23 September 2025

Dave Hall gave us a lively start to the next season with an excellent selection of dances and different formations to tackle.

 

We began our warmup with the Boston Two-Step before paying serious attention to some Strathspey exercises, ahead of our first dance, Une Mazurka sous les etoiles. This included the tourbillon, familiar to most, and the less familiar Figure of Love (to be pronounced in a very particular way!).  Dave advised that the dance instructions had recently amended the Strathspey Poussette,  to a Poussette in waltz hold. We were not too keen on that idea and persisted with our much-loved standard poussette.

Moving in to reel time Red boat Sailing the Blue required faith that the pattern would work itself out as each dancer faced their partner only at the beginning and end of the dance. Our next dance, the jig  Stanford Swing from the Devil’s Quandary book, introduced some of us to La Barrette, although Dave assured us that it had been danced for decades. It took a bit of concentration but was definitely pleasing to dance once we grasped the requirements. The final dance of the evening The Faraway Isle, was devised by John Drewry as ‘as dance for the isle of Majorca’.

 

Many thanks to Dave for starting the season off in such style and to Adam for his usual fabulous accompaniment. Thanks also to Nadia for visiting us on her trip from New York – it was great to have your company, Nadia.

 

Next month we look forward to Sam Schad’s class on 21 October.

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21 October 2025

Sam Schad's classes can be relied upon to fulfil the 'fast paced“ part of the “Fast paced social dance” promise and this month was no exception. We were advised that the theme of the evening was to be ‘small furry animals’. Our warmup dance The Waratah Weaver did not seem immediately to fit this brief (Waratah being the floral symbol of New South Wales) but Sam explained that a very young dancer had likened the dance to squirrels dancing through trees. Who could resist?  The supporting dancers raised their arms to simulate trees and the squirrel impressions from first couple, Chris and Antonia, as they weaved in and out of the others were memorable!

 

We then moved through a variety of small animal related dances from The Squirrel (reels, rondel) to The White Rabbit (weasel reel), Foxhill Court (espagnole, dance to corners and set), The March Hare (set to corners and partner). The animals started to increase in size as we enjoyed Sunshine and Sweeties Jig (commemorating the Edinburgh Zoo pandas) and later, The Pink Panda (A John Drewry dance from the Cherry Blossom book). In between these two, The Rabbit Run returned to small animals with a Sam Schad devised dance. We abandoned animals for a while to dance a couple of Book 53 dances, Portincaple Oak and Pinewoods Reel, before finishing with A Toast to the Mousies and Keith Smith’s lovely, scampering tune.

 

As usual, the dances covered are listed below with links to the cribs and videos on the Scottish Country Dance Data Base. 

Many thanks to Sam for an invigorating and fun filled evening, and to Adam for the usual wonderful music. Next month Jeremy Hill will be our teacher (18 November) then, in a change to the previously advertised programme, Joan Desborough, accompanied by Neil Esslemont on small pipes, will deliver the 9 December class.  David Queen, who was to be our December teacher will instead join us in May 2026.

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The Waratah Weaver 4/4L · J32 See: A Second Book of Graded Scottish Country Dances 

The Squirrel 3/4L · J32 Boyd: Kilmarnock Album

The White Rabbit 3/4L · R32 Skelton: Reel Reflections

Foxhill Court 3/4L · S32 Drewry: The Canadian Book of Scottish Country Dances

The March Hare 3/3L · R32 Bentley:

Sunshine and Sweeties Jig 3/4L · J32 Short:  Bk 48

The Rabbit Run: Schad

Portincaple Oak 4S · M64 Thorn: Bk 53

The Pink Panda 3/4L · R32 Drewry:  The Cherry Blossom Book

Pinewoods Reel 3/4L · R32 Dickson : Bk 53

Toast to the Mousies 3/4L · R32 Gratiot: Bk53