Another good reason to enjoy Scottish Country Dancing

[greenguzzi]

Interesting! I'm new to X-Marks the Scot, and I'm sorry to say that I had not heard of Scottish Country Dancing before. So I just Googled it, and discovered that it seems pretty big here Downunder. (Now I'm wondering how I could have missed it before!)

The Ozzie website doesn't have many pictures. The only pictures I could find were on the Tasmanian site. Lots of tartan, mostly on women and bairns though, they seem to have a shortage of adult men.

It's looks like fun. I'd need a lot of lessons though, I've never danced before.

[Andrewson]

Thanks for all the supportive statements in this thread.

Maybe this is the moment to point out that the wearing of kilts for SCD has next to no historical justification, at least for most people.

The Fletts in their authoritative "Traditional Dancing in Scotland" (1964) report on the Kilberry Ball, held until 1914 in Argyllshire. It was a dance for country people of a remote district, held in the granary of the home farm on the estate:
"The party from the 'big house' was in evening kilt and ladies' dinner frocks. One or two of the pipers were in the kilt. The rest of the company wore their Sunday clothes ... [Men] wore their Sunday boots, which subsequently became their working boots, [and their best Sunday suits]."

The founders of the Scottish Country Dance Society (later 'Royal' SCDS) in 1923 seemed to be determined to drag the country dances out of the barns and into the elegant ballrooms of the upper classes (they thought this was the best way to ensure that the dances were preserved as a living tradition) so they emphasised the dress of those aristocrats and we got the active promotion of the kilt as appropriate wear for SCD. Incidently we also got the promotion of the light weight 'ballet' slippers as footwear which had quite an influence on the steps that were taught as appropriate for SCD. We have to admit that the whole SCD thing today is highly artificial from a historical perspective

Not that I really care. I am just happy that these historical mistakes led to my greater enjoyment today.

[Panache]

I'm trying to imagine pas de basque or strathspey setting step in

"Sunday boots, which subsequently became their working boots"



a bit less graceful I should think.

Cheers

Jamie

[Galician]

I must admit that "artificiality" definitely comes to mind with the SCDS. I say this as one who loves to dance.

There is even a group which meets blocks from my work place, and I've joined them for their Burns dinners. Maybe it's being a neophyte to their repetoire, but a good number of their dances give me pause about participating on a regular basis. The steps can be sooooo compicated!

[Panache]

I must admit that "artificiality" definitely comes to mind with the SCDS. I say this as one who loves to dance.

There is even a group which meets blocks from my work place, and I've joined them for their Burns dinners. Maybe it's being a neophyte to their repetoire, but a good number of their dances give me pause about participating on a regular basis. The steps can be sooooo compicated!

At first it does seem a bit daunting. Once you get the basics down it isn't too hard. There is also a whole range of different dance in SCD. Some are very complicated and for advanced dancers while others are simple and easily learned. Oddly what makes a particular dance easy or hard isn't neccessarily the steps/moves but how they are arranged. I have done some beginner dances that were very hard because they din't flow well, yet I managed to get through an advanced dance like "Gang the Same Gate" several months back because each move flows well into the next.

Give it a try!

Cheers

Jamie

[Kiltman]

At first it does seem a bit daunting. Once you get the basics down it isn't too hard. There is also a whole range of different dance in SCD. Some are very complicated and for advanced dancers while others are simple and easily learned. Oddly what makes a particular dance easy or hard isn't neccessarily the steps/moves but how they are arranged. I have done some beginner dances that were very hard because they din't flow well, yet I managed to get through an advanced dance like "Gang the Same Gate" several months back because each move flows well into the next.

Give it a try!

Cheers

Jamie

In Spokane most of us are in our 60s. It's really good for us semi-seniors. Keeps the mind and the body working. Every now and then we have a dance and invite the contra dancers to come. What a difference to do contra dancing you don't need to think and only go around in circles. Nothing against contra, it's just to point out yet another advantage to SCD. Oh, yes, and in a kilt.

[Andrewson]

I'm trying to imagine pas de basque or strathspey setting step in

"Sunday boots, which subsequently became their working boots"



a bit less graceful I should think.

Well very different anyway. The Fletts found two different forms of the pas de basque (i) both feet remain on the ground for the final beat, (ii) the front foot is extended. Before 1914 (i) was by far the most common. The Fletts found no dancing master who taught version (ii) and many stated it was wrong. Version (ii) is what is taught today by the RSCDS. The steps are now more 'balletic' and are probably based more on highland dance steps than those used in country dances.

The Fletts go on to say there was no excessive pointing of the toes by either men or ladies. "The strathspey travelling step ... appears to be made possible by modern use of light heel-less dancing pumps ... and we never met it in older people". The present shoes seem to have come from those worn by highland dancers competing at games rather than social dancing.

Indeed their use for social dancing was deprecated by D. G. MacLennon in his "Guide to Teachers, Dancers and Judges" which set out the standards for Highland and Traditional dancing in 1925: "Another matter that should be discouraged is the wearing of solo dancers' stage pumps - heeless, thin soled. These 'slippers' were never worn by anyone in a ballroom as they are bad for flat feet and fallen arches."

I have certainly suffered from the lack of support in those shoes but, as in the case of the kilt, I don't intend to be put off by the historical inaccuracy. The lightweight shoes are needed for the steps as they are now done and I just enjoy the dancing.

[Graham]

Interesting! I'm new to X-Marks the Scot, and I'm sorry to say that I had not heard of Scottish Country Dancing before. So I just Googled it, and discovered that it seems pretty big here Downunder. (Now I'm wondering how I could have missed it before!)

The Ozzie website doesn't have many pictures. The only pictures I could find were on the Tasmanian site. Lots of tartan, mostly on women and bairns though, they seem to have a shortage of adult men.

It's looks like fun. I'd need a lot of lessons though, I've never danced before.

The Tassie site was probably the Hobart group, like us in the north of the island, they have trouble attracting men to dance.

For a couple of years I was the only man in our group, now there is one other and he is nearly 80.

Still, I don't mind there being mostly lasses

SCD is great fun, I dance twice a week, sometimes more. I've never done it in trousers...and never will.

[MartinGrenoble]

... I'm sorry to say that I had not heard of Scottish Country Dancing before. So I just Googled it, and discovered that it seems pretty big here Downunder. ...

In a small way, it is pretty big all around the world.
Small because none of us seem to have found a way of advertizing our pastime to get new people into our clubs.

I'm not surprised Greenguzzi had not heard of SCD before; it remains a very confidential activity, even though all the groups would love to increase their membership.

Even when they do discover a local SCD group, I have found that women are reluctant to give it a try as they think they have lost their youthful grace, men are reluctant because it is not a TV sport, the young are reluctant because it's not noisy enough, the old because it's too energetic ... and the Scots are reluctant because nasty school ma'ams made them do it as kids, and they hated it!

Lots of people are put off by the relatively long apprenticeship period during which they feel complete idiots. But those that persevere are rewarded when, all of a sudden, the patterns click into place, the rhythms feel completely natural -- and they are hooked for life.

I began my dancing a little earlier than kilt wearing, about 50 years ago, and have found it a great way of meeting people wherever I have been.

Martin,
in Grenoble, France.

[vmac3205]

While on vacation, we danced with a great group in Budapest, Hungary. All Hungarians - not a Scot or a kilt in the group, but fine dancers. All had been well schoold on their foot work and looked good. in our area, the average age of the dancers is probably 55. In Hungary, they were all late teens to mid 30s,

Yeah for the youth!!