The Branch runs classes and dances in Scottish Country Dancing for beginners and experienced dancers as well as a lively family class. We have resumed our programme of classes and events within COVID-19 guidelines. If you would like be on our mailing list or have a question about Scottish Country Dancing in London please contact the Publicity coordinator using our contact form.
NEXT DANCE EVENT – CHRISTMAS DANCE
| London Branch Classes – planned return September 2021 | ||
| Beginners and Improvers Class | Wednesdays 7 – 9pm | London SW10 0AY |
| Technique Class for Intermediate and Advanced Dancers | Wednesdays 7 – 9pm | London SW10 0AY |
| Summer General Class | Wednesdays 7 – 9pm | London SW10 0AY |
| Mixed Ability Class | Wednesdays 2.30 – 4.30pm | London SW1X 0BD |
| Richmond Beginner’s and Improvers Class * see updates on page for class venue | Wednesdays 7.30 – 9.30pm | Richmond TW9 1DH |
| Families in London Dance Scottish | Selected Saturdays | Clapham SW11 1EQ |
| Technique Class for advanced and very advanced dancers | Selected Sundays 11.30am – 1.30pm | WC1N 1DN |
| Future Dances | ||
| Christmas Dance | Saturday 11 December 2021 | |
| Burns Ceilidh Supper and Dance | Saturday 15 January 2022 | |
| Winter Wednesday Dance | Wednesday 16 February 2022 | |
| Summer Wednesday Dance | Wednesday 1 June 2022 | |
| AGM and End of Season Dance | Saturday 11 June 2022 |
Places on the Musicians’ Workshop at this year’s Branch Day School are now full.
Please contact Margaret if you would like to be added to a waiting list.
RSCDS London Branch AGM 2021 took place via Zoom on Saturday 12 June 2021 at 5.00 p.m. Details of this year’s AGM are now available on the AGM page.
The Branch Report of Activities, Minutes and Agenda are also available to view on the AGM page. Read more »
We are pleased to announce a new entry under our Archives section. This is the Mary Isdale MacNab Collection of dances with links to publications and videos.
In place of the previously scheduled Combined Societies dance on 10 April 2021, we had an online ‘Spring from Home’ event, a joint venture from the London Highland Club, St Columba’s Dancers and London Branch.
The event began with a minutes’ silence in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh who had died the previous day. As for the London Branch Burns Night at Home, ‘Spring from Home’ featured music, dance, poetry, quizzes, competitions and plenty of online chat.
Items included some vintage dances as well as music from Ian and Meryl Thomson and from Craigellachie. Jim Cook provided a spring themed quiz and there was poetry from Valerie Strachan and Willie Lawrence, history from Rachel Wilton and Meryl Thomson, a song from Frances Bright, and, perhaps most important of all, dance recaps from Pat Davoll, Peter Forrow and Murrough Landon to make sure that we all had the chance to dance.
To see the videos which were part of the online event, go to the Spring from Home playlist on our YouTube channel
Read more »
We have published a few photos taken from the Branch archives showing trips the Branch dem team made abroad in 1954, 1957 and 1961.
The Branch held a virtual Burns event from 5pm on Sunday 24 January. The evening featured vintage videos from ceilidhs past plus music, poetry and all the traditional Burns features, including the Address to a Haggis, the Immortal Memory, Toast to the Lassies and the Lassies’ Response.
Watch a recording of the event on the Branch’s YouTube channel
The Scottish Dance Archives website was run by Bob and Mamie Donald for many years. Having decided to retire, they kindly asked if RSCDS London Branch would provide a place for the website archives within the London Branch website which we are pleased to do.
The information on the website includes a list of the items in the Donald Collection and an index of the over 1800 dances available in the collection, which is held at the Central Library in Edinburgh. Instructions for 250 of the dances are available on this website as PDF files.
The Donald Collection Archive can be accessed under the Archives entry on the main menu.
Our next opportunity to dance together will be at the Open Air dancing in Kensington Gardens on 21 and 28 August – please check with the website and eUpdate for further details.
The RSCDS London Branch AGM took place on 12 June 2021. We are grateful to all those who took the time to join us on that occasion and to Craigellachie band who provided the music for the short ceilidh which followed. For those unable to attend, the video of the AGM may be accessed here and the Annual Accounts and Annual Report are available here.