Resources for 8 week improvers' course in Euston

On this page we post information on a week by week basis about dances, steps and formations covered. Meanwhile check here to see what has been going on in our Autumn 2025 beginners' class.

Summaries of last year's Improvers' class can be found here

Check out this link on the RSCDS website for videos and information about basic steps and formations.

For information about where to buy dance shoes - check the bottom of this page, below the week by week class summaries.

Week 1: 21 January 2026

The class warmed up to the Charlestown Chaser, followed by foot positions and some mild stretches to waltz music.

After revising The Highland Fair, James taught a new dance, Mary Erskine which included a new-to-the-class formation ‘double triangles’. Onto some strathspey practice with Seann Truibhas Willichan which we encountered towards the end of last term. This was followed by the Waratah Weaver and the class, now augmented by the arrival of Antonia and Beth, finished with a 5 couple set dancing the Flowers of Dunbeg and a 4 couple set dancing The Flying Scotsman. I am mildly in awe and would love to have seen that!

Week 3: 4 February 2026

We had a full, active and enjoyable class this week. James has stepped up the pace, introducing new formations and dances – and the class responded wonderfully.

We warmed up to The Waratah Weaver, then a series of stretches in preparation for an energetic evening with lots of dancing and even more concentration as James led us through four dances in quick succession.

James had introduced the class to the poussette the previous week. This week, we revisited the poussette, this time dancing it in the reel, Flowers of Edinburgh, an old (18C) dance, quite simple and ending with a poussette.

We followed the Flowers of Edinburgh with some strathspey step practice and then revised the Birks of Invermay, which we learned last week and which included a complete three-couple promenade.

After a short break we moved on to another reel (actually, a hornpipe), The Sailor. This is a classic old dance which appears on many dance programmes, not least that of the Winter Wednesday dance, which is coming up on 18/02 (entry fee included in your payment for this course). The Sailor included a brief double triangles movement, plus idiosyncratic right shoulder reels of three, an energetic solo for the first couple, and rights and lefts to end.

We finished the evening with the jig EH3 7AF. This is another very popular dance, often the first dance on a programme as it’s a useful warm up dance. It includes a progressive promenade (first couple finished the promenade in 6 bars then cast to second place) and its special figure where the dancing couple pass right shoulder each time and turn 1st corner and then 2nd corner by the right, before a segue into right-hands across and then half a figure of eight - man down, lady up - to get the dancing couple home to second place.

There was a lot of new material to absorb this week, but the class coped well, building upon accumulated knowledge from previous weeks. In fact, everyone did so well that James intends to keep up the pace, introducing more new dances and formations this coming week. We’ll look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!

Before then, James suggests that this video (https://www.scottish-country-dancing-dictionary.com/video/castle-of-mey.html) could be a useful demonstration of the poussette (plus other movements), with the added bonus of including our fabulous musician, Adam, in slightly younger form, as one of the dancers.

Flowers of Edinburgh 3/4L · R32 Unknown: Bk 1

The Birks of Invermay 3/4L · S32 Skillern: Bk 16

The Sailor 3/4L : R32 Unknown Bk 24

EH3 7AF 3/4L · J32 Goldring Bk 40

Week 2: 28 January 2026

We warmed up with A Reel for Jeannie, followed by some mild stretches and foot positions. Step practice consisted of travelling and setting across the room in three lines. We revised Mary Erskine, a reel which includes double triangles, from last week and then learned the quick time poussette, which we danced in a jig, Linton Ploughman.

Videos of these 2 new movements may be seen via the links below.

Poussette: https://www.scottish-country-dancing-dictionary.com/videoclips/poussette.html
Double triangles: https://www.scottish-country-dancing-dictionary.com/videoclips/double-triangles.html

We followed up with strathspey setting and travelling (noting the difference between the transitions in quick time and in strathspey), and then danced a strathspey dance, The Birks of Invermay, which included two-hand turns in four and three bars and then a complete promenade for three couples.

Detail of the dances covered may be seen via the links below. Many thanks to James and to Antonia, who joined us this week as class musician. I’m also including quite a lot of information below the signature line about dance shoes and about some forthcoming events.

Mary Erskine 3/4L ? R32 Goldring: A Second Book of Graded Scottish Country Dances

Linton Ploughman 2/4L : J32 Unknown: Bk 5

The Birks of Invermay 3/4L ? S32 Skillern: Bk 16

Week 4: 11 February 2026

We had another very focused and productive class this week. After warming up to the Cumberland Reel, James took the class through the intricacies of ‘set and rotate’, then a reel of four in preparation for dancing ‘The Westminster Reel’. This dance was devised by a London dancer, teacher and musician, Jeremy Hill (many of you met Grace Hill, his wife, when she took one of our classes last term). It’s a very popular dance and often appears on dance programmes. You can see videos and explanations of these new movements below:

We then revisited the poussette and James introduced a new to the class (albeit old and very popular) dance, the Flowers of Edinburgh. There are various explanations for the dance name – some poetic, some rather less so. Check out the ‘extra info’ tab on the link below for more information.

We finished with EH3 7AF, also known as ‘the postcode dance’ as it refers to the post code of the RSCDS offices in Edinburgh.

Many thanks to James and to Adam, our musician this week.

Winter Wednesday Dance: Next week there is NO CLASS, but we will be at St Columba’s Church, Pont Street for the Winter Wednesday dance. Do come along and join the fun. The entrance fee is included in the payment you have already made for this course, and the dances are all chosen with you and other less experienced dancers in mind. A list of the dances plus instructions and videos included may be seen via this link https://my.strathspey.org/dd/list/65397/ . Some you have danced already in class, others contain many of the different movements James has been teaching you – plus there will be lots of people there to help you through the dance. We’re back to regular class on 25 Feb.

White Rose Festival 11 July: I’ve mentioned the White Rose Festival before. If you’re interested in joining the London team (all levels of dancers welcomed, particularly newer dancers. Also, spectators) please let me know by 28 Feb via classes@rscdslondon.org.uk. We don’t need commitment at this stage, just an idea of how many people are interested. More information here https://www.rscdslondon.org.uk/festival-2026 . We had great fun last year and would love to share it with more of you this year.

Cumberland Reel 4/4L ? J32 Unknown Bk 1

The Westminster Reel 2/4L ? R32 Hill Bk 45

Flowers of Edinburgh 3/4L ? R32 Unknown: Bk 1

EH3 7AF 3/4L ? J32 Goldring Bk 40

Week 5: 25 February 2026

Last week’s class required even higher levels of concentration than usual as James introduced the class to more new formations – in particular, Hello Goodbye setting, and the Strathspey Poussette.

We warmed up to Dunnet Head, devised by London Branch member and teacher Peter Knight. Although relatively simple, this did require us to count the bars as we crossed the set, cast behind the opposite tine, crossed back and back up to places (eg 2 bars for 1st lady to cross the set, 2 to cast down to the bottom of the set, 2 more to cross back and the final 2 to dance back up to place. We had to move swiftly to get to the right place in time, so it served as an excellent warm up.

We then moved on to ‘Major Ian Stewart’ (James explained that the Major was married to Mrs Ysobel Stewart, nee Campbell, co-founder of the RSCDS). Timing was again important as the dance began with 1st and 2nd couples turning their partners halfway with the right hand (2 bars), then joining up into half right hands across (2 bars), before separating again to make a full right hand turn (4 bars) with their partner. The next 8 bars introduced ‘hello goodbye’ setting (also known as ‘set to corners and partner’) whereby the first couple began to set to their first corner as usual with the right foot but then led with their left foot, on the 2nd part of the step to face their partner across the set, then repeating to face 2nd corner and again to face up and down the set. The ‘Hello goodbye’ name refers to the dancers moving to face a corner, or their partner (hello), and then moving away as part of the same setting stop (goodbye). It’s probably easier to watch than to read – so here is a video clip https://www.scottish-country-dancing-dictionary.com/videoclips/hello-goodbye-setting.html.

After a break, we changed tempo and tackle the Strathspey poussette, which is possibly my favourite formation in Scottish Country dance but can seem fiendishly complicated at first sight. Thank goodness for James who is able to break such movements down into teachable parts. After a lot of practice and focused attention, the class got to grips with the movement, which James was teaching as an introduction to the dance The Lammemuir Hills. More on that dance is promised later, meanwhile here is a link to a teaching video of the strathspey poussette https://www.scottish-country-dancing-dictionary.com/videoclips/strathspey-poussette.html. NB some people still refer to it as a diamond Pousette or an ‘all round poussette’. Whatever its name, it has the potential to be a satisfyingly beautiful, elegant movement - many congratulations to the class for making such substantial progress with it last week.

Dunnet Head 4/4L ? R32 Knight: Collins Pocket Reference: SCD

Major Ian Stewart 3/4L ? J32 Drewry Bk 35

The Lammermuir Hills 2/4L ? S32 Goldring: Wells House and other Strathspeys

Week 7: 11 March 2026

Next week is the final week of the 2026 improvers course with James. James asks if you have any special request for dances or formations you would like to cover on Wednesday, please let me know by return (no later than tomorrow morning) to give our musician time to prepare.

After this week there are still 2 more weeks of this term, and you are all invited to join the general class (which will relocate to the dance studio from 25 March). This is included in your course fee. The final class of this term will be Wednesday 1 April, and then general classes resume on Wednesday 22 April. Payment for the Summer term general classes can be either weekly pay as you go, by card at the class or online, or online for the whole term – whatever works best for you. The general classes are aimed at people at precisely your stage of dancing so feel confident to come along and continue to progress. You have been a brilliant class and there’s so much more still to experience!

James kept the pressure up this week, introducing several new formations and revising others. We warmed up with a well-known standard the Dashing White Sergeant (although, as James pointed out, the RSCDS version we danced is rather more sedate than the reeling and ceilidh version) Nonetheless it warmed us up nicely and reinforced the class knowledge of set and turn corners and left shouldered reels of three – both of which formations featured in Sleepy Maggie which we danced last term.

We then moved onto a rather more modern favourite, Mrs Macpherson of Inveran, which was the first dance to feature Inveran reels and which appears on many dance programmes. For the second and third couples, Inveran reels are simply mirror reels of three, 2s starting out and up, threes in and up. However, the first couple start by crossing down (lady first) between the 2nd and 3rd positions, then crossing back to their own side, again between 2nd and 3rd positions - effectively dancing in a sausage shape, whilst the others dance normal reels around them. Demonstration video here .

Our next dance, Gaelforce Wind, which you danced for the first time the previous week, includes set and link for 2 plus the men’s chain. These are also popular formations which appear on many dance programmes so it was definitely worth revisiting. Confidence (and competence!) levels appeared much higher by the end of the dance. In case it is helpful, I repeat here links to some demonstration videos for the Ladies’ and Men’s chains. Ladies Chain (starts with ladies crossing right hand) and Men’s Chain (starts with men crossing left hand).

Our final dance of the evening was Lammermuir Hillls, which we had started earlier in the month. As we practiced the strathspey poussette (also known as all round poussette) I heard more than one person comment that it was easier to dance than to walk slowly through - how true! This is a very common feeling, indeed as James notes, it can be “easy to over think the pattern and it is better to let it flow in your head and on the floor.” Wednesday was an evening of definite progress in confidence on a number of movements and the strathspey poussette was no exception – well done all! James also notes that: the movement creates a series of diagonals, the first diagonal is made on Bar 1, the second diagonal on Bar 3 and the first diagonal again, with the couples having changed places, on bar 4 and then the second diagonal again on Bar 6. None of these is static, but the diagonal is made momentarily as the dancers pass through. The teaching video link may be found here https://www.scottish-country-dancing-dictionary.com/videoclips/strathspey-poussette.html

Looking forward to dancing with you all next week

Beginners & Improvers: James Fairbairn

Mrs Macpherson of Inveran 3/4L ? R32 Drewry: Bon Accord

Gaelforce Wind 3/4L ? J32 Haynes: A Third Book of Graded Scottish Country Dances

The Lammermuir Hills 2/4L ? S32 Goldring: Wells House and other Strathspeys

Week 6: 4 March 2026

The class began warming up by dancing Rabbie’s Reel from book 40. Although a simple dance, this can be challenging to dance well within the time permitted by the music. In particular, as James advised, the movement ‘dance right shoulder round partner and back’ in four bars requires attack and a long extension in the skip change to get across and back and balance and control to turn 180 degrees. So, a good warm up for brain and body!

Adam then provided waltz music for some warm up stretches in various foot positions before tackling the next dance Gaelforce Wind. This incorporated two formations which were new to the class, ‘set and link for two’ and a ‘men’s chain’. These were practised in two-couple sets and, whilst ‘set and link’ was quite quickly picked up, the men’s chain proved a little more demanding. However, James has plans to revise this movement in future classes, as well as the Ladies’ Chain which was introduced last term in Mrs Stewart’s Jig. Meanwhile, here are a couple of videos which demonstrate the Ladies and Men’s chains. Ladies Chain (starts with ladies crossing right hand) and Men’s Chain (starts with men crossing left hand).

Step practice this week included moving in lines across the room, setting and travelling and vice versa. This demanded a lot of concentration, combining trying to keep with the beat of the music in pas de basque whilst remembering to include a hop at the start of each launch into skip change. James reported good progress overall on this, a payback for the hard work the dancers have been putting into the class.

After the break, the class revised the Westminster Reel (which includes diagonal reels of four as well as set and rotate to progress) and demonstrated a good recall of the figures from previous classes. The evening finished with a look at the strathspey poussette (all round poussette). This can be a confusing movement to learn, but beautiful and deeply satisfying to dance once mastered. We will work more on the Lammermuir Hills in general and the poussette in particular next week.

Rabbie's Reel 4/4L ? R32 Fife Council: Bk 40

Gaelforce Wind 3/4L ? J32 Haynes: A Third Book of Graded Scottish Country Dances

Westminster Reel 2/4L ? R32 Hill: Bk 45

Lammermuir Hills 2/4L ? S32 Goldring: Wells House and other Strathspeys

1C and 2C Lead down and back to progress
2H turn 4 bars and 3 bars
6-bar LS reels of three on opp sides, XR
Advance & retire
All round poussette
Allemande for two couples
Back to back
Cast off and back
Circle
Cross cast 2 cross cast up 1
Cross RH 4 bars
Cross, cast/step up, cross up, cast
Double setting
Double Triangles
Figures of eight, full and half
Grand chain for three couples
Hands across RHA/LHA
Hello goodbye setting
Ladies Chain
Lead down and back and cast
Lead down and back and finish in centre
Lead up, x cast, 1/2 r of 3
Men's chain
Petronella
Poussette quick time
Progress / Step up
Progressive promenade
Promenade
Reels of four
Reels of three
RHA, half figure of eight.
Rights and lefts
Set & Link for two
Set advancing. 1/2 reel of 4
Set and cast
Set and hands across halfway
Set and rotate
Set and turn 2H
set to and turn corners
Set to corners
Slip down and back
The Knot
TRH 4 bars, TRH 1.1/2 4 bars
Turn corners and partner
Turn corners RH, pass R
Turn RH/LH

Week 8: 18 March 2026

Congratulations on successfully completing the Improvers’ course. It truly has been a joy to dance with you, and we hope that we can continue to dance with you at other branch classes and dances. Many thanks to James and to all our musicians for making the course so productive and enjoyable.

From this week onwards, you are invited to join the General class which will be in the dance studio at Maria Fidelis – 7-9pm on Wednesdays. The 25 March and 1 April classes are included in the course fee you paid for this term. When the Summer term begins (22 April) classes may be paid per week at £8 RSCDS members, £10 non members. The General class is designed to be accessible to people who have completed the beginners and improvers courses and our teachers for this term’s classes (Pat and Catriona) have been briefed about what you have covered with James. They are looking forward to meeting you.

This week’s class began by warming up to Scotch Mixer – a round the room dance with the added challenge of changing partners and then finding another couple to dance with at the end of time through. As we had an odd number of couples, it quickly became quite competitive, and a lot of fun, to find another couple. We then enjoyed a more sedate warmup with stretches etc to prepare us for the final class of the course.

James had introduced Mrs MacPherson of Inveran, and Inveran Reels, last week. We revised it successfully this week and were then able to dance if three times through in our 3 couple sets. Moving on to Strathspey, James introduced the class to the Sauchie Haugh, which included the Rondel, (see video here https://www.scottish-country-dancing-dictionary.com/videoclips/rondel.html) the final formation on James’s list for this course. The dance finished with an all-round poussette. As we found when dancing the Lammemuir Hills in previous weeks, this is one of the trickiest of the formations (also one of the loveliest once mastered) so it was good to practise it again.

After the break James taught Mairi’s Wedding, an immensely popular dance and often seen as the final dance of the evening on dance programmes. It features four half-reels of four, which everyone picked up so quickly that we were able to dance it 3 times through before finishing our evening with a high energy version of the Flying Scotsman.

Thank you to everyone for your commitment and contribution to this course. It has been great to meet you all and to observe as under James’s tutelage you were introduced to and learned 50+ figures and formations. I wish you many years of happy dancing using these skills! Details of what was covered in each class may be found on our website Improvers-resources | rscdslondon.

Looking forward to seeing you at this week’s general class!

Beginners & Improvers: James Fairbairn

Scotch Mixer 2RR · R32 Unknown

Mrs Macpherson of Inveran 3/4L · R32 Drewry: Bon Accord Bk

The Sauchie Haugh 2/4L · S32 Emmerson Lft. Dances

Mairi's Wedding 3/4L · R40 Cosh: 22 Scottish Country Dances

The Flying Scotsman 4/4L · J32 RSCDS

About Shoes

Women wear Scottish country dance pumps. These look like plain black ballet shoes- but a bit more robust.

Men wear laced up ghillies – women sometimes wear these too as they prefer the laced up shoes

If you’re buying online, be sure to buy Scottish country dance shoes, not Highland dance shoes as they are different

Antonio Pacelli has been a good option for standard Scottish country dance shoes but website is currently (Jan 2025) showing that the country dance shoes have been discontinued.

Other online options are Thistle Shoes and James Senior Shoes – very helpful on the phone if you have specific queries.
Split sole dance sneakers: some dancers prefer this type of shoe as it gives more support. I have heard good things about the Criss Cross shoe, which is made by Bloch, and Rumpf split sole sneakers have also been recommended. I understand that the sneakers can come up a little smaller than standard street shoes so worth considering sizing up.
Specialist dance shops in London are Capezzio, Bloch and Dancia, all in Covent Garden. Mainly ballet – don’t have Scottish Dance on websites but might be worth popping in for a chat.

London

Scottish country dancing across the capital

London