SCD and Highland Dancers Sound Off!

[Panache]

To celebrate this brand new sub forum I thought it might be a good idea to find out how many X Markers were involved in either Scottish Country Dance or Highland Dancing.

The Flame-Haired Celtic Amazon Goddess and I are members of the San Jose class of the San Francisco Branch of the RSCDS (Royal Scottish Country Dance Society) and have been taking classes since the Fall of 2006. We have found SCD to be very enjoyable and great exercise and Scottish Country Dancers to be wonderful people.





Cheers

Jamie

[McMurdo]

I do Scottish Country Dancing at least once a week twice if I feel up to it, with the Toronto branch of the RSCDS of witch I am proud to be a member, it's great fun for all, everyone who is able should try it. Wonderful idea for a sub-forum by the way. If you do give it a whirl you will meet some of the finest people at Scottish Country Dancing.

[Arlen]

I've been doing SCD since I was just a nipper. (We got taught ceilidh and SCD dancing in P.E. every winter.)

I've only really got into it in the last while when I've built enough confidence to realise that even if I am not a great dancer I can learn.

Plus, DANCE CARDS!

Where else in this day and age can you get dance cards and ask pretty ladies if you might dance the next with them?!

I don't dance much when I am in Glasgow, but when I am in Boise I dance with The Thistle and Ghillies Scottish Country Dancers.
I'm hoping that with a lot of practice they will let me join the Demo team.

SCD really is a great workout and it is such a good, fun, social experience.

Part of what I enjoy is the camaraderie. A group of people from all walks of life really enjoying this one thing and wanting to excel at it as well as just have fun with it.
Plus, the ladies are always dressed beautifully and the men always look dashing. Which is fun.

I don't actually have any pictures whatsoever of me dancing, but I did just get this wonderful picture of my beautiful wife dancing at the Portland RSCDS gathering last weekend.

She's the one with the lovely flowing hair.

[Cynthia]

Well, I don't dance (yet), but I have to admit I'm very excited to see this sub-forum. I found out recently there is a group fairly close to my area that teaches SCD, and I'd really like to check them out in the near future.

[Arlen]

Well, I don't dance (yet), but I have to admit I'm very excited to see this sub-forum. I found out recently there is a group fairly close to my area that teaches SCD, and I'd really like to check them out in the near future.

You should definitely go for it.
It's very much worth it.

[Cynthia]

I'd definitely love to look into it. I used to take middle-eastern dance, and although it was a blast (and a great workout) it was just me. Then I took ballroom dance with Christopher, and that was ok but way too expensive and there were other things that got in the way at the time.

We've both missed the fun of learning something like that, the exercise, and I love the thought of meeting new people.

I mainly need to make sure the group still meets, and everything is still the same (location/times/etc). The information I've seen online is old.

I think it'd be a blast, though!

[McMurdo]

I could not figure out how to turn this one so I thought I'd post it anyway its sideways but I know my Monitor turns if yours does too turn it then play the wee movie


This was from the RSCDS Tartan Ball

I have couple from the dancing in the park that was held this past Summer




Enjoy

[MartinGrenoble]

I have danced most of my life and always loved it -- exercise for mind and body, nice music and sociable company.

When I came to live in France 35 years ago, there was no Scottish dancing outside of Paris, and I found French folk dancing to be very dull indeed. So I created one club after another in every town I lived or worked in, and now there are clubs all over southeastern France (as well as others in the north that I was not responsible for).

Although some of the old fogies of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society tend to frown on fun and games, in most clubs, people come for the friendly atmosphere, and a smile is more important than perfect footwork. And it really is an international, rather than just Scottish, pastime these days with clubs and classes in the most unexpected places with no connexion with Scotland whatsoever, from Oslo to Malaga, Britanny to Ukraine, but also Japan, Abu Dhabi, southern Africa...

the kilt is never compulsory, but I have met only one dancer who refuses to adopt our favorite garment.

There are some photos on my Flickr page:
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/10989205@N05/sets/72157602903634784/>

Martin,
in Grenoble, France.

[Andrewson]

I dance twice a week in two local clubs and at the odd informal and formal dance as well. I was taught the standard basic ceilidh dances as a boy at school in Scotland but did not take to it at all then. I did briefly take up "proper" SCD when I first became an ex-pat - my English friends just took it for granted that I would - but that did not last long.

Then, about 20 years ago my wife and I saw a local group dancing at a community event and that set us off dancing on a regular basis - and learning all about the wonderfully varied and interesting dances that continue to be added to the repertoire. Indeed I enjoy trying to add to that repertoire myself.

We do it for all the reasons others have given above - it is great fun, good exercise for mind and body and you get to do in in very good company to music with absolutely infectious rhythms. What more do you need?

[RowdyRed]

Thank you for posting this forum, Great XMarkers that Be!!

I joined SCD when I first moved to Dallas (2001)- and met the most wonderful people there! From that meeting and many dances later, I met two wonderful new friends, went to Scotland with them, danced with the locals (twice!) and continue to meet amazing new people (Christopher and Cynthia!)

The SCD does attract a different kind of people - most of them fun and some 'old fogies', as Martin put it so well.

We meet on Fridays, which usually puts a crimp in my dating life..but at least it keeps me out of trouble!