by the Scottish Schools Working Group from the William Syson Foundation. There is still some money left in the pot, so if your Branch needs a bit of financial help to get children dancing, please get in touch at sswg@rscds.org.

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Encouraging a Class Musician The single most important thing they can do in a dance class is play in time (the manual has tempo guidelines), and a close second is making the downbeats sound like downbeats (elongated, heavy, accented) and the upbeats sound like upbeats (crisp, light, short). Having a handle on that will produce danceable (if at times boring) music. Many troubling strathspeys I’ve heard have a root problem of either being played out of time (generously, with too much rubato) or confusing the beat hierarchy so that the music says up when the dancers’ feet are going down or vice versa.

Tim MacDonald and Pete Clark playing at the RSCDS Centenary concert, Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh 2023

Many Scottish country dances classes rely on the plethora of wonderful music that has been recorded and is available to use for classes and social evenings. Lucky and rare are those classes with musicians who play regularly for them, but sometimes class teachers are approached by musicians who would like to try to learn to play for Scottish country dancing. They may already be skilled players but have little experience of playing Scottish tunes for dance. For a teacher who does not play an instrument and is less confident about explaining the music than teaching a dance, Tim MacDonald, himself a fiddler and dancer, has a few hints about what musicians may need to understand about playing for dancing, and how to keep them happy and wanting to turn up and play at all. Here are his suggestions. At the risk of sounding obvious, playing Scottish tunes every day on their own is very helpful. Even if it’s just a 5-minute warm-up before their ‘real’ practice on other repertoire. All the guidance in the world can’t help them if they don’t spend time playing the music, so best start now! For quality, I also recommend listening to many recordings. There’s also something to be said for having good books of Scottish tunes, never mind the explicit SCD connection. James Hunter’s The Fiddle Music of Scotland has safe choices. I personally get a lot of mileage out of old books, especially Niel Gow’s Complete Repository (four volumes) and his six Collections of Strathspey Reels (available in facsimile as a free PDF from various sources). There are dozens and dozens of modern collections and it’s hard to go wrong. If it hasn’t happened already, somebody needs to explain the math of what an 8×32 set is (or 8×40, or 6×32, or…), what the signature tune is, choosing four tunes and playing them in the order 1234 2341 to get eight repetitions (or choosing three and doing 123 123 21, or…), making sure you play 32 bars and not 16 or 48 or whatever, and how the opening bow chord and closing bow chord are supposed to work.

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A lot of things after that ultimately come down to personal preference, experience, etc. There are various ways to make the beat hierarchy more interesting than a simple down-up-downup while keeping the tune danceable, but no One Way that I could helpfully write about here. Similarly, there are various approaches to ornamentation, improvisation, harmonization, and so forth. A lot of my early learning came from hearing an expert play something (an ornament, a musical effect, something short) and thinking, “That was cool, how do I do that myself?”. Nowadays I sometimes trust my brain to go, “Wouldn’t it be cool if you played …?”. I cannot tell you how many thousand mistakes (ahem, ‘blue notes’, or ‘overly creative musical ideas’) I’ve made and continue to make, but within reason I’ve found that dancers prefer to listen to someone who’s trying to be interesting and occasionally fails than somebody who’s too afraid of doing something wrong to do anything fun.

The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society

Junior Membership The RSCDS has recently opened a free Junior Membership for children under 12-years-old to encourage young dancers to dance Scottish. We are so pleased to have more and more branches and groups working with schools and starting classes for young dancers.

FIND OUT MORE

www.rscds.org/young-dancers info@rscds.org 0131 225 3854

The Joy of Playing Scottish Music for Dancing The Bluebell SCD Band members play and sing for classes and social dances in Japan, playing a wide variety of instruments: piano, fiddle, recorder, drums, flute, cello, and occasionally bassoon and contrabassoon. Here they share their thoughts on what attracts them to Scottish country dance music.

The Bluebell Band, Tokyo Akiko Kasama, piano and bassoon: I started playing Scottish country dance music because my aunt Masako (Marchan), a Scottish country dance teacher, asked me to play piano for a dance exam. One cassette tape of the exam music, played by Muriel Johnstone, was handed to me at that time, and led me on a long journey exploring Scottish music. Firstly, there are so many nice Scottish tunes! Scottish music is like a drug, sometimes it is difficult to stop playing until my arms are painful. The sound of chords, including the flattened 7th from the scale of the Scottish bagpipes, is so beautiful that I can see the beautiful nature of Scotland in front of my eyes when I listen to it. Some Tunes like Auld Lang Syne, Comin’ Thro’ the Rye, The Bluebells of Scotland, and Annie Laurie are so popular in Japan that they have completely different Japanese titles and words and are especially important songs for us Japanese. There is a famous old traditional Japanese song and a more modern popular song which use the same pentatonic scale as the song Loch Lomond. It’s interesting to me that Scottish composers, such as J.Oswald and R.Mackintosh composed both Scottish tunes and baroque and classical music. Several wellknown classical composers, such as Purcell, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Weber, Chopin, Debussy, Mendelssohn and many others, arranged Scottish tunes or composed quite a lot of music related to Scotland, such as Ecossaises (which means Scottish dance music). I like to devise various ways of playing to make it easier for the dancers to dance, and enjoy the different styles for accompanying country, highland, and ladies’ step dance. Sometimes it is difficult to find the right tempo to suit the dancers, but it is especially fun to create music arrangements to make dancers excited! Kana, fiddle: A friend of mine played Scottish music in Ireland and we played some wonderful reels in sessions. I didn’t know those tunes were Scottish but since then l looked up about the tunes. When I listened to beautiful Scottish slow airs and Pibroch for the first time, I was so impressed! Masayoshi, piano: I love accompaniment for dancing with a fiddle much more than a piano. A baroque dancing master used to teach dance while playing a pocket violin and there is film of a Scottish dancing master playing the fiddle while dancing steps. My job is playing the piano in classical ballet classes, but I prefer to practise ballet with the violin more than a piano! Aya, Singer: The five-tone scale (a scale without 4th and 7th) often used in traditional Scottish music is also used in many Japanese traditional and popular songs, therefore Scottish music sounds familiar to me.

Rie, flute: I was attracted by the history and freedom of the music, because Scottish music has developed as an important part of Scottish culture. By the way, keeping track of the many repeated 8-bar phrases in the music, especially if the original tune is only 16 or 24 bars long, makes accompanying Scottish country dance more complicated and difficult than classical music. Fumitaka, recorder: I play because of my wife who is a Scottish country dance pianist. I was first impressed by the playing of Muriel Johnstone and Keith Smith. Takeshi, drums: I have been playing in a ballroom dance band at social dances for many years, and I was surprised at the difference between the ballroom style of dancing in couples and the formations in Scottish dance. I think it is attractive that more people can dance together with the music in a set. Ballroom dancing is a little over two minutes per dance, and then different steps come one after another, but Scottish is one long dance! It is difficult to adjust to the speed and include expression, but it’s nice to try. Playing for jigs and reels has deepened my understanding of classical music. I find it interesting to wonder if Scottish music, when it reached the Americas, might have had a great influence on the origin of jazz in the southern United States. Akiyo, drums: I enjoy playing tunes in the Scottish tradition with their unique melodies. Scottish tunes have many varied characteristics, such as energetic tunes which make people move involuntarily, brave and strong tunes, relaxed and smooth tunes. When exciting music is being played, and I see that the dancers are happy and smiling as they dance, this gives me a lot of energy!

RSCDS, New Zealand Branch Inc Nelson Summer School 2023/24

The New Zealand Branch invites dancers to the Nelson Summer School from 28th Dec 2023 till 5th Jan 2024. Nelson is known for its golden sand beaches, local arts, crafts and galleries. It is also a popular base for nearby vineyards and the Abel Tasman National Park. For more information, contact the Organiser Doug Mills • ss2023@dancescottish.org.nz www.nelson2023-summer-school.com 28 DECEMBER 2024 to 5 JANUARY 2025

RSCDS New Zealand Branch Wellington Summer School 2024/25 Join us in Wellington • Enjoy dance and music classes for all • • Residents and commuters • • Experience Wellington’s cafes, galleries and museums • • Explore our stunning harbour and unique nature reserves • • Plus enjoy an occasional breeze to blow the cobwebs away! • Please email me if you have any queries Ann Oliver, Organiser e: ss2024@dancescottish.org.nz

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The Tuesday Social London Branch’s ‘Tuesday Social’ was developed in response to a perennial challenge affecting Scottish country dance – how to attract and keep younger dancers, drawing them into the life of the branch. We would often see dancers visiting our classes in ones and twos, feeling welcome, enjoying the class but not coming back as there were no other dancers their age. Then a few weeks later, another couple would experience the same disappointment. We needed to bring them together.

input we decided to begin a monthly session (so accessible to people who could not manage a weekly class), with a young teacher and musician. Agreed criteria included central London location, close to public transport, lots of dancing and plenty of time to socialise. Promotion was essential and we made full use of both traditional and more modern communication tools, supplementing the Branch website, emails, flyers and word of mouth with Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The ‘MeetUp’ app proved particularly effective. We also liaised with our local reel and ceilidh clubs, who were very helpful in spreading the word. St Columba’s Church, our chosen venue and home to many Scottish dance groups in London, has been wonderfully supportive. The Tuesday Social was launched in September 2022, with teacher Gill O’Dell, supported by Andrew Ferguson, and musician Adam Brady. Typically, on the fourth Tuesday of each month, dancers are welcomed from 7pm with a glass of wine or soft drink, shortbread and conversation, then dancing from 7.30-9.30pm. We have a mix of new and experienced dancers, the beginners picking up movements at a speed that put those of us of more advanced years to shame, and there is a great buzz of chat and laughter during the breaks.

We launched ‘Project 23’ – aiming to establish a regular dance session for people in their 20s and 30s in time for the RSCDS Centenary in 2023. To begin with, we invited several to a Zoom focus group and listened to what they had to say. Based on their

Daytime Dancing The Wellington Region, one of seven that make up the RSCDS New Zealand Branch, has 11 clubs, each with a management committee and at least one qualified teacher, many SCD musicians and a number of published devisers. Duncan and Mary McDonald write about their dance afternoons and hope you might be tempted visit them in Wellington for the NZ Summer School in December 2024.

The General Group. Duncan McDonald, Catherine McCutcheon, Mary McDonald, and Pat Reesby are in the centre of the front row In 2018, a Wellington Region Committee member, Gaylia Powell, recognised a need for daytime dancing in Wellington and set up the Tuesday Advanced Group. It was an immediate success. Cleverly, she placed emphasis on dancing rather than tuition, and fun over precision. She wanted dancers to dance to the best of their ability in a sociable, supportive environment and to occasionally be challenged by unusual, interesting and sometimes difficult dances. They were to enjoy putting technique and etiquette learned at club into practice with their peers.

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For some, the monthly session is enough, but a growing number now attend weekly classes and Branch dances too. We’ve been sought out by people new to London or visiting from overseas and it has been rewarding to see the interest in this session grow. We’re not yet a rival for the popular reeling or ceilidh clubs but our new dancers are already making a great contribution to the life of the Branch and, with a steady 2-3 sets per session throughout our first season, we have a lot of hope for the future. Joanne Lawrence, London Branch The Advanced Group has invited several teachers, including published devisers Iain Boyd, Gaye Collin, Rod Downey and Maureen Robson, who have used this opportunity to teach some of their own dances and try out new ones. The timing of the session allows the ‘Oldies’ with a gold card to make use of free public transport, and suits those who are averse to driving at night. The venue, a lovely church hall near a public transport hub, has been extended and will now take six sets at a push. Gaylia set the door charge at the cost of a large cup of coffee. It has remained unchanged over five years and would now buy a medium cup. With two to three sets attending, she was able to waive the door charge occasionally. Fears that the Group would draw people away from evening club dancing proved unfounded. In fact, several former dancers have become regular attendees. After a while, Gaylia realised that many attendees did not have sufficient skill to enjoy the Advanced Group, so she established a General Group to cater for intermediate level dancers. Catherine McCutcheon, who also teaches the Tawa Club, is the General Group’s regular teacher. She uses humour to create a friendly, welcoming environment and allows plenty of social interchange between dances. She does, however, teach formations when needed, and more difficult dances on upcoming annual dance programmes. Attendance, four sets on a good day, includes experienced dancers who enjoy the chance to dance more often, have more exercise and another opportunity to socialise, and are at the stage of giving back to the community that nurtured them. Pat Reesby organises the venue and the teachers, collects money, and pays teachers and musicians a small amount to offset their expenses. She makes name badges, provides a newsletter containing a review of the previous session and arranges for live music three or four times a year as well as the occasional afternoon tea. Her efforts, and the support of all the dancers, have made the General Group a great success.

A European Dancing Trip One of the remarkable achievements of the many Scottish country dance enthusiasts who moved away from Scotland has been how they took their dancing with them and started groups wherever they lived. It is astonishing how many overseas dancers have developed a fondness for Scotland through enjoying Scottish music and dance, even although they may have no ancestral link with this small country on the edge of Europe. In this article some of these dancers in Europe share their group’s stories and their optimism about the future of Scottish country dancing. Belgium Way back in the 14th and 15th centuries, at the time of the Dukes of Burgundy, the political, cultural and economic centre of northern Europe was the area known as the Low Countries and was the major trading route between the British Isles and the continent of Europe. The close relationship between the UK and what is now The Netherlands and Belgium continues to this day, and Scottish country dancers frequently crisscross the North Sea to attend each other’s events. Brussels is a very cosmopolitan city attracting many nationalities to work in its international organisations and this has been reflected in the dance group over the years: Belgian, French, Hungarian, German, Danish, Spanish, Italian, American - with the occasional token Scot! Many of our dancers’ first experience of Scottish dancing was at a ceilidh and they then decided they wanted to learn more. In 1973, Renée Campbell set up a new class in St Andrews Church, separate from the Caledonian Society, as she wanted to focus on the RSCDS principles and a wider programme of dances for both beginners and advanced. Dancing was very important to her, but the social side and the tea and biscuit break were sacrosanct, as were her mince pies at the Xmas party. She went to Summer School every year and enjoyed hosting a pre-dinner drink in her room. John Drewry wrote a dance for her, Renée Campbell’s Capers, but she never divulged what the capers were. Brussels Dance Scottish has been an affiliated RSCDS group for many years and, for those who want to spread their dancing wings and attend Summer School or other RSCDS events, we encourage them to join through the International Branch and even serve on the IB Committee!

Anne Scobie, Brussels Dance Scottish, RSCDS International Branch, Belgium

Brussels dancers dressed up for the Ball.

The Vlamms Caledonische Society (Flemish Caledonian Society) was founded in 1977 with the aim of promoting Scottish culture in Flanders. In 1978, country dance classes were organised under the supervision of George Ross, a Scot living in Brussels. A couple of years later the society became an affiliated group of the RSCDS, and now has a certificated teacher, Helena Strandberg. In the early 80s, the club started organising classes in Highland dancing and tuition in playing the bagpipes. For many years, the VCS organised an annual Scottish Fair which attracted thousands of visitors and was one of the major sponsors in a project to erect a Scottish memorial monument in Zonnebeke near Ieper in August 2007, in remembrance of the Scottish soldiers who died during the First World War.

John Wembridge, Vlamms Caledonische Society, Belgium The Netherlands

The Thistle Club Ball, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, c1980s In October 1977, in Eindhoven in The Netherlands, a few members of the folk dance club Vodawiko held an advertised, introductory evening to start a beginners’ course in Scottish country dancing. One of the members, Frans Ligtmans, had gained her Prelim teaching certificate and already taught classes in Flushing, and dancers Rik and Claire de Vroome, with Ruud and Wil van Leersum, were able to assist the six beginners who turned up. This class turned into the regular meetings of The Thistle Club. Men were in short supply, despite Frans promising a silver teaspoon to the first person who brought two new men along! We advertised in the local newspaper and supermarkets for members, but word of mouth worked best. There was quite a ‘folk rage’ in the 1970s and 80s, so the time was ripe for folk dancing, and we soon had a good-sized group. We held our first Scottish dance with Bas Broekhuizen from Epe as MC. Many friends and family were our audience, but they were encouraged to join in. During the interval, Bas gave a slideshow of Scotland and he and Anita demonstrated a few Highland dances. We organised day schools (with some Irish or Highland dancing – Bobby Watson was the first teacher), inviting a different teacher each time, and in 1980 Bas and Anita taught a day school and Frank Reid’s Band provided the music for our first Ball. Over the years, members gave demonstrations and theatre shows at Scottish events and at an annual summer folk festival. All our costumes (except most of the kilts) were designed and sewn by Frans Ligtmans. Encouraged by visiting teacher Anna Holden, Frans taught a Prelim course in 1983, teaching many young aspiring teachers, several later gaining their full certificate in St. Andrews. Since then, the club has organised many Burns night ceilidhs with more than 100 people attending, but despite the enthusiasm on the night, these ceilidhs rarely produce any new members!! Margaret Lambourne, The Thistle Club, Eindhoven, RSCDS International Branch

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had learned to dance in his hometown of Washington, D.C. When the US Army stationed him at Field Station Berlin during the Cold War, he missed the dancing and offered it as a group activity for KONTAKT, a German-American youth organization. On the first night, Angelika was there, and she later became his wife. In these 49 years Germans, British, Americans and other nationalities have all danced together, and all ages meet every Friday to enjoy their social hobby and to foster Scottish culture in Berlin.

Frans Ligtmans at the Thistle Club Ball Luxembourg Lord Mackenzie-Stuart, the first UK Judge at the Court of Justice of the European Communities, organised an evening of Scottish dancing in Luxembourg. Two hundred people turned up, of whom only six had danced before. Despite the number of novices, the event was a success. Regular evenings of Scottish dancing, leading to the formation of the Luxembourg Scottish Country Dance Club, began on Saturday 19 October 1974 at the European Communities’ Cultural Club. A team was formed to demonstrate the dances, which would then ‘snowball’ to include those present. The first St Andrew’s Night celebration was held in 1975. The programme began with three ceilidh classics but then moved on to Gramachie, Lady Catherine Bruce’s Reel and The White Cockade. Entertainment included the Great Haggis Weight-guessing Contest. Frank Reid’s Band from London provided live music for the first spring dance in 1978, and these events continue to be highlights of our dancing year. We aim to welcome in newcomers while catering for more experienced dancers and take time to socialise at the drinks break part way through the evening. Our dancers attend events held by clubs in the neighbouring countries and we are looking forward to welcoming guests to our 50th anniversary Ball in 2025. Many of us are members of the International Branch, whose Euro bank account is with the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg!

Stephanie Robertson, Luxembourg Scottish Country Dance Club, RSCDS International Branch

Berlin dancers We have given performances on many occasions: at retirement homes, village festivals and Burns Night at the Ambassador’s house. We organize Burns Night dinners with home-made haggis and dance weekends with bands from Scotland, and are looking forward to our 50th Anniversary in 2024! In the beginning, people joined us because they wanted to practice their English, they loved dancing, had an interest in Scotland, wanted to do what their friends were enjoying or all of the above. We recruited dancers by word of mouth or during our many performances at different venues. Nowadays the internet and website are very helpful in bringing new ‘feet and faces’ into the group. We have dancers among us who have been there from the beginning and some who just found us recently. We have always had dancers of all generations, all shapes and sizes, varied backgrounds, and all levels of dancing experience. The fun of doing something enjoyable together rather than perfection has been our aim. It takes a lot of personal commitment, time, strong nerves, and a good sense of humour to keep a group going! Angelika McLarren, Berlin Scottish Country Dance Society, Germany

Germany

Sunday morning Potters Pairs workshop, Oberlethe. Luxembourg Ball c.1970s Scottish country dancing knows no boundaries in Europe, and there are many clubs in Germany. The Scottish Country Dance Society of Berlin was founded in October 1974 by Christopher McLarren who

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Around 2000 via the Internet, I was amazed to discover that there were around 70 Scottish country dancing groups in Germany. I soon joined a Scottish/Irish group in our local city, Oldenburg. Shortly afterwards, the young lady who had been teaching moved

away for studies, so I offered to lead the dancing. After a few weeks of repeated requests for old favourites like Mairi’s Wedding and Postie’s Jig and the like, I commented they really didn’t need a teacher. The response showed that most wanted to learn more dances. At the time, building the family house, and business, the Monday evenings were quite a strain, but the joy that flowed gave a lot back to me. When Judith Kowalczik joined and announced she was planning to do the RSCDS teaching certificate, I decided to join her. There were some worried dancers in my group when they heard this. It seems the RSCDS had the reputation here of being the ‘Really Serious Country Dance Society’ and they feared that there would be less fun in class. But they need not have worried. I had included technique in my classes, but I tended to get bogged down in trying to see improvement! That was less fun. The certificate gave more structure to my teaching, and the skills to move the class on. The group grew. I wrote a dance Potters Pairs for my 50th birthday, and that became the group’s name. Since then, we have organized an annual weekend workshop and ball at the end of April with a minimum of four classes: advanced, intermediate, kids and musicians, with the occasional extra of Highland or step. Almost 120 dancers attended this year. For beginners we organize the occasional ceilidh and I have held regular classes in our local University sports programme. This has brought at least one new young member to the group each semester. Tobias Huenger achieved his RSCDS teachers’ certificate in 2014, and in 2017 Avril and David Quarrie joined our team, bringing with them more teaching experience than the rest of us put together. This makes it possible to split the group on occasion for beginners to work on basics or the demonstration team to practice. After Covid eased, we found a ballet hall with mirror and sprung floor available on a Monday evening. We are 35 now and feeling very welcomed as a branch of a sports club which gives us a legal status which is very comforting.

Martin McWilliam, Potters Pairs, Oldenberg, Germany Scottish Country dancing in Freiburg goes back almost fifty years. Returning from a tour of the British Isles, Herbert Lechner and his wife Sigrid brought with them Scottish dances which were then taught in their international folk dance group. Contact was soon made with Scottish dance groups already existing in Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Switzerland. The dances were such a hit that in 1978 it was decided to form a group dedicated exclusively and intensively to Scottish country dancing. The Freiburg Scottish Country Dancers were born, and an application was made to the Society to be recognised as an Affiliated Group. Some members have attended St. Andrew’s Summer School and completed the Preliminary Test and the Teacher’s Certificate. In 1980 the first ball was organised and before long the Freiburg Midwinter Ball became a popular annual event for dancers from near and far. In 1990 we danced to a band from Great Britain for the first time. In the past it had never been a problem to recruit new dancers. Popularity was spread by word of mouth, and people came via evening classes or had experienced dancing during their studies in Scotland. Nowadays there are not so many younger dancers, and the average age is higher. What has not changed, however, is the undaunted enthusiasm for an evening’s dancing followed by a happy meeting at a nearby inn. Kirsten Steinbach, Freiburg Scottish Country Dancers The Munich Scottish Association, which is affiliated to the RSCDS, began 50 years ago by accident rather than design. The then German-English Society put a ‘Scottish evening, with haggis, whisky, pipes and dancing’ on its programme, without having the slightest idea how they were going to do it. The British Council and the British Consulate rounded up any Scots they knew about

Munich Scottish Association celebrate their 50th anniversary. and put them in charge. The Consulate gave them a room to practise dancing in and the evening proved a great success. So much so that another similar evening was planned, and regular dance classes started in a school. What really enabled this to take off was that by an enormous fluke the Scots who were involved just happened to include experienced Scottish country dancers, as well as a piper. As a result, that there were already people who could teach and could offer demonstrations of Scottish dancing on public occasions such as those involving the twinning arrangement between Edinburgh and Munich. While the original programme included more social and cultural events relating to Scotland, the focus of the association gradually shifted to the dance classes and evenings. We now have two classes, one weekly for everybody and one fortnightly for more experienced dancers. Our weekend courses are held every two years, staffed by internationally known teachers and musicians. Although we no longer have teachers of Scottish origin, our teachers have been trained in St Andrews and our members attend courses elsewhere, going to Summer School and taking part in the Newcastle Festival. For some time now our own weekly class and other events have been accompanied by musicians, of whom there are six in all. We even have a teacher and three musicians who have been invited several times to teach and play at Summer School. In 2015 we became an ‘eingetragener Verein’, a registered association. This year we celebrated our 50th anniversary with a weekend course and ball; next year, at the invitation of the city of Munich, we will be organizing a ceilidh to mark the 70th anniversary of the Edinburgh-Munich partnership. Sue Bollans, Munich Scottish Association, Germany The Schwäbisch Gmünd group, originally known as ‘Tanzkreis Willberg’, was part of a wider club in Stuttgart. Founded by Karin and Hans Willberg at the end of the 1960s, they danced various international folk dances, but after meeting David Morton, a student with Scottish roots, they very soon focussed on Scottish country dances. He persuaded them to attend the St Andrews summer school for the first time in 1965. Karin Willberg was group leader and taught the classes, for which she was awarded the RSCDS Scroll of Honour and recognised by Schwäbisch Gmünd’s department of culture. The encouragement of younger members was particularly important to Hans Willberg. His engaging manner recruited many young dancers who were instilled with an enthusiasm and love for Scotland, encouraging them to reach a very high standard of dancing. The first few weekend courses in Rechberg were taught by teachers from Germany, but in 1970, Bill Hamilton from Scotland, was invited to teach. The Rechberg weekend courses then became international and a highlight of the European Scottish dance scene. In 2003, our group became the Rechberg Scottish Dancers eV, an independent club which remains active to the present day. The popular Rechberg Weekend took on a new format in 2016 and became ‘Autumn in Gamundia’, taking place in Schwäbisch

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Gmünd for the first time. The weekend was a great success and attracted dancers from afar. It will take place once again in 2024, and you are warmly invited to attend.

and now we have 5 club members with teaching diplomas. We currently have 80 members, with an average age of between 30 and 40, but with an age range from the under-20s to over-70s.

Ute Scherrenbacher, Rechberg Scottish Dancers, Germany

There is still an extensive folk dance scene in Hungary, with mostly Hungarian traditional dances; many people try out a wide variety of folk dances and each group tries to attract an audience. Scottish dance is successful because of its communal nature (set dances), its excellent music, its constantly changing dance partners and, last but not least, its varied formations, which require a team that can build and sustain a community where newcomers feel comfortable from the first moment. Scottish dance in Hungary remains vibrant with a continual arrival of young dancers. At the very beginning we set up rules ensuring the inclusion of all levels of dancers. Every month we hold a ‘dance house’ with live music where anyone can join in (tickets at the door). Any enthusiastic dancers get invited to join the beginner classes, which start in September and those who ‘pass’ can participate in Tuesday classes for improvers, then more advanced Thursday classes. Some join the demo team. (There are many Budapest videos on social media). The Budapest Scottish Dance Club celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Happy Silver Anniversary BSTK! Gábor Turi, Budapest Skót Tánc Klub, Hungary

Hungary

Budapest Skót Tánc Klub at their weekend workshop Ball, 2001 What attracts Hungarians to Scottish country dancing? Read our story and decide! In the 1980s the Scottish dance scene in Hungary was very patchy, based on a few people’s Scottish or ceilidh visits. As far as we remember, the first point of attraction was a band called MÉZ, formed in 1988, which played mostly Irish pub music. During breaks between concerts the enthusiastic youth would try out various ceilidh dances to Irish jigs and reels. From 1990 onwards, it became a weekly dance event with musical concert interlude. Not long after then, the naive but enthusiastic ‘teacher’ team first got their hands on an RSCDS publication, complete with a cassette. This became a vital part of the club’s life: the content included strathspey music and dances, unlike any Irish pub music! We also came across the address of the RSCDS. A snail-mail letter was sent to let them know about us and to say that we would be grateful for any help they could give us (for example, could someone explain what strathspey is?). A few months later we received a reply informing us that the nearest RSCDS Branch was in Vienna and giving us Susi Mayr’s contact details. Susi immediately took the Hungarian dancers ‘under her wing’, inviting us to their international weekend in Vienna. Little did she know what she had undertaken. Some kilt-less Hungarian dancers saw for the first time some real Scottish dancing and the strange strathspey.

Portugal

Lisbon Ceilidh, June 2023 SCD is alive and well in Lisbon, 70 years after it all started, being represented by no less than three groups! The first group was founded in the 1950s by Helen Davidson, the Scottish Minister’s wife, and danced in the Church Hall. It then changed venues a few times before finally settling in the Estoril coast area to the west of Lisbon, where it became RSCDS affiliated under the grand name, ‘The Scottish Country Dance Group of Portugal’. According to Jane Fernandes, the Scottish-born leader of the group at the time, this was encouraged by Lesley Martin’s RSCDS-sponsored visit to Spain and Portugal. Despite ups and downs, and continuing to change venues, the group never disappeared and is currently affiliated to the RSCDS

The monthly Dance House evening in Budapest This great event allowed us to make personal contact with many people, and the most intensive development phase of Scottish dance life in Hungary really began. We became an official association, Budapest Skót Tánc Klub, affiliated to the RSCDS, and started to organise European trips of Hungarian dancers, to gain experience and make new friendships. We organised our first international dance weekend in 1999, and we have had an international weekend in Budapest every other year since then. Our first fully certificated RSCDS teacher graduated in 2001,

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Phill Jones and the Lisbon Musicians

Remarkably, in 2012 a third venue became available. By this time, two talented members of the ART group, Joana Gomes Ferreira and Isabel Monteiro, were well on their way to becoming teachers and so this was the perfect opportunity for them to start their own group. The new venue, was, appropriately enough, the Scottish Church where everything had started back in the 1950s! The Church Hall had been restored and the Minister was looking for occupants, as it were, and so a third Lisbon SCD group was born, the Lisbon (Lapa) Scottish Country Dance group, which has gone from strength to strength and became affiliated in 2022. The Lapa and Telheiras groups worked together to organise two weekend music courses in 2014 and 2016 (led by Mara Shea and Dean Herington) and a music workshop in 2022 (led by Phill Jones), allowing us to achieve our dream of having live music by local musicians.

Roger calling for an open air ceilidh under the name The Lisbon (Carcavelos) group, named for its penultimate location. It now dances in São João do Estoril in a hall owned by a residents’ association, which has undoubtedly helped attract new members from the local community. Meanwhile several overseas dancers have been with the group for many years, including Barbara Gray, the group’s principal teacher. Roger Picken and his wife Sue Willdig started dancing with the original group in 1989 and were introduced to Scottish country dancing at the annual Iberian dance weekends, which began in 1994. Roger was so inspired by these, and visits to Summer School, that he worked hard to become a fully qualified teacher.. A second group, the Grupo de Dança Escocesa da ART (Associação de Residentes de Telheiras -Telheiras Residents’Association), was made possible due to the efforts of Filomena Luís, a keen dancer and member of ART, located in North Lisbon. She persuaded them to offer their tiny headquarters as an initial venue and hand out sufficient publicity to ensure a successful launch. Unlike the original group, whose members remained mostly international for many years, the new group was virtually 100% Portuguese. Again, getting better venues proved to be problematic, but in 2007 a neighbouring parish council, Carnide, came up with a very good (and free!) room for the group, following a successful dem and ceilidh at one of their events. Since then, the group has participated in numerous council events, as well as ART events, and Roger and Sue have given workshops at local and national festivals. Retaining the connection to ART allowed the group to get access to a second venue from 2017, and this has been used to hold beginner classes as well as ceilidhs. All these events, plus a detailed website, and an active presence on Facebook, have helped to publicize and expand the group, along with the traditional methods of word-of-mouth and paper posters. RSCDS membership has been encouraged by persuading people to go to Summer School.

The three groups in the Lisbon area have their main classes on different days, and so it is possible to dance three times a week during the dancing season, and a handful of dancers do in fact do this. The groups all take a summer break, but the pandemic led to a search for places to dance outdoors, and one of the best was a holiday camp near the beach in the Sintra area, discovered by maths teacher Isabel Neves. Isabel had already gained a lot of experience teaching SCD to young people at her school, and her ‘seaside’ classes have now become a regular summer activity. Portuguese people love all kinds of dancing and so perhaps it is not surprising that SCD has taken root in Lisbon given the discovery of some good venues, the emergence of some excellent teachers, and the publicity options opened up by the internet. The upshot is that there are now enough local dancers to hold successful events such as the March Weekend in Lisbon (2022) even at a time when the pandemic was still affecting travelling. The 2024 Iberian Weekend will be in Portugal (in Évora, about 130 km east of Lisbon), and promises to be chock-a-block with enthusiastic dancers Roger Picken, Lisbon, RSCDS International Branch

RSCDS LEEDS BRANCH 68TH ANNUAL

... of Scottish Country Dancing Saturday 13th July 2024, from 1.30pm Evening Dance, 7pm - 10.30pm (Everyone welcome) Gateways School, Harewood, Leeds LS17 9LE Massed General Dancing Demonstration Groups Highland & Scottish Step Dancing Children’s Groups Evening Dance We welcome full teams of 8-10, but can make arrangements for smaller groups or individuals

Music throughout by Ewan Galloway and his Scottish Dance Band

Full details from the website whiterosefestival.uk Lapa Scottish Dance Group, Lisbõa, Portugal

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Pondering TAC Summer School in Nova Scotia more experienced benefit as well as beginners. d) Encourage those who aspire to become the next teacher. I note how successful the Spring Fling events for those aged under 35 and younger have been in getting young dancers together.

David Wasson attended the Teachers’ Conference Weekend and Summer School of TAC (Teachers’ Association of Canada) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Rather than write a summary of the rigorous and happy nine days of dancing, he shares the personal thoughts that preoccupied him then and still do. First, I was impressed, in truth stunned, by the austerity of the after-parties—no wine, no whisky, no ale allowed at Kings College in open spaces. I really wondered how I would, without a glass of wine, unwind and ease the pain after dancing hard at night. To my surprise I managed with bare potato chips, Ibuprofen and going to bed early, and got up early, fresher than typical, for challenge classes at 9am in the morning. I left the first after-party concerned the week was setting up to be really severe. Instead, I relearned what I had forgotten - that if you have to choose between the two, dancing is far better than drinking, especially with a cast of extraordinary musicians, teachers, dancers and classes that bring out our best dancing. The second thing that struck me as I looked around the dance floor was how old we are, collectively, and how close Scottish dance is in age profile to other ethnic dance groups I know—Irish, English, Scandinavian, Greek, Polish. All are close to fading out. As many others have expressed, I feel alarmed but confident that Scottish has the vitality and the time yet to rebuild its ranks. But how? Throughout the week I thought about what I could do to recruit younger people to my home group. a) Keep encouraging young dancers with a drive to learn steps and formations. b) Be clear that Scottish dance can be more than an exercise class; it can aspire to high performance standards. c) Allocate teaching time wisely so the

On the matter of inclusiveness, I thought a lot about the workshop led by Ron Wallace during the Teachers’ Conference. We had talked about gender and using gender-neutral terms like lark and robin to replace referring to men and women in giving dance instructions. We also discussed ways to teach figures saying, for example, first diagonals change by the right, instead of 1st man and 3rd woman. We broke into smaller groups and practiced briefing dances without using man and woman. We noted that ladies’ chain could be called a right-hand chain and mens’ chain, a left-hand chain. As the week unfolded, though, I noticed the teachers pretty much used the familiar terms - man, woman, woman’s side, man’s side. I suspect it’s going to be hard to remove man and woman from our dance vocabulary. What is changing is the ease with which men dance on the woman’s side and dance with each other. As a new teacher, I plan to dance on the woman’s side to learn how to better teach the allemande and tournée. Moreover, if I can watch or partner another man who dances well, that more clearly imprints a picture of the dance form that I aim to reproduce, in some measure, in my own dancing. I began to wonder what the difference was, if any, between dancing J.B. Milne with a woman and a man, both equally excellent dancers? I’m not sure, but I think if I see another man dance with style for all 64 bars of music, I’m driven harder to try to achieve the same and to get really serious about the hop missing from my strathspey.

Summer School in Canada! July 28 – August 4, 2024

SAVE THE DATE

Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario Only 20 Minutes from Niagara Falls and 1 hour from Toronto

Welcoming, supportive classes t for for dancers of all levels s u j Not chers! basic | intermediate | advanced tea

Registration opens March 1, 2024 For more information: tac-rscds.org Sponsored by Scottish Country Dance Teachers’ Association (Canada)

The RSCDS and TAC summer schools virtually linked up to dance simultaneously on 1st August.

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Don’t Wait 50 Years for Your Gold Star in St Andrews Ruth Davies travelled north wondering if she was a good enough dancer to attend the RSCDS Summer School.

Dancing in the Common Room, St Andrews Being a first timer at Summer School in St Andrews, my name badge had a Gold Star, so people looked out for me and made sure I found my way around. There was also a special introductory social event. I was immediately struck by the friendliness of everyone and the wide range of nationalities – at least eight European countries were represented plus North America, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. “Why hadn’t I been before?”, people would ask. I had mistakenly been concerned about my level of dancing. Those I knew who had been to St Andrews from my local group were very good dancers and I hadn’t realised there were classes for beginners and intermediates. I have now met people who attended Summer School very soon after starting Scottish Country Dancing and they believe it cemented their love of the dancing as well as making sure their footwork was good from the outset. In previous years, I had family commitments and limited holiday time off work, but children grow up, circumstances change, and new opportunities arise.

I loved it, the classes were excellent, and as is the way of St Andrews, we had two different teachers in two different venues. We were a mix of ages and nationalities, we laughed and learnt; it was taxing on the legs, feet and head and we all suffered from brain fog at times, but I’m sure we improved. My class started the week in Younger Hall. People had talked about the floor, and it was lovely to dance on although if you were a standing couple, it was initially disconcerting to be bounced up and down by everyone else! After three days we moved venue to the Town Hall with its amazing ceiling. It is newly painted with St Andrew’s Crosses, thistles, roses, and other emblems with initials. I need to find out more and explore St Andrews further. Being Families and Youth week, the age range was huge, from about 5 to some in their 80s, I would imagine. At the ceilidh, some of the children, to rapturous applause, showed us what they had learnt, and at the evening dances there were those, not in their first flush of youth, who were obviously still enjoying Scottish Country Dancing, dancing and helping younger, less experienced ones through the dances. What else had I misunderstood? The dress code for Saturday was party dresses not ball gowns – St Andrews has plenty of shops for dresses, new and pre-loved. Cinderella went to the party suitably clad. I attended on my own but was never lonely. I recognised some faces, but everyone was friendly, and we shared a common interest. There was so much to do: classes took up the mornings and then there were walk-throughs for the evening and the opportunity to learn Step or Highland for Scottish Country Dancing in the afternoon. The latter had me in a ceilidh item, I’m not quite sure how! And then we danced almost every evening. I’m hooked, and wondering when I can sign up for next year?

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A Tale of Two Spring Flings Not just one, but two Spring Flings to celebrate the RSCDS Centenary Year: Rebecca Woods danced in Edinburgh, and Bethany Wright participated in Toronto

Edinburgh Spring Fling Fun Spring Fling in Edinburgh kicked off with an evening of dancing to the music of Ewan Galloway’s Scottish dance band. Being the centenary year for the RSCDS, we commenced with The Jubilee Jig, which was followed by a lovely programme including both familiar and new (at least to me) dances before ending with The Deil Amang the Tailors. On Saturday morning, Abigail Brown, Alasdair Gray and Deb Lees each taught two classes, so we all got to learn from two teachers and enjoy the music of two of the three musicians: Susan MacFadyen, Shona MacFadyen and Ewan Galloway. After a mostly sunny lunch break, we had a choice of three different classes - Scottish step dance, Around the world with Unusual Formations, or Highland steps for SCD. I had great fun trying (and failing) to master high cuts.

by playing consequences and doing a dance after hearing only 8 bars of the original tune. Then a final lunch together before heading home to catch up on a weekend’s worth of missed sleep. Rebecca Woods, Dundee Branch

The First Shall be Last: Toronto 2023 With my 36th birthday looming, I knew my first Spring Fling might also be my last. Carpe dancem, I thought, for tomorrow ye shall be Fringe. York University’s Glendon campus was beautiful and park-like, with birdsong accompanying us on our slow march up and down the many stairs to

Everyone dressed up to the nines for the evening ball, and I was very impressed by the number of dancers who embraced the theme of the Roaring 20’s with strings of beads, feather boas, fringe, sequins galore and opera gloves. After a wine reception and a slice of centenary cake, we danced away to the wonderful music of Jim Lindsay’s Scottish dance band. It was a great chance to dance with friends attending Spring Fling as well as those from other classes and some from university classes who have since moved away. For those of us who still had energy on the Sunday morning, we had an SCD challenge. After a quick round-the-room warm-up dance we were put into teams and had to compete in various challenges including doing a dance backwards, devising dances

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Springy Fling steps in Toronto

and from the dance. The fabulous teachers stretched our feet and brains. Fiona Mackie kept us alert Saturday morning with 18th century dances (half-way on bar 5!). Linda Henderson provided memorable moments with ‘stuffing the sausage’ in the Ceilidh class and the ‘mousehole’ figure in the combined class. With an ironic twist (or twirl, rather), Gavin Keachie had us dancing like nonagenarians on Sunday morning. The musicians gave us the lift we needed to carry on through more than 50 dances (plus reprises) over the weekend. Saturday’s ball programme kept us on our toes, but it was hard to resist moving to the sevenpiece band including Laird Brown, Donny Wood, Mara Shea, and Don Bartlett and the Scottish Heirs. Just when it felt our feet could no longer function after Sunday morning’s class, Don and Mara played one final polka we couldn’t resist before bidding farewell to new and old friends. The youthful energy on the dance floor was palpable and promising. After a slow restart following the pandemic, what a pleasure it was to reconnect with the joy and exuberance of dancing together! It was an honour to serve on the Toronto Spring Fling committee, who worked together seamlessly to bring this event to fruition. I sincerely hope the global RSCDS community continues to invest in the next generation of Scottish country dancers. Keep it up, Youth Committee! Bethany Wright RSCDS Buffalo Branch

Morison’s Bush: dancing at your own risk. It would be a very large-scale map of New Zealand that has Morison’s Bush marked on it – so why does it have a book of dances named after it? For country dancers in the Wellington, Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay area it was for many years the centre of social life. Dances there were not to be missed. It all began in 1953. Before then there had been country dancing clubs in many parts of the country, most of which had started as the dancing circles of local Scottish Societies, and none of which had much relationship with each other. Some far-sighted dancers in the Wellington and Hawkes Bay areas suggested getting together and forming an association. Mr and Mrs L J Coe had arranged dances at Morison’s Bush in 1952 and there, in October 1953, a meeting was held, an association formed, and a tradition begun. Morison’s Bush was one of the earliest outposts in the Wairarapa, taking its name from Duncan Morrison who settled there in 1856. It was an isolated place connected by a coach service to Wellington over the steep mountain range of the Pimutakas, but travel by car made light of the miles and mountains, and dancers came from north and south. ‘Coming home with the milk’ early in the morning after dancing was often a reality in those days. For some years the Wellington/Hawkes Bay Association of Scottish country dancing clubs held two or three dances a year, and each club was asked to provide a demonstration. Remarkably, the hall stood up to the dancing, although a notice on the inside of the door which dancers read as they left said Persons using this hall do so at their own risk! Originally built for the military camp during World War II, the ladies’ cloakroom was still labelled Officers, the gentlemen’s Other Ranks, and the supper room Chaplain.

Dancing at Morisons Bush (Photo Fordyce Family) even grandchildren of former members. The family feeling fostered in the early days has continued and is one of the real strengths of the clubs today. To celebrate the RSCDS Centenary this year, a lively crowd of close to 60 dancers gathered in Wellington on 29 April for an afternoon of trying out dances from the past. Four long-time tutors from the RSCDS New Zealand Branch Wellington Region (Iain Boyd, Romaine Butterfield, Edith Campbell and Elaine Laidlaw) taught dances from the early days of Scottish

country dancing in the lower North Island. The Cranberry Tarts, Aileen Logie and Hilary Ferral, provided music from the original tunes and arrangements used by wellknown Wellington musician, the late Peter Elmes. Dances included Mirth’s Welcome, Govandale Reel, Joy Be Wi’ You, Feshiebridge and Kelburn’s Reel from The Morison’s Bush Collection, which was published in 1978 to mark the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the Wellington/Hawke’s Bay Association of Scottish Country Dance Clubs.

Rod Downey and Loralee Hyde NZ branch

Another highlight of those early days was the formation of the first local country dancing band. This was organised by the energetic and ever-enthusiastic Jack Seton from among Hawes Bay musicians. Jack’s own performance on the drums was much appreciated, and in addition to live performances the band had several 45 rpm records to its credit. The popular dance Seton’s Ceilidh Band was written by Bruce Fordyce, a young piper who was invited by Jack to play at dances. With Jack, Nancy Baxter and Shirley Child, Bruce ran the first New Zealand summer school at Napier Boys’ High School in 1954-55. At the third summer school the New Zealand Society was officially born, and the Wellington/ Hawkes Bay Association became an affiliated organisation. It is interesting to see the number of dancers today who are the children and

Dancing ‘Feshiebridge’ from The Morison’s Bush Collection

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Dancing around the World All branches and affiliated groups are invited to send in their news (under 200 words and photos over 500kB please) to Caroline Brockbank caroline@ceilidhkids.com

Banffshire Branch Our centenary celebrations started in April with the first of three ‘Classes with a Difference’, led by Alice Archibald. The theme was John Drewry’s formations: La Baratte, Set and Rotate, Half Turn and Twirl and more. Our second ‘Class with a Difference’, and AGM, was held in Portsoy, to Frank Thomson’s music. The programme was based on the Dances through the Decades. Life Members John Grant and Dr Anne McArthur cut the cake at the start of the afternoon. Following the AGM, at which Gary Coull officiated, we welcomed Mr Vinay Ruparelia, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire, who presented a letter from Buckingham Palace appreciating our event to celebrate the Coronation. As the Church Centre was also providing refreshments for the Coronation celebrations, people could watch the dancing from the back of the hall and joined in some ceilidh dances. All too soon we were singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Our final ‘Class with a Difference’ was led by Isobel Turner and Anne Taylor in the Spey Bay Hall. The theme was ‘Progressions’. Isobel and Anne chose unusual progressions, including the Triumph poussette, the rose progression and the promenade pass. Although the dances were challenging, everyone took something away from the event.! Linda Thomas

Belfast Branch Roaring Twenties

available in the afternoons. Barbara McOwen reviewed Scottish music history and styles. Joyce Chase provided high tea, complete with formal place settings, delicious finger foods, tea, and even a few ladies’ fascinators. Caroline Freeman of South Carolina organized the first ‘Blue Ridge Olympics.’ Luke Brady discussed the then forthcoming Book 53 and the selection process. The Ceilidh on Wednesday displayed a range of talents. Dancing was held every evening in the new Grandview Ballroom with views of the Blue Ridge mountains. The school was launched in 2022 with support from the Atlanta and Carolinas Branches. It succeeds the Thistle School of SCD, led by Duard and Betty Lee Barnes for 39 years until 2019. More details of the next one at www.blueridgesds.org.

Cynthia West

Bournemouth Branch

Belfast Branch celebrated the RSCDS Centenary by holding a ‘Roaring Twenties’ themed dance. Music was provided by the Alastair Scot Ceilidh Band, and dances included references to places and people significant to the Society’s history. Attendees enjoyed putting on their glad rags, with lots of beaded headbands and fringed frocks being shown off. Everyone joined in singing ‘Happy Birthday Dear Society’ before enjoying tea with a special bun at the interval. During the evening a Branch award was presented to Evelyn Redmond, in recognition of the significant contribution she has made to the Branch, and for her dedication to Scottish country dancing, upholding and demonstrating its highest standards and values.

Linda Harley

Blue Ridge Scottish Dance School More than 80 dancers, from 15 states, Canada and Scotland, converged on the Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina on July 2-8 for the second annual Blue Ridge Scottish Dance School. The week featured instruction by Robert McOwen (Massachusetts) and Andrew Nolan (Scotland) with music by Luke Brady (Scotland), Julie Gorka (North Carolina), and Mara Shea (North Carolina). Morning dance workshops were divided into high impact, low impact, and developmental. A variety of activities were

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On Saturday 17 June, Bournemouth Branch held their Summer Dance, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the RSCDS. It was a lively afternoon, helped considerably by Chris and Anne of the Strathallan Band playing exhilarating sets of tunes. The atmosphere was zinging. Five of our new dancers, attending their first function, commented that it was an amazing experience, and they coped really well with the programme. One of our Committee produced a lovely cake, suitably decorated for the occasion. Marilyn Watson, our chairperson, was the MC, giving short recaps to aid those in need. She was joined by our Branch Secretary, Margaret Robson, for the ceremonial cutting of the cake and a short speech praising the RSCDS for achieving so many years. All in all, a superb afternoon.

Marilyn Watson and Margaret Robson

Duns and District Branch Miss Margaret Rae, known as Daisy, the founder of the Duns and District Branch, featured prominently during the dinner and Ball at the 67th Annual May Weekend. The Branch was started in 1953, three years after Daisy had started classes in Duns. Jimmy Mitchell, our much-missed former Branch Chairman, used to tell that while playing accordion for dancing after the first AGM in 1954, Miss Rae had said quietly to him, ‘You’re four bars oot!’ She was his former maths teacher at Berwickshire High School! This year, Society Chairman William Williamson, a regular visitor to the May Weekend, was guest teacher. In his speech he told of the negotiations

the Hartlepool Caledonian Society for many years, as well as at Great Ayton. At its peak there were 40 in his class, and over 100 at the half dozen social dances he held annually. His prodigious memory for dances, recordings, tunes and bands has enriched many and although his general health has waned, his memory and enthusiasm have not. As Trevor celebrates his 90th birthday at the end of August, we as a club thank him for his excellent leadership.

David Hall

Kyiv Celtic Dance School Lugnasad, Kyiv, Ukraine

Julie Grainger, William Williamson and Margaret Waddell cutting the Duns and District Branch 70th Anniversary cake. between the Branch and Coates Crescent on the design of the silver Chairman’s Chain, donated to the Society in 1969 by Duns and District Branch to carry the Chairman’s medallion. Daisy was forthright in her correspondence, insisting on her own way with the design! We danced Salute to Margaret Rae, a strathspey devised and composed by Margaret Waddell who together with Julie Grainger, our Chair, and William Williamson, cut our 70th Anniversary cake.

Rhona Burchick

Forfar Branch

Congratulations on the Centenary! Scottish dancing has been an immensely inspiring and joyful part of my life and those of my fellow dancers here in Ukraine. I hold dear the unique and happy memories of visiting Scotland with my dance friends in 2009, 2012 and 2014, attending Summer School as a dancer and then a candidate teacher. Being regularly shelled at and bombed, with some of the members of our small group having fled to other countries, we struggle to run regular classes. It’s only recently that we began gathering again once a week or so with those who stayed and could attend for a few dances. And it feels just great to be dancing (and teaching) again! Although I am not sure if it will be possible to continue this way, and for how long. Here is a photo we took before our outdoor class on the banks of the Dnipro River in Kyiv. We are few, but we are still here and alive, dancing as we can! Thank you for your support.

Anastasiia Gavryliuk

London Ontario - Celebrating 60 years

Past and present members of Forfar Branch, photo David Cumming The Forfar Branch celebrated their 70th Anniversary on a Sunday afternoon in May with a cream tea. It was a very successful and happy event with many current and past members and teachers attending. There was a lot of chat and fun as people met up with dancing friends, some of whom had not seen each other for many years. The special cake was cut by two of the first members from 1953, Mary Craib and Edna Glennie. Mary gave an interesting and amusing talk about her memories of Scottish country dancing over the years, both in Forfar and around Scotland. Lorna Valentine, our teacher, took us through a few dances to end the afternoon, which were enjoyed by all, whether dancing or watching. We certainly had a lovely time of Fun, Fitness and Friendship.

Susie Greaves

Great Ayton SCD Club - An Appreciation of Trevor Trevor Stephenson has just retired from teaching the Great Ayton SCD Club after 59 years. He started dancing in 1956 and met his wife Pam at a class in Stockton, where they were part of the demonstration team for many years. He became an RSCDS teacher in 1964, being examined by Miss Milligan. He and Pam became RSCDS life members in 1967. Trevor taught at

On 17 June, the London (Canada) Branch hosted a party to celebrate our beloved teacher, Marie McLennan, and her remarkable teaching career spanning sixty years. Many out-of-towners and Marie’s Hamilton Road Seniors Centre dance group joined our members for an afternoon of favourite dances (program approved London Branch Chair Catherine by Marie, of course!) with Shaw (right) presents a certificate to lively music provided by Marie McLennan to commemorate Laird Brown. During the her 60 years of teaching Scottish intermission, there were country dancing several tributes: Dorothy Sample offered special memories of the early days of the Branch; a personal message from William Williamson, Chairman of the RSCDS; and a framed commemorative certificate along with a bouquet of flowers. A demonstration team performed a newly devised dance, Marie McLennan’s Triumph, with nods to two of her favourite dances, The Triumph and Mairi’s Wedding, and a special tune composed by Laird for the occasion. Framed copies of both the dance instructions and the tune were presented to her. Then everyone enjoyed the delicious refreshments before returning to the second half of the program. Linda Cousins

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Los Angeles area celebrates the RSCDS Centennial

More than forty Southern California dancers gathered on a sunny Sunday afternoon, 23 April, to celebrate the RSCDS Centennial (American word for centenary) at the El Segundo Women’s Club. Its historic milieu, not to mention good floor, was particularly wellsuited for this event, and some of the attendees were in 1920s or other period dress. The buffet and decorations organized by Los Angeles Branch vice-chair Kris McGinnis were splendid! The dance program, primarily drawn from the Branch’s annual list of dances, did though include three of the dances suggested for the worldwide hundred-year celebrations: Flowers of Edinburgh to represent the 1920s when the RSCDS was founded, Neidpath Castle to represent the 1960s, perhaps the earliest dancing for some in attendance, and Farewell to Balfour Road to represent the RSCDS of the 21st century.

Robb Quint

Madison Scottish Country Dancers - Midwest Scottish weekend

Heather Haylock, aged 102, founding member of the Banks Peninsula SCD club same week several dancers from various Canterbury clubs joined together to dance for Heather Haylock. Heather was a founding member of the Banks Peninsula SCD Club, and in her 102nd year still had her knees tapping as we danced Ecclefechan Feline, Maxwell’s Rant and City of Belfast. Her parting shot to me was ‘Keep dancing!’ Special thanks to Lorraine and Ray, Robyn, Joan, Caroline, Joy Haylock (Heather’s daughter-in-law) and Pam Fisher, (Heather’s niece), also Virginia Wigram. Pam and Joy decided to start Scottish country dancing on seeing how fit Heather was at her 90th birthday. So a very special week of dancing.

Alison Ruddenklau

Orange County (California) Branch

Here is an ‘it’s-a-small-world’ story regarding three attendees at the Midwest Scottish Weekend (MSW) in Ripon, Wisconsin this June. At St. Andrews in 2022, Saskia, an exquisite dancer from Cambridge, was a unit 2-3 candidate when she met Rebecca, from Milwaukee, who was a unit 5 candidate. They became acquainted when the classes connected a few times, and Saskia stood out as an extraordinary dancer in the evening dances. Later Milwaukeean Shelby met Saskia at Toronto’s Spring Fling. People encouraged Shelby to connect with Saskia because she was coming to Madison, Wisconsin for work. The week before MSW, Shelby and Saskia both came to Madison’s class; Rebecca was teaching. There was much surprise, connection, and encouragement for Saskia to attend the MSW. Saskia, from Cambridge, Shelby, on break from her marine biologist duties, and Rebecca all enjoyed re-establishing friendship and enhanced the weekend for all.!

Diana Hankes

New Zealand - Dancing Through the Ages This week, dancers at Akaroa and Little River SCD group were joined by a little girl, Naclys, who loves dancing, with her dad Sebastien. We danced The Virginia Reel, with Naclys being danced around on occasion. We hope to see them again as they live very near the hall. The Akaroa and Little River group is now in hibernation until August, as Alison is away to dance overseas – again! (One of the joys of having a northern hemisphere-based family.) The

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The Orange County (California) Branch recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and the RSCDS Centenary with a supper and ball, attended by dancers from all over Southern California, Washington, Colorado and Germany. As part of the celebration, Branch awards were given to past chair Jan Lauer, who served for 13 years, and teachers Bob Patterson and Renee Boblette, who taught wellattended classes for over 30 years. We enjoyed appetizers, wine, and a buffet supper, and then danced to the fabulous music of pianist Patti Cobb and fiddler James MacQueen. As it was King Charles’ coronation day, we raised our glasses in a toast, followed by dancing a new dance, King’s Coronation. Southern California will also be celebrating the Centenary at our annual Interbranch Dance, put on by the Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and San Gabriel Valley Branches, on September 30, 2023, where we will dance to the music of Andy Imbrie and Judi Nicolson.

Terri Speakman

San Francisco Branch

Stockholm Branch To celebrate this jubilee year the Stockholm Branch arranged its third Weekend Course and Summer Ball in June. We engaged Deb Lees as teacher, accompanied by Roger Malton on fiddle. When the dancers gathered on the Friday evening for a delicious buffet followed by social dancing the international aspect of SCD was obvious. Old friends from Scandinavia, Balticum, Germany and Scotland came together as if no time at all had passed since we last saw each other. On the Saturday morning, Deb, supported by Roger´s music, got the class going, bringing the dancers the joy and happiness we all know from SCD. Deb had chosen many good dances, reflecting lots of aspects of dancing technique. For the Ball itself we enjoyed live music by a pianist and two fiddlers (Roger being one), several times joined by Deb on the whistle. The inspiring music in combination with Deb’s well-composed dance programme made the evening very special for all participants. After another instructive class on Sunday morning, the dance weekend finished after lunch, leaving everybody perhaps a bit tired, but with many new and happy memories. Agne Hanson

The San Francisco Branch celebrated the Society’s 100 years by hosting a Centenary Ball in the heart of Silicon Valley. On April 1st, over 100 Branch members seized the opportunity to dress up and dance the Centennial Ball program in Palo Alto’s historic Lucie Stern Community Center’s ballroom. Led by Marshals John and Jennifer Kelly, dancers proceeded with a Grand March into the Center’s Spanish style ballroom. Andy Imbrie, Janet Kurnick and Caroline McCaskey provided wonderful music that kept dancers’ feet moving and brought out smiles all night. During the evening, Scroll of Honor recipients associated with the Branch were recognized. Kathleen McAdam, John and Jennifer Kelly, and Ron Wallace were all in attendance. Other Scroll recipients associated with the Branch: Robert Mackay, David and Avril Quarrie and Marjorie McLaughlin were also named and acknowledged. The entire evening was truly a fabulous event, and a wonderful celebration of Scottish music, dance and of course, the Society.

Tokai 25th Anniversary Events and Other Activities

South Wales Branch

One of the few benefits of lockdown has been that everyone is delighted to get out of it! Despite some initial nervousness, dancers in South Wales have generally been thrilled to resume. We even have 14 of our Branch members at Summer School this year, about a third of our total membership. Events this year have included our annual Ball and our regular June Festival (which would have been in the open air if it hadn’t rained the night before). George Meikle regaled us with great tunes, including surprising us all and causing great hilarity when for one of our demonstration dances, Snowball Reel, in our set of ‘Four Seasons’ he went into a rendition of Jingle Bells! A new venture this spring, ‘Kilts and Posh Frocks’ had the aim of encouraging dancers who are somewhat intimidated by the format of the Ball, but who would like to have the chance to glam up and dance to live music. Because our Branch is so far-flung, we put on two parallel evenings, one in West Wales and another in Cardiff. Although attendances remained modest, the events were much acclaimed. We are planning to repeat them in 2024.

Alison Jackson

This year is the 25th anniversary of Tokai Branch: we completed events prepared under the clouds of the pandemic. In March, with cherry flowers blooming, we had a weekend camp in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, inviting Helen Russell. 114 dancers participated, including those from abroad. Helen brought our 25th Anniversary certificate from Coates Crescent, which was printed in the anniversary booklet. We had a class, ceilidh, and social; at the ceilidh, we dressed Helen in a graceful flower-patterned orange kimono; she looked so beautiful! The fun included the demonstration of a reverse version of Mamie’s Jig with people dancing backward as in a reversed video tape. Two days later, we had an anniversary party in Tokyo with Akiko Kasama and Kana Otake playing. We also published a book and CD. From 25 dances submitted by Branch members, 12 were selected. The music was played by the Bluebell SCD Trio; Akiko, Kana, and Fumitaka Saito. The cover shows Mt. Fuji and sakura (cherry flowers). We printed clothing with the anniversary logo, and a booklet with messages from previous chairpersons, teachers, and friends worldwide. Stories surrounding the founding of the Branch and its timeline are of historical value. We also had an online meeting with younger members, discussing the future of our Branch.

Fumiko Komiya

Toronto Branch - Don’t Stop Dancing at 100 Ella Allison was born in Glasgow on 3 April 1923, the year the RSCDS was formed. She celebrated her 100th birthday on 1 April with over 60 family members and dancers at Newmarket Veterans’ Association Hall. She was presented with tributes from numerous dignitaries, including John Taylor, Mayor of Newmarket, Justin Trudeau, and King Charles. Donald and

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Marian Holmes presented her with a photo memoir chronicling highlights of their common dance experiences over the last half century. A Highland dance competitor in 1930s Glasgow, Ella chose three dances to be performed by senior Highland dancers, all of whom started dancing with her in her basement when she lived in Willowdale, Ontario. The Tartan Medley, choreographed by her daughter, Highland champion Carolyn MacMillan, The Earl of Errol, and Scotland The Brave. Still dancing, and walking without a cane, Ella participated in The Slosh, The Gay Gordons, a waltz, and line dances. On 4 May, a tea dance was held in her honour at Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church. Ella danced Bonnie Stronshiray, Blooms of Bon Accord, and Shiftin’ Bobbins. Ella danced regularly at Newtonbrook United Church, and for over a decade choreographed and performed in the Seniors’ Jubilee for audiences of thousands. Doing puzzles and walking are her secrets to living long. Congratulations Ella!

The group has members who belong to the nearby Bingham Methodist Church. The Church fundraises for its chosen Charity AllWeCan and asked the dance group to help. This year we organised a taster session on a Saturday afternoon and then a dance in the evening for experienced dancers. The Church provided cream teas in the afternoon and a buffet supper in the evening. Almost 50 turned up for the taster and they were treated to a fun afternoon trying simple dances, watching demonstrations by experienced dancers, and enjoying a delicious cream tea provided by the Church. The afternoon and evening events raised £595 for charity. As a direct result, new dancers have been recruited to some of the local groups, so it was a win-win for the Church and for the Waltham Group.

Donald E. Holmes

West Lothian Branch

Waltham Scottish Country Dance Group

To celebrate the Centenary of the RSCDS, West Lothian Branch organised a social event. On 12 February sixty members, and friends from neighbouring areas, gathered in Broxburn to hear Jimmie Hill give a presentation about the Sir Walter Scott dances. First, Jimmie provided some interesting historical and social background. Then tea and cakes were served, and members had the opportunity to catch up with friends who are no longer able to dance. Nattily attired in the costume of a 19th century dancing master, Jimmie then guided the dancers through three of the dances: the Jig Reuben Butler, Madge Wildfire’s Strathspey and Madge Wildfire’s Reel. Dancers and audience alike enjoyed the modern interpretation of the dances. The musical arrangements, reminiscent of those in fashion in Scott’s time, were different from the 21st century SCD band sound. It was a fitting celebration of the occasion and a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

John Aitken

Sandra Cheyne

The RSCDS Research Group the RSCDS had a committee called ‘Publications and Research’. Research tended to be around those dances which were to be published. Research into Scottish country dancing, however, was being undertaken, but largely outwith the Society. The work of George S Emmerson and Tom and Joan Flett are outstanding examples from the past, while outside researchers are continuing their work today into the roots of our tradition. It seemed appropriate that the Society has its own research group. In 2019 the Management Board approved the formation of the new RSCDS Research Group, but then along came lockdown. This group was given a remit from the MB with four main areas of work: One of the original aims of the Scottish Country Dance Society in 1923 was to research country dances and acquire old books and manuscripts. At that time research was much more difficult than it is today. It is now clear that some of the seminal works were not available to our founders. Apart from donations, there has never been any proactive policy of acquiring source materials. For decades

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1. To revisit earlier RSCDS published dances to improve our understanding and interpretation, particularly of those that are not danced frequently. 2. To research old dances that are unpublished by us with a view to publication. 3. To look at how we dance and whether there is any mileage in reviewing this in light of historical research.

4. To explore quadrilles and their impact on country dancing in Scotland. The group was also tasked with disseminating any research findings by publishing updated books, writing articles for Scottish Country Dancer, giving talks at events such as the Autumn Gathering, and publishing blog pages on the website. The one main focus of work for some in the group was the publication of the Sir Walter Scott Heart of Midlothian Book in 2021 and the recording of the music using, for the first time in the history of the RSCDS, a band consisting of a piano, fiddle, and cello – in the style very similar to the line-up of a band from around 1820, when the dances were originally published. If you have not yet listened to or danced to this very authentic CD, please try. It is very different from what we are used to today. The findings of the Research Group may impact on the work of both Membership Services and Education and Training, and this is clearly an area for future cooperation. The members of the RSCDS Research Group are Peter Knapman (Convenor), Alan MacPherson (Archivist), Jimmie Hill, Marjorie McLaughlin, and Meryl Thomson. Society members with an interest in dance research are welcome to get in touch.

Reviews Does your branch or club have a new book which you would like reviewed? If you teach a class and are interested in reviewing books from a teaching point of view, please be in touch: mag.editor@rscds.org

Dance Through the Decades Dance through the Decades celebrates the breadth and range of music published by the RSCDS to accompany its dances. Included within this collection are new recordings for 10 popular country dances, one selected from each decade since the Society’s founding in 1923. The dances chosen include old standards, such as Flowers of Edinburgh and Ladies’ Fancy, as well as more modern favourites, including Scott Meikle and Anna Holden’s Strathspey. Gordon Shand and his Scottish Dance Band provide the music. And what music. Quite simply, this is an utterly sensational recording. Gordon and his colleagues have brought us a slick and polished performance, sophisticated arrangements, dynamic and fresh playing, buoyant quick times, regal strathspeys and a fantastic balance of older tunes and modern compositions. All band members turn in virtuosic performances, but the playing remains relaxed and free throughout – the respect and rapport between the players is evident to hear. The blend between the instruments is also superb. Gordon Shand on lead accordion is assured and confident, with Robert Menzies’ fiddle satisfyingly far forward

Glasgow Branch: 100th Anniversary Dances What a pleasure reviewing this collection of dances has proved to be! From the initial invitation through to receiving my copy of the attractive book, to trying out the interesting range of dances contained in it, and finally to organising my impressions into a coherent review I have been repeatedly surprised and delighted. This is the fifth book of dances published by Glasgow Branch over the years to mark significant anniversaries of the Branch’s foundation in 1923 (the 60th, 75th, 85th and 90th having preceded it). It provides a range of four jigs, four reels, four strathspeys and a medley, with a useful balance of different numbers of couples. The devisers all have local connections to the Branch and include among others such well-known and reputable figures as Alasdair Brown and Anne Thorn. Very appropriately the book also includes younger and/or less wellestablished names. One of the joys of this publication is also the range of figures contained in the dances. What a wealth of (relatively) unusual formations! Celtic reels in Les Lambert’s The Faerie Pools, la girandole in Alasdair Brown’s Jordanhill, an allemande right in Susan Ewington’s A Change of Pace, the rose progression in Alasdair Brown’s The Athenaeum, rotating double triangles and an espagnole for three couples in Niall Bootland’s A Glasgow Welcome and The Tall Ship ‘Glenlee’ respectively. There is also the figure that in our area has become known as the pantomime figure or ‘It’s behind you! ‘Along with the knot, this is a feature of Anne Thorn’s Glasgow City Strathspey, where she pays tribute to the vibrant city in or near which she has spent most of her life.

enough in the mix to match Gordon in the front line, although this fiddle-lover’s heart could personally always take more! Jim Lindsay on second accordion adds a glorious texture, particularly adding great depth and drive in the strathspeys. The rhythm section comprising Duncan Findlay (Guitars and Banjo), Graham Berry (Piano) and Gordon Smith (Drums) is rocksolid and the tempi perfect throughout – not even a rogue iceberg could dislodge this! The addition of the guitars/banjo is an unusual but inspired choice and adds a wonderful swing to the quick time. This is particularly evident in the reels, most notably Scott Meikle and The Old Man of Storr. The recording also includes several additional tracks, from Waltzes and Marches, through to Barn Dances and Two Steps. These are perfect for warm-ups and cool downs, or just simply for listening! These tracks are a wonderful reminder that the musical skills of these players, and all those who play for dancing the world over, go far beyond the three standard rhythms. I hope that this recording encourages all of us as musicians to continue to strive for virtuosity in our own playing. It’s our role to disguise the purely functional aspect of providing music for dance and instead craft music that is interesting, engaging and something that dancers want to dance to, something that this band achieves in spades. “Oh, but I already have recordings for all of these dances!” Sadly, an all-too-common phrase heard in our community, which is at times guilty of favouring familiarity over innovation. To dancers who say they’ve heard all these tunes before, to them I say, “Yes, you might. But not like this.” Adam Brady, RSCDS Youth Branch Many of these are flowing, curving figures which may either implicitly or explicitly echo Celtic knotwork or – aptly – the Rennie Mackintosh Glasgow rose. Some may be technically more challenging than others, but the dances are not unduly complex. Indeed, this collection seems to me to provide scope for a wide range of contexts and of dancing experience. Many are well within the capacities of newer dancers, as was borne out when we tried them in our area. For example, one class loved the relatively straightforward Centenary Jig because they took pleasure in perfecting the phrasing and covering required to make simple figures look effective. The book itself contains an interesting account of the contribution to Scottish country dancing made by the Glasgow Branch, and the Branch’s unique place in the history of the Society. This is accompanied by illustrations which include a collage of photographs of significant landmarks, a display of the previous four anniversary covers surrounded by the Branch Chairman’s chain of office, and a list of Glasgow Branch Chairmen from 1923 until the present day. Among those was of course one Jean C. Milligan, who held office for two spells (1928-1930 and an amazing 1932-1952). All the dances have tunes provided, printed as is customary on the opposite page. Some of these have been devised specifically for the dance or for the occasion of the centenary, and some are accompanied by short descriptions of their origins. They look enticing, and it is to be hoped that an accompanying recording may be forthcoming in future! In summary, I would thoroughly recommend this collection. I have already earmarked a substantial number of the dances for inclusion in programmes over the coming months. I believe that some of them will become firm favourites. Finally, I would also like to thank my fellow dancers in South Wales for being so generous with their time in allowing me to see and/or take part in the dances in practice. They helped enormously. Alison Jackson, South Wales Branch

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Reviews - continued from page 29 Delaware Valley Gold Dave Wiesler is a professional musician, much sought after across north America as a pianist for country dancing. When the pandemic struck, his local branch, Delaware Valley, was putting the finishing touches to a book of dances to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Finding himself with a lot of time on his hands, Dave decided to make a recording of the dances with a group of local musicians all working remotely. In Dave’s words, “I made a piano part and a rough arrangement for each track, sent it to the next musician, received back several takes of overdubs, edited them, and mixed them together with the piano part, sent the rough mix to the next musician, and continued the process until we’d all played. I didn’t have great expectations for how it would come out. I was aiming for ‘serviceable’, but I was thrilled by how well it worked.” Dave added, “Overdubbing is an unnatural process, and it’s very hard to stay locked rhythmically with the tracks that are already laid down. It’s so unlike what we normally do as dance musicians. The first person (me) must imagine all the other parts. The second person must stay locked to me and imagine the people coming afterwards. The last person must figure out what to play that doesn’t get into the way of what’s already there and will make the final track sound complete.” Listening to the first CD I detected some overdubbing, but only after querying this with Dave, did I realise how much there was. The resulting sound is amazingly good and very danceable. The process made it possible to involve a great variety of instruments: alto and soprano flute, piccolo and tin whistle, as well as cello, fiddles, piano and guitar, and this adds to the pleasure of listening or dancing to the music. I especially enjoyed the wind instruments, sometimes more than one at the same time, all played by Kirsten Erwin, and the cello parts played by Jane Roberts, who some readers will have met at Summer School in St. Andrews. Wind instruments also feature on the second CD, recorded by the north American band Thistle House, in which Dan Emery plays highland pipes, border pipes, small pipes and wooden flute. The band, featuring David Courret-Knight on fiddle and Dave Wiesler on piano and guitar, was able to make a more orthodox recording following the easing of covid restrictions. A few familiar dance tunes can be heard, but there are also many tunes composed by the musicians themselves. An exciting track is Sleepwalking for which Dave Wiesler’s Screech Owl Reel is the lead tune. Two of David Courret-Knight’s tunes are played by the composer himself in the lively Before the Storm and two more in the strathspey Cailín Rua. Turning to the dances, the 24 dances in the book were composed by 23 current or former members of the Branch, including five young people who collaborated on a single dance, The Fearsome Fivesome. One of the dances is known to me, Sleepwalking, and there is a video available for one other, Bordeaux en Belle. The latter dance has some novel features and I look forward to trying it. The other dances in the book all look eminently danceable. I welcome the fact that dance diagrams by Keith Rose are printed on the same page or adjacent page to the dance itself. The book and CD are available individually or bundled from the branch shop as physical items or downloadable. See https:// delvalscottishdance.org/shop Alison Jackson, South Wales Branch

RSCDS Tokai 25th Anniversary To mark the 25th Anniversary of the Tokai Branch, they have produced a book of 12 dances devised by their members, with an accompanying CD. The music has been arranged and played by Akiko Kasama, Kana Otake and Fumitaka Saito, otherwise known as the Bluebell SCD Trio. The instruments they play are listed as piano, contra bassoon, fiddle and recorder, but listening to the CD

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you would swear there were more. By varying the instruments used throughout a track the overall sound is continually changing, which means that the CD can be used not only to accompany the dancing, but also purely as a listening CD. The tunes used vary from traditional (such as The Black Bear and Castles in the Air) to ones composed by more modern devisers, such as J Scott Skinner and Muriel Johnstone, as well as a few by Japanese composers such as Hiroko Kokai. They are all played in a way such that dancers will find themselves listening to the music while dancing, and even smiling at the occasional musical joke. The book contains the instructions for the 12 dances both in words using the RSCDS standard terminology, and as diagrams using the Pilling notation. You can also find videos for all the dances on YouTube. Possibly because of the selection criteria, the dances contain a wide variety of different formations, including two of my favourites, the tourbillon devised by Barry Priddey and the rose progression devised by Rod Downey. There is also a new progression called set and stroll which appears in the dance A Leisurely Stroll, and an unusual way of starting a reel of four with corners in the dance Sweetfish of Neo River. The entire project was completed in two years, despite the problems caused by Covid, and the Branch is to be congratulated on such a successful outcome. I have no hesitation in recommending both the book and the CD to teachers looking for something just a little bit different. Malcolm Brown, RSCDS York & N Humberside Branch

The Golden Bear Collection The Golden Bear Collection is a book of 33 Scottish country dances containing both social and advanced dances. All the dances are devised by Rod Downey from New Zealand. He has devised a mixture of reels, jigs and strathspeys, a (simple) 16-bar waltz sequence, and a couple of square-set medleys. The collection is varied and contains dances for two, three and four couples in 3and 4-couple longwise or square sets, two 5-couple dances and one 7-couple dance in longwise sets. The dances are listed in increasing order of difficulty, with the early ones being teaching dances, and the first a ceilidh dance. In the later part of the collection, the dances are much more challenging and for advanced dancers, including a number of fugue-style dances. Many of the dances have teaching elements which are useful in planning classes for beginners. Allison Kay is a simple jig for teaching corners, with no setting in the dance, while The Coleraine Rant is a beginners’ dance for poussette emphasising pas de basque. Later in the book, Watchmaker is a strathspey useful for teaching the tourbillon to intermediate dancers, while The Cocker Spaniel is another relatively simple strathspey introducing the espagnole and an all-round poussette. Some of my favourites in the collection include Helen Brown, which has an interesting hello-goodbye setting where 1st and 4th couples dance both with partners and separately from partners. The dance Gillian and Joe Wheadon contains the double rose, a variation on the rose progression from another dance book by Rod Downey titled The Cane Toad Collection. Then there is the challenge of Riversdale, a 7-couple jig in a longwise set, where the active couples dance four lead change diagonal right shoulder reels of three. It is very easy to end in the wrong place, but a lot of fun. I would recommend Rod’s Dance Collections because there is something in each book for everyone. There is always something new, innovative and interesting to try, especially in his more complex dances. The Golden Bear Collection is Rod’s fifth book, and he is now putting together his sixth book, The Piwakawaka Collection. All his books are freely available as pdfs to download at https://homepages.ecs.vuw.ac.nz/~downey/dances.html Catherine Livsey, RSCDS Leeds Branch

21 Years of the RSCDS Management Board

RSCDS Chairpersons: Ruth Beattie, Lorna Ogilvie, Alan Mair, Linda Gaul, William Williamson, Jean Martin, Irene Bennett, Alex Gray, John Wilkinson, Helen Russell

At the 2001 RSCDS AGM a new management system was agreed. The motion was proposed by Jimmie Hill and seconded by Alex Gray. The meeting broke a record for length, ending at 6.55pm with our President, Lord Mansfield, thanking us all for our very obvious commitment to the Society. At the 2002 AGM the new structure came into being. Has it been an improvement? Has it developed as planned? In this article Jimmie interviews the three chairmen who were most closely involved with the new system: Linda Gaul, Alan Mair, and Jean Martin. Note: The old management system consisted of the Executive Council (EC) and 6 Standing Committees: General Purposes, Finance, Examinations, Publications and Research, Summer School, and Youth. The EC met twice a year. Each branch, irrespective of size, sent one representative to the meetings, plus the six members elected at the AGM. The committees were elected from the EC – an ordinary member not on the EC could not be a committee member. Many branches sent the same representative year after year. The proxies for the overseas branches hardly ever changed. In November 2002, membership of the RSCDS was 20,186, and we employed 5 members of staff at Coates Crescent.

You were the three chairmen most closely involved in the change of management of the Society. Linda: I took over from Bill Clement in 1998 and was Chairman until 2000. The initial discussions and planning about change took place during my time in office. Alan: I was the Chairman from 2000 until 2002 when all the details had to be agreed, so I kept Linda involved as we finalised the structure of the Management Board (MB) and the Committees and their remits. At that time, we planned three management committees apart from the MB: General Purposes and Finance, Membership Services, and Education and Training. Youth was added later, and the work of General Purposes was subsumed. Jean: I was the first Chairman under the new system from 2002 until 2004, but of course I had been Vice Chairman before that, so was directly involved. Were we right to abolish the Executive Council? Linda: I think we were – definitely. The EC worked when it was small and most of the representatives were in Scotland. By 1998 branches worldwide were appointing proxies and it just got too big. I was constantly amazed that only around 10% ever spoke! I was the rep for Hamilton, Ontario. Those of us representing overseas branches could be reps for as long as we wanted. Jean: When Alan became Chairman in 2000, we had 169 branches and therefore 169 potential representatives to the EC plus

the six elected members – a total of 175! Some reps never spoke; some reps always spoke. It just wasn’t manageable. It wasn’t proportionate. You had tiny little branches with one rep and you had branches like Glasgow or New Zealand also with one. Alan: I thought the EC was too like the AGM. The EC reps were broadly the same people who attended the AGM and the first EC meeting was two weeks after it. Historically, there had been four meetings a year and that made more sense. Can you outline some of the thinking behind the formation of the Management Board? Alan: In my last Chairman’s message in the 2002 Bulletin, I pointed out that the MB would be much smaller than the EC, but we would still require a large number of members to fill all the new positions as members no longer needed to be part of the Board in order to serve on a committee. I wrote that the success of the MB ‘will depend on the response of members worldwide in rising to this challenge.’ We decided that the MB would consist of 23 members: the Chairman, Chairman Elect, Treasurer, two Convenors, plus 18 elected members. The reason we wanted 18 was so that they could always outvote the Chairman and Convenors. And at that marathon AGM in 2002 two amendments proposing 6 and 12 ordinary elected members were defeated. Linda: Yes, we felt that it was very important that the 18 elected members could outvote the Chairman and Convenors.

Jean: I think the numbers on the MB were fair. An essential feature of the new MB was that each member was responsible for keeping in touch with a number of branches plus their own. They were to report to branches what was going on at MB meetings and branches could contact their MB member to speak on their behalf at meetings. We encouraged MB members to keep their branches up to date. I have no idea if this still happens. The original 18 elected members has gone down and currently we only have 7 ordinary members – far too few in my opinion. Apparently, there is now a ‘Senior Team’ who take decisions, but it is the whole MB who are the Executive. The Finance and Governance Advisory Panel (FGAP) are not elected, so they have no legal responsibility for the Society. I looked up the original remit of the MB and it states clearly that it was to ‘develop a system of communication whereby every Branch has direct access to the Management Board and to ensure that systems of communication with members are developed.’ It also states that the MB should ‘make available to Branches and members timely reports of their proceedings and decisions.’ Does that happen? When we started the MB, we always had an Open Forum for members on the morning of the AGM so that members could have a voice. This has stopped, but it should be reinstated. It made members feel involved. Has the Management Board lived up to your expectations? Alan: I don’t think it has ever really functioned as a Board should. It should have met more often to deal with problems. What happened was that the Chairman and Convenors dealt with issues between meetings, and the ordinary board members allowed them to. Jean: That didn’t happen when I was chairman. I remember there was always lots of healthy discussion. When I think back to the people who were on the Board in the first two years, they were definitely all people with a point of view! I can remember some very worthwhile discussions between people who felt strongly about the issues. In those first two years we had to make lots of changes to the way things were run. But by 2009 there were only 9 elected members on the Board, half the original number, and when I went back on the Board in 2011 there were only 12 elected members. Alan: I don’t think the role of MB member has developed. Under the old EC system, it was really only the Chairman and Vice Chairman who knew what was going on. I thought that with a big MB more people would know what was happening and they would communicate with branches. I also thought that MB members could deputise for the Chairman at Branch events, but that never happened. There seems to be a secrecy now about the board which was not around in the early days. Board members should

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be encouraged to talk to Society members about what goes on in meetings. It’s only by speaking to people that you learn things. Linda: My feeling is that the Board has never been pro-active enough; it’s always been re-active. It should have set policy, set projects, and set goals; then given them to the Convenors and the Working Groups to get on with. That was the original intention. Strategy was meant to come from the Board. Jean: I would agree with that. With hindsight, I think we spent too long adjusting to the new system early on and not enough to looking ahead. Starting Scottish Country Dancer was an attempt to involve the members and hold on to them. It is easy to criticise the Board, but looking back at the EC, it didn’t really come up with new ideas either. I think more recently the Board has become a closed shop. Ordinary members are not really informed about what is going on. They are not asked their opinion. Alan: I think some Chairmen thought they and the Convenors could dictate to the Board, and so you ended up with a small group who believed they had the power – when the power should have been shared equally with the whole Board. Linda: And that has persisted. Alan: I think the past few years with Covid and lockdown were difficult for the Board to function as it should have. At least we all got our two magazines! But we all forget that the ultimate Executive is the AGM. Linda: One thing I find strange is that MB members can be delegates for their branch at the AGM. What would happen if their branch instructed them to vote against something that the Board is proposing! It doesn’t seem to be a good way of doing things. MB members really shouldn’t be delegates. Jean: I would agree with that. At the AGM the work of the Board is being approved or otherwise. It can’t be approved by itself! Alan: But if they weren’t delegates, they couldn’t speak during the meeting! Linda: One thing I wanted was for any member who attends to be able to speak at the AGM. It is ridiculous that there are all these people sitting as delegates at the AGM and almost as many if not more sitting separately, but they are not allowed to speak! As members, they should be allowed to take part. That was our intention right from the start. Alan: It was one of the things I thought the Board would deal with fairly quickly, but it didn’t. With the introduction of the MB, we reduced the size of the governing body. I think my biggest disappointment is that the Board didn’t open up the AGM to all members. If we look back over the past 21 years, branches have brought up very little at the AGM. They seem to have lost interest. Linda: And some overseas branches no longer send proxies to the meeting, so they have no representation, which is most unfortunate. Jean: I think branches today feel much less involved in Society matters than they used

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to. At least the EC reps felt they were part of the management, and that feeling has gone. Regarding the AGM, I have to say that AGMs with Lord Mansfield in the chair were very well run. I greatly valued his advice because he had the great advantage of being at one remove from the rest of us. So, has the Management Board been an improvement on the Executive Council? Linda: A hard question to answer! I think Alan would agree with me that it hasn’t been as successful as it could have been. Alan: I think the problem is that any successes the MB has had have not been apparent. They have changed things in secrecy and members don’t know things have changed. I would say there has been a lack of innovation on the part of the MB. Winter School was new, but that idea came from a member of Skye Branch during an AGM. It has remained in Pitlochry, but the idea was that it would move around the country. Linda: I organised the first Winter School here in Pitlochry, then I told them, now take it wherever you want it to go. It is a lovely venue, but it hasn’t developed. Jean: The MB should be an improvement, but it really only works if the Board members report back to their list of branches after each meeting. I do think that the development of the internet and zoom meetings has been of great benefit. It means that we can involve more people from outwith Scotland on committees and working groups. Alan: Spring Fling started during that short period of innovation. Elspeth Gray, who was Secretary at the time, was really excellent. If we wanted to do something, she was always right behind us. Linda: When Spring Fling started, it was for people under 20, but now they have extended the age range so that more people can go. At 35 you are not a youth! When you were Chairman, would you have been happy with the Society making a loss of £70,000? Linda: No! I dread to think what some previous Finance Convenors would have said. I don’t think many members had read the Annual Report last year, so they didn’t know about it. Alan: Leaving aside legacies, I don’t see how the Society will ever be in the black again because they will never be able to put the annual subscription up to a level where it will cover costs. Linda: I think members should have been able to set up a direct debit straight to the Society instead of having to pay their Society subscription to their branch. That was suggested, but it never happened and today it is so easy. It would take away a huge amount of unnecessary work from branches. The differences between branches and affiliated groups is a very muddy area. The groups now get as much information as branches, so why become a branch and have to raise all this money from people? Alan: We all know that a lot of branches are sitting on a lot of money. This could have been ploughed into beginners. What

are they going to do with it eventually when their numbers are going down and down and the money is sitting in the bank doing nothing? Linda: I think today I would create a level playing field – abolish branch status and let all dance groups affiliate. We can then have elected members for the MB and any member can come to the AGM and vote. Alan: In the cities there is no reason why there shouldn’t be more than one branch. Restricting branches to geographical areas was a bad mistake and it has been allowed to carry on for too long. I was very influenced by being in the Round Table where growth was encouraged. If you were Chairman today, what would your priorities be? Alan: I think it would be reforming the membership and branch structure along the lines Linda has suggested. I also think we need to go back to the old dances to create interest – the dances that attracted us in. Some of the modern dances wouldn’t attract me in today. Linda: Yes, great dances like The New Waterloo Reel with a great tune are totally unknown to many dancers today. Jean: I would certainly like to see more elected members on the Board. There are too few at the moment. Fewer people means fewer ideas. I am not keen on this small group – is it the Senior Team or the Executive Team? It’s not in the Constitution. There is nothing wrong with a small group who come up with ideas then present them to the Board, but this small group can’t take decisions. Only the Board can do that. Linda: I think I would try to enthuse all the local groups to do a bit more. Over the past ten years there hasn’t really been much of an influx of new people. We’re not going to get anywhere if we don’t have more beginners. Alan: The real answer to your question is that we are too old to be Chairman now! I think one thing I would want to know is why all those young teachers we have now are happy teaching people our age. Why are they not out recruiting and teaching people their own age? Linda: And if they aren’t pulling in people their own age, there will be nobody to teach when we are no longer around. Jean: I agree about having young teachers recruiting young dancers. In Aberdeen we have four teachers who have had babies in the past three years. It is really great to have these young teachers involved in the regular work of the branch. Hopefully, younger teachers will attract younger dancers. Up here we have a youth ceilidh class, which seems to work well. Since the end of Lockdown our classes are beginning to grow again. It is in the local branch where the membership grows, and we all need to be ambassadors for the Society. Encouraging new members is something that we all need to do for the future of the pastime we love. And getting Scottish country dancing back into schools!

Letters to the Editor Any opinions expressed in the letters below are personal to the writers and do not reflect the views of the RSCDS or the Management Board.

Dear Editor Dorothy Leurs – Miss Edinburgh I was very interested to read your interview with Dorothy Leurs as I attended her children’s class at Oxgangs Primary School. Dorothy was strict but made the class fun for us and entered the team into several competitions in the Lothians area. I remember going to a competition at Tranent in East Lothian from Edinburgh and thinking that I was on the bus for hours and miles! In my late twenties I passed the audition for the Edinburgh Branch Demonstration Team. This meant I danced at official functions in the City Chambers, travelled abroad representing Edinburgh Branch (and Scotland) and even appeared on television. I danced for the late Queen and for the then Prince Charles. I passed my teaching certificate and taught classes for the Edinburgh Branch. It was all due to Dorothy’s teaching and high standards and I have her to thank for my Scottish country dancing career! My late husband, Ken Lawson, also danced in the same team as Dorothy for King Hussein of Jordan and he too kept the very same programme. He was very proud of it along with another Royal Visit programme from July 1968, plus one from The President of the Italian Republic’s visit in April 1969. He also met Mr Kosygin of Russia at the Kremlin Palace during a dancing trip to Russia and then at a demonstration in Edinburgh City Chambers in February 1967. Lovely memories for both of us, all due to Scottish country dancing Christine Lawson, Edinburgh Branch

Dear Editor RSCDS Membership and Fun I read with interest the articles by Peter Knapman and Dorothy Leurs. Peter lamented falling membership numbers and Dorothy made the very good point that people kept coming to her classes because they were fun, and the main thing was to enjoy yourself. I do wonder reading other articles in this magazine and previous ones whether the RSCDS has lost sight of this. There seems to be too much emphasis on looking back to a ‘golden age’ of Scottish dancing when dancers were expected to be very technically proficient and dance ‘properly’. Although I have been dancing for over 10 years, I am definitely not technically proficient and just try to get to the right place at the right time in dances. Thankfully, our teacher is very tolerant of mistakes, but if the RSDCS wants to recruit more younger people maybe it needs to more flexible about dancing technique and accept that for many of us we just want to enjoy the experience. Ian M Arnott, Peterborough Branch

Dear Editor RSCDS Governance I’m a member of the BHS Borders Branch as part of my membership of Guildford club, having learned to dance as child at the local class run by Wallington Branch. I don’t have time to be active in the Branch or the Society, but I do take note of what is happening nationally and am committed to the principle of a strong RSCDS. I’m writing to support Peter Knapman’s views on corporate governance as expressed in his In My Opinion column. I also strongly agree with Peter that Scottish social dancing in all its forms and at all standards should be a high priority. The RSCDS is the guardian of excellence but it’s an own goal to deter inexperienced dancers by over-emphasising technique and accuracy if it results in dwindling participation. Guildford Club sets great store on being friendly, encouraging, and non-critical while running quite a challenging weekly programme. One of our MCs is fond of reminding us that this is a team sport: an

encouraging smile and a hand, held out at just at the right time, is a big help to the under-confident. It’s a great shame when people are discouraged by well-intentioned but misguided comments. I’m all for improving my standard but we have to get people dancing confidently and with committed enjoyment before challenging them to improve. The magazine articles about the history of Scottish dancing including the music are always interesting. My Aunt Doris Milne was a well-known Stirling Branch pianist and is remembered in the strathspey Mrs Milne of Kineff. Fiona Yeomans, Guildford Club

Dear Editor The RSCDS, Accountability and Oversight Reading Peter Knapman’s article in the previous issue with a distinct feeling of déjà vu, I fear his analysis is correct. I proposed, unsuccessfully, that the Society should move to one Member one vote (OMOV) at the 2001 Society AGM. I feared the alternative branch based voting system would lead to members feeling disenfranchised. In the Articles of Association 2021, the latest I have to hand, I am classed as a Subscribing Member but cannot speak at an AGM. AGM delegates are members appointed by Branches/Local Associations to vote at the AGM, but in practice are usually the Chairperson and Branch Secretary, for convenience of record keeping. Peter now, some 20 years later, considers those fears were justified. It concerns me that the Articles of Association state, ‘Branches are local associations of subscribing members … granted a licence by the Society to form a recognised Branch of the Society.’ This may be interpreted as meaning that the Branch is not ‘open to all persons’, but only to members of the RSCDS. While the Licence agreement states that ‘All members of the Local Association/ Branch must be members of the Society’, the Model Constitution allows for associate members, stating, ‘The Local Association is an autonomous body consisting of (a) members of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (b) associate members of the Local Association.’ This surely means non-RSCDS members may attend branch classes and events as associate members and can choose whether to join the Society or not. Thus, classes and events are open to members of the public, not just RSCDS members, and the educational objective of the Society is furthered. I fully support Peter’s suggestions and am also concerned about the lack of accountability and falling membership. Last summer a past-Chairman said the Society had been likened to an oak tree spreading its branches worldwide with still a few acorns falling, but the roots were failing, i.e. diminishing interest and involvement in Scotland, so death and decay were inevitable. This needs to be addressed urgently. Andrew Smith, Bristol Branch

Dear Editor Role of AGM Delegates Peter Knapman’s comments on the AGM in the Spring issue revived for me the misgivings and despair I had felt on the first occasion that I attended the AGM, as a newly minted, enthusiastic delegate for my Branch. As in 2022, a rise in subscriptions was proposed at that AGM, and there was lively discussion of the pros and cons. But for any motion to be discussed at the AGM where the decision is taken is a waste of time because many, if not all, of the delegates come to the AGM entrusted with an unalterable vote that reflects the final opinion of their branch on the motion, arrived at through local discussion and unable to be influenced by discussion at the AGM. It would be far more productive if motions were to be debated at an AGM in the year preceding that in which the vote is to be taken, allowing delegates to return to their branches aware of the range of opinions held across the Society, which could then inform local branch discussions of the issue and decisions taken on it. Jane McIntosh, Herefordshire Branch

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Sadly Missed We would appreciate if obituaries for the next issue (max 150 words) come from branch or club secretaries.

Jenny Bradley Jenny saw a demonstration team of Scottish country dancers in Derbyshire and was captivated. A headteacher, she joined a W.I. Scottish dance class in Rowthorne before moving to Mrs. Beckett’s class in Mansfield. Her first experience of teaching dance came after Mrs. Beckett’s retirement. She joined Nottingham Branch and trained for her Teacher’s Certificate, examined by Miss Milligan. For many years Jenny attended Summer School. Skill and spatial awareness on the dance floor allied to mental agility led her to devise dances, perhaps the best-known being Nottingham Lace and James Senior of St. Andrews. She was a major contributor to the collection Nottingham 10.30 and published her own books. After over 25 years as Nottingham Branch principal teacher she was presented with a Branch Award before retiring at the end of the 2006-7 season, receiving a letter of thanks from Irene Bennett, then RSCDS Chair. David Page, Nottingham Branch

Jan Cannonito In 1983, while Jan Cannonito was a teacher in the Los Angeles Branch, she and several other residents of Orange County petitioned to form a separate branch. Once that had been approved, Jan taught two classes per week for many years for the Branch, organized demonstration dancing at local festivals, and served in several positions on the Branch committee, including as Chair. Jan was an accomplished kiltmaker and her business, The Tartan Patch, supplied clothing and ghillies to many dancers throughout southern California. Jan retired from teaching SCD a number of years ago, but continued to attend classes as long as her health allowed. Her deep knowledge of all things Scottish, and her lovely smile, will be greatly missed. Terri Speakman, Orange County Branch

Drummond Cook The Drummond Cook Band was well known throughout Scotland and beyond. Drummond trained as a watchmaker in Glasgow and, after completing his National Service, settled in Forres. An accomplished violinist from a musical family, he also played accordion and the saw. In the early 1960s he formed a four-piece band which, together with the Forres RSCDS team, became the backbone of the Top Town group whose repeated successes culminated with a performance on Grampian Television. He taught violin at Forres Academy and feeder schools. The Academy Fiddle Group frequently entertained locally and in 1985 travelled with Forres RSCDS Junior Dancers to Vienenburg, our twin town, performing at a number of venues. Drummond was a prolific composer of Scottish tunes and produced two CDs. His band is sadly missed by many dancers, but his music continues through his son and daughter who both play in the Lyric Opera Orchestra in Chicago. Margaret Ross, Forres Branch

Graham Davie The country dance community in Scotland has been both shocked and saddened to learn of the untimely passing of Graham Davie. A fully certificated RSCDS teacher, Graham taught classes for Edinburgh Branch and latterly had been President of Trinity SCD Club in the city. Graham was an accomplished and knowledgeable dancer, with a keen interest and competence in the music. His professional life saw him working and, of course, dancing in the Cambridge area, Oxford and Leamington Spa, as well as in Edinburgh and all around Scotland. Oluf Olufsen, North Ayrshire Branch

Hugh Ferguson Closely associated with RSCDS Bristol since the 1970s, Hugh was involved with Scottish country dance music from his youth in Scotland, and played the accordion for over 70 years; from the Chick Kelly Junior Accordion group to Tom Hall and his Rattray Band. Hugh’s own band Dalriada played at events all over the British Isles, including royal occasions, and further afield, spreading the joy and

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exuberance of SCD. Hugh organised music workshops and schools. A gifted deviser of tunes and arrangements, his compositions remain extremely popular. Hugh’s music inspired and encouraged dancers and many musicians have been grateful for his support of their playing, knowing that he was there and quietly in control. In Sept 2021 he received the RSDCS Scroll of Honour. Hugh battled with Parkinson’s for several years but his final few days were full of things he loved - music, storytelling and banter. Ruth Davies, Secretary, Bristol Branch

Christine and Ian McDonald Christine and Ian McDonald passed away within weeks of one another. They were well travelled, long-standing and very supportive members. Christine started dancing at school in 1950 and became an RSCDS teacher in 1959. They met whilst members of Birmingham Branch and married in 1963. They moved to Bristol and joined the local branch, with Christine continuing to teach, ably supported by Ian. This was a pattern to repeat several times as the McDonalds moved to Middlesbrough and the Teesside Branch, Ayr Branch, and the USA – initially with Delaware Branch followed by Houston Branch. In 1982 they returned home to Middlesbrough and moved to Lincolnshire in 1992, joining Lincoln SCDA and shortly afterwards Doncaster Branch where Christine received a Branch Award in recognition of over 60 years’ commitment, dedication and enthusiasm for Scottish dancing. Christine and Ian always inspired and encouraged everyone with their excellent unobtrusive dancing that looked effortless. Ann Steele, Secretary Doncaster & District Branch

James Smart Robertson Jim grew up in Scotland, where he met and married Sheila Hunter, who also loved to dance. Both trained as pharmacists and worked in Singapore where Jim later transferred to an academic career. In 1966, Jim, Sheila and their three children migrated to Australia and Jim took up a senior post at the University of Sydney. Retiring soon after turning 60, Jim determined to learn Gaelic and to become a Scottish country dance teacher, both of which aims he accomplished. His disciplined approach made him an ideal teacher: clear, direct and effective. An elegant dancer, Jim taught at Killara, Sydney, for about 25 years. Those who knew Jim valued him both for his personal qualities and for his teaching. We recognised his undoubted mental gifts and strength of character but found him warm and encouraging to all his dancers, whether or not they reached the standard he set for himself. Killara SCD Club, Australia

Robbie Shepherd Hundreds of mourners packed into Echt Parish Church and Hall to pay their last respects to Dr. Robbie Shepherd MBE. Robbie, a true ‘lad o’ pairts’, is best known for being the voice behind the microphone on BBC Radio Scotland’s Take the Floor, a role he undertook for 35 years. A consummate professional, Robbie also compered many Highland gatherings including Braemar, the Glenfiddich Fiddle Masters, and the BBC Sheepdog Trials. The many accolades bestowed upon him include a Scroll of Honour from the RSCDS in 1998, then in 2001 an honorary doctorate from the University of Aberdeen, as well as an MBE. Throughout his life Robbie championed his native tongue, his beloved Doric, and did not change his speech for anyone. Maureen Rutherford, Perth and Perthshire Branch

Mike Whiston In his retirement, Mike spent most of his time in France with his partner Colette, and he danced with our Montpellier club, though he remained addicted to listening to the Archers, and a fan of Aston Villa. His great enthusiasm was for Scottish country dancing. Over the years, he and Colette made many friends in Scottish country dance circles in Britain, France and elsewhere, and they often went to Summer School. For the Montpellier club, his particular talent was in finding musicians in the UK for our annual ball, and in encouraging dancers to come from elsewhere to dance and participate in the following day’s outing. It is very sad that, after helping to organise it, he didn’t live quite long enough to attend our ball this year. His dancing friends always found him a helpful and supportive person, and we remember him fondly. Colin and Margaret Jones, Club de Danse Écossaise de Montpellier

Dancers’ Diary The Day School Diary is compiled by Ian Brockbank. Please send details to ian@scottishdance.net. Issue 38 will cover events from April to December 2024.

October 20213 7

York & North Humberside Branch half-day school, Stockton on the Forest, UK 11 Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles Branch Day School, UK 14-15 Paris Branch International Weekend, Paris, France 20-22 RSCDS Sutton Coldfield Weekend of Dance, Symonds Yat, Herefordshire, UK 21 Exeter RSCDS Afternoon School, Broadclyst, Exeter, UK 27-29 Asilomar 2023, Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California, USA

November 20213 10-12 Northern Virginia Branch Argyle Weekend, Arlington, VA, USA 11 Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles Branch Day School, Corn Exchange, Melrose, UK 11 Bristol Branch Musicians & Dancers Day School and Dance, Henleaze, Bristol, UK 11 Norwich Branch Day School, Trinity UR Church Hall, Unthank Road, Norwich, UK 18 Swilcan SCD Group Day School, Utrecht, the Netherlands 22-26 Central Germany November Course, Kuckucksnest/ Schlüchtern, Germany

April 2024 19-21 Washington DC Branch Capital Weekend, USA 20 One day workshop and dance, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

May 2024 10-11 Belfast Branch Weekend School, Northern Ireland 17-19 Duns May Weekend, Scotland, UK 25 Frankfurt SCD Club ‘Belhaven’ Workshop, Frankfurt, Germany

June 2024 7-9

Midwest Scottish Weekend, USA.

July 2024 14-Aug 11 RSCDS Summer School, St Andrews, Scotland, UK

17-24 Blue Ridge Scottish Dance School, Boone, North Carolina, USA 26-28 TAC Teachers Conference Weekend, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada 28-Aug 4 TAC Summer School, St.Catharines, Ontario, Canada 25-Aug 4 TAC Teacher Candidates Course, St. Catharines, Ontario,Canada The Day School Diary just has space for day and weekend schools. For other events in your area, please check l

Scotland and Cumbria: https://scotdancediary.co.uk/

Europe: http://www.celtic-circle.de/events.html

Canada and USA: https://intercityscot.org/eventList.php

December 2023 28-Jan 5 Nelson Summer School, NZ Branch

January 2024 19-21 Tokyo Branch 40th Anniversary Weekend, Kamakura, Japan

February 2024 2-4

York & N Humberside Branch Weekend School, Harrogate, UK 10 Newark SCDS Day School, Newark-on-Trent, UK 16-18 Isle of Wight Weekend School, Shanklin Hotel, Isle of Wight, UK 17 Leeds Branch Musicians’ Workshop and Dance, Otley Rd, Leeds, UK 18-23 RSCDS Winter School, Pitlochry, Scotland, UK

March 2024 8-9

RSCDS Oban and Lorn Branch Weekend School, Oban, Scotland, UK 8-10 XXVIII Iberian Gathering of Scottish Country Dance, Évora, Portugal 9 BHS Border Branch Day School & Musicians’ Workshop, Farnham, UK 15-17 Atlanta Branch Spring Workshop, Cartersville, Georgia, USA 16 Swilcan SCD Group Day School, Utrecht, the Netherlands 16 Frankfurt Spring Day School, Mühlheim-Dietesheim, Germany 23 West End Day Workshop and Dance, Toronto, Canada 24 West End Teachers Workshop, Toronto, Canada www.rscds.org

Scottish Country Dancer October 2023

Articles inside

James Senior of St Andrews

Morison’s Bush: dancing at your own risk.

A Tale of Two Spring Flings

Don’t Wait 50 Years for Your Gold Star in St Andrews

Pondering TAC Summer School in Nova Scotia

A European Dancing Trip

The Tuesday Social and Daytime Dancing

The Joy of Playing Scottish Music for Dancing

Encouraging a Class Musician

Angus Schools Day of Dance

Start Dancing – getting Scottish schools dancing again!

Growing a Scottish Country Dance group in France

In My Opinion - The Best Pastime Ever

Youth Services

Education and Training

Membership Services

From the Chair

Branch Awards 2023