London
Scottish country dancing across the capital
Day School and Musicians' Workshop, Saturday 17 October 2026
Meet the day school staff
We are delighted to confirm our 2026 day school staff members.
Gary Coull, Mathias Ferber and Jan Collings will join us as teachers, supported by class musicians Barbara Manning, Adam Brady and Jeremy Hill.
Intermediate, Advanced and Very Advanced classes in the morning and afternoon will be followed by optional classes covering 'A Boozy Afternoon' (Gary), 'All Sorts of Poussettes' (Mathias) and Dances from the Evening Programme (Jan).
Ian Robertson will lead our Musicians' Workshop and, with the day school musicians provide the rousing music for our evening dance.
Adam Brady
Class Musician: Advanced (am), Very Advanced (pm), A 'Boozy' Afternoon (optional)
Growing up on the east coast of Scotland, traditional music and dance have formed an integral part of Adam’s life. Adam began playing the accordion and piano at five years old and first started playing for country dancing at ten years old. Since first playing for local classes for RSCDS Dundee Branch, Adam has had the pleasure to travel throughout the UK, Europe, US, Canada, Japan and Australia playing for classes, dances and music workshops. We are very fortunate to have Adam as a regular London Branch class musician. Adam has been an invited musician for the RSCDS Summer School for more than a decade and has also played for the RSCDS Winter School, Spring Fling and AGM Weekend. Alongside his older brother, he has recorded and released five albums of country dance music as well as two recordings for the RSCDS. As a keen dancer, Adam enjoys getting to dance – when he can!
Barbara Manning
Class Musician: Intermediate (am), Advanced (pm), Dances from the Evening Programme (optional)
After many years as a keen Scottish country and highland dancer, Barbara Manning turned her classical music training to band use 4 decades ago, and since then has accompanied dancing in many parts of the UK and Europe, the USA, Ukraine and Russia, besides visiting Summer School both as a dancer and musician. She has played for numerous day schools and London Branch technique classes and has featured on recordings and with McBain’s Band on Radio Scotland’s Take the Floor from St Columba’s, Pont Street and on the Earls Court Radio Show, besides playing on stage at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for the Royal Ballet School’s Annual Performance in 1985. She currently plays mainly with the Silver Cross Band and in a duo with Ken Martlew, besides featuring solo on either piano or fiddle. In November 2016, Barbara was delighted to receive from the National Operatic and Dramatic Association the personal award of Vicki Avery for Service to Amateur Theatre.
Gary Coull
Teacher: Advanced (am), Very Advanced (pm), A 'Boozy' Afternoon (optional)
Gary began dancing at the age of 10 in Dufftown, Scotland with Jessie Stuart as his teacher and gained his full teaching certificate in 2013. Gary has taught at various weekend and day schools in Scotland, Europe, North America and Australia including RSCDS Summer School, the 40th anniversary weekend of the Stockholm Branch, TAC Summer Schools in Vancouver and Halifax and the Sydney Winter School. He is currently the Chair of the RSCDS. Gary loves a dance with a birl, enjoys dancing strathspeys (especially ones with a poussette) and thinks the most important thing about Scottish country dancing is having fun! By day Gary works for the University of Aberdeen, is married to Joanna and has 2 children, Bess and Flora.
Ian Robertson
Musicians' Workshop lead
Ian is from Buckinghamshire and comes from a family steeped in Scottish music. His great-grandmother was a fine pianist who is known to have played piano for the great fiddler-composer James Scott Skinner before the turn of the 20th century.
Ian is a familiar face on the Scottish dance scene. He is most often seen now leading his own band on accordion although he regularly plays fiddle with a variety of leading musicians. A regular at RSCDS Winter and Summer Schools, he has played for weekend schools, functions and festivals across the UK and throughout the world.
An accomplished composer, Ian has 2 volumes of tunes in print. Embracing the modern world, all of his compositions are now available for free download on his website. Head over to www.ianrobertsonmusic.co.uk for more information.
His most recent solo fiddle recording was released in 2019. The CD entitled “Robertson: a musical heritage”, a collection spanning 3 centuries with all of the tunes written either for a Robertson, or by a Robertson.
Jan Collings
Teacher: Intermediate (am), Advanced (pm), Dances from the Evening Programme (optional)
Jan was an enthusiastic tap, ballet and modern stage dancer as a child and later discovered the joy of Scottish country dancing and teaching others. She is a member of the serTA committee and keen to promote quality teaching in the South-East of England.
Jan teaches regularly at Lucy Clark SCDC, based in Wendover, Bucks and a number of other clubs in the south-east of England, including London Branch. She has also taught workshops abroad in Barcelona and Cadiz. She enjoys watching students blossom and grow in confidence in their dancing skills and learning to work as a team with other dancers. Jan is looking forward to teaching at the London Day School in October.
Jeremy Hill
Class Musician: Very Advanced (am), Intermediate (pm), All Sorts of Poussettes (optional)
A versatile musician, Jeremy can often be found playing the piano for dance classes, in dance bands, and accompanying singers and instrumentalists. Having started dancing seriously at University, Jeremy first played Scottish music after moving to London in 1988. Since then, he has juggled his playing with his enjoyment of dancing and teaching. For many years he has played at dance Day Schools across the UK and Europe, as well as at the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society’s Summer School in St Andrews (where he also runs a choir). Jeremy has had several stints on the London Branch committee, and edited The Reel from 2012 to 2017. He currently serves on the RSCDS Management Board as Convenor of the Membership Services Committee.
Mathias Ferber
Teacher: Very Advanced (am), Intermediate (pm), All Sorts of Poussettes (optional)
Mathias started Scottish Country Dancing as a teenager, first in Switzerland and then in France. He has been constantly traveling for SCD events around the world. Since 2012, he has been a regular teacher with the Paris Branch, teaching many classes and workshops with equal passion, from beginner classes to the most demanding high impact levels. At all levels and for all audiences, he enjoys digging into the details that can add extra beauty and fun to the dance.
