Scottish Country Dancing Questions

[mkmound]

. . .

Comments have been made about rubber soles on ghillies. I always had two pairs with me when attending unfamiliar venues, or when giving demonstrations on grass. One pair, those most used, had leather soles but occasionally a dance floor can be very slippery indeed - as can wet grass - and my second pair, with non-slip rubber soles, prevented many an embarrassing fall.

Enjoy!

The related consideration to the leather sole / rubber sole / slippery floor issue is the venue . . . for several years, the dance studio used by my home SCD class here in Dallas allowed us to put rosin on our shoes to deal with the sometimes-slippery wooden floor. On a couple of occasions when traveling to the San Francisco area, I attended a class in a venue where rosin was not allowed -- I had leather-soled shoes, and it was terrible . . . I was slipping all over the place.

The regular members of the class used the rubber-soled shoes, or added something to the soles. If I remember correctly, some of them got a standard silicone-based caulking compound and applied to the soles.

[Panache]

...The regular members of the class used the rubber-soled shoes, or added something to the soles. If I remember correctly, some of them got a standard silicone-based caulking compound and applied to the soles.

Many members of the San Jose class use something like that for the dances.

Cheers

Jamie

[Andrewson]

I've been Scottish Country Dancing regularly (now at least twice a week) for about 18 years and I have always bought my dancing shoes from my clansman Billy Forsyth (www.billyforsyth.co.uk). I normally buy the highland dance ghillies rather than what he describes as country dance shoes and when he introduced shock absorbing soles for these I upgraded to this version for extra protection to feet, knees and hips. I certainly don't regret doing this. I find them much more comfortable. They have seen me through 20-dance Balls, dancing on grass and on concrete with ease.

I notice he has just introduced a (very) colourful range so you could match your shoes to your kilt - that is if you have bright orange, bright blue, bright red or bright yellow in it. Come to think of it, the yellow ones would really set off a loud MacLeod

As to the original question about kilts for dancing, I do normally wear PV for class - for practical (cleaning) reasons as much as for coolness. I have found my 13oz more comfortable in crowded Ballrooms but, to be honest, it is the rest of the gear - full PC with waistcoat - required in these more formal situations that brings up the heat problem. I have worn 16oz to these and not noticed a great difference.

[Andrewson]

Oh, and I meant to add to my post above, that although I am a fully paid up member of the RSCDS (Royal Scottish Country Dance Society), I definitely subscribe to the "we do it for fun - it is social dancing" school rather than demure precision at all times. It is not that I don't get extra satisfaction out of getting it right, it is just that I enjoy a set that is prepared to laugh and have fun to one in which everyone is concentrating so hard on not making mistakes that they forget the point of doing the dance in the first place. As I'm sure you'll discover, most SCDers are very sociable and really do like to see others enjoying the dancing as they do.

[McMurdo]

Andrewson
Thank you for the responce and the link I shall have to look into it.

[Hamish]

I've been Scottish Country Dancing regularly (now at least twice a week) for about 18 years and I have always bought my dancing shoes from my clansman Billy Forsyth (www.billyforsyth.co.uk). I normally buy the highland dance ghillies rather than what he describes as country dance shoes and when he introduced shock absorbing soles for these I upgraded to this version for extra protection to feet, knees and hips. I certainly don't regret doing this. I find them much more comfortable. They have seen me through 20-dance Balls, dancing on grass and on concrete with ease.

Had such shock-absorbing ghillies existed in 'my day', my feet and legs might not be in the condition they are now! By the way, from his website, I get the impression that Billy Forsyth's country dance shoes are for the ladies - men usually stick with the ghillies, I think. Most of the ladies I encountered during my dancing career wore soft ballet pumps for SCD, but nowadays dancers have all these choices!.

I notice he has just introduced a (very) colourful range so you could match your shoes to your kilt - that is if you have bright orange, bright blue, bright red or bright yellow in it. Come to think of it, the yellow ones would really set off a loud MacLeod

Hmmmn! Flambouyant and colour co-ordinantly conscious I may be, but I certainly would have drawn the line at wearing coloured dance shoes! I fear for the youth of today!

[McMurdo]

I took a look at the site and got the same impression Ham. However there is an outlet not far from me it may well be worth a wee visit.

[Hamish]

Oh, and I meant to add to my post above, that although I am a fully paid up member of the RSCDS (Royal Scottish Country Dance Society), I definitely subscribe to the "we do it for fun - it is social dancing" school rather than demure precision at all times. It is not that I don't get extra satisfaction out of getting it right, it is just that I enjoy a set that is prepared to laugh and have fun to one in which everyone is concentrating so hard on not making mistakes that they forget the point of doing the dance in the first place. As I'm sure you'll discover, most SCDers are very sociable and really do like to see others enjoying the dancing as they do.

Oh, we used to have fun too, great fun! Laughter and smiles were the order of the day (unless one was 'Demonstrating', when only smiles, not fixed grins, were encouraged!) Laughing at mistakes and not being where one should be at a given moment is fine when dancing socially, but too much of it spoils the enjoyment of others in the set. On the other hand, wild, abandoned dancing performed without consideration for one's partner or for others in the hall is not, in my view, "doing it for fun"! I have witnessed many minor injuries, and one very serious one, caused by such behaviour across the years.

[Weasel Mender]

This appears to be something myself and my lady may enjoy if we can find a group here in the ABQ area. Sorting my rights from lefts will be easy for me, both feet are left I am sure that they will say the same thing about me they say about the dancing bear "It's not how gracefuly he dances,but that he can dance at all."

Weasel

[Andrewson]

Hmmmn! Flambouyant and colour co-ordinantly conscious I may be, but I certainly would have drawn the line at wearing coloured dance shoes!

... and so would I, Hamish!

I'm sure the highly coloured shoes are also aimed at the lassies. I think it reflects the fact that the lassies have almost entirely taken over Highland Dancing - which is what these shoes are supposedly sold for.

Laughing at mistakes and not being where one should be at a given moment is fine when dancing socially, but too much of it spoils the enjoyment of others in the set. On the other hand, wild, abandoned dancing performed without consideration for one's partner or for others in the hall is not, in my view, "doing it for fun"! I have witnessed many minor injuries, and one very serious one, caused by such behaviour across the years.

I agree with this too. We should always dance with consideration for the others in the set. We should all be there to have a good time together. That means being conscious of the needs of others - trying not to make too many mistakes that will confuse others, making no dangerous moves, interacting with the others in a friendly and happy way throughout. A dance danced with precision but no passion - where there is no sign of any genuine human interplay between the dancers - is a dead dance in my book.