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Scottish country dancing across the capital
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 2024 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: 22 January 2025
Dave Hall, who worked with James on the development of this course, will be our teacher for the first half term. After the February half term break James will return for 2 classes and Ken Gilbert will also take 2 classes.
Accompanied this week by Adam on keyboard, Dave quickly got us all dancing , assessing how far the class had come during the Autumn term. After some skip change of step practice, he moved swiftly into dancing a grand chain, where dancers start facing their partners, then move around a circle crossing first right hand, then left hand with their fellow dancers (video demonstration link here). From this point he reduced the size of the circle until we had just two couples dancing, this ‘Grand chain for 4 Dancers’ is also known as Rights and Lefts (video) and featured in the first dance of the evening, The Highland Fair (video link in table below).
For our next dance Sleepy Maggie (which, like The Highland Fair had been danced during the beginners course) we first revised our slip step (video), for dancing neatly in a circle, then pas de basque, or setting step (video). For the pas de basque, we concentrated first on the rhythm, building up to setting then moving (as Sleepy Maggie involved setting to and then turning corners). The dance Sleepy Maggie belies its name. It’s anything but sleepy with great music and a fast pace. With intense concentration and determination from dancers and teacher, the class succeeded in dancing it 8 times through before stopping for a well-earned biscuit break.
We then moved onto strathspey, revising the different aspects of this stately step (video) and dancing Seann Triubhas Willichan (which pronounced approximately like “shorn troos WILLI-shan”) translates, rather more prosaically as “William’s Old Trousers”).
Link to dance information and videos
The Highland Fair 2/4L · J32 RSCDS Bk 22
Sleepy Maggie 3/4L · R32 Bowman: 101 Scottish Country Dances
Sean Triubhas Willichan 2/4L · S32 Thomas Wilson Bk 27
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Week 2: 29 January 2025
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We had another very productive class this week, lots of concentration and the biscuit break particularly well earned! Dave, accompanied by Ian, started the class with some strathspey practice – travelling step, travelling step when in a circle and setting step (spoiler – they are all essentially the same step) before taking us through Seann Truibhas WIllichan. We’d started this last week, but the extra practice definitely made a difference, and we danced it through in 2 three couple sets. We then moved into quick time and practiced skip change of step, the quick time travelling step. Dave pointed out a major difference between strathspey and skip change – strathspey starts with a dip whereas the skip change starts with a hop. We also practiced setting (pas de basque), extending the pas de basque from setting on the spot to setting and turning at the same time. This proved essential as the class learned how to dance a petronella and then a poussette for The Dancing Bees (a dance, not named for the honey bee but for a married couple Penny and Robert Bee).
Seann Truibhas Willichan 2/4L · S32 Thomas Wilson Bk 27
The Dancing Bees 3/4L · R32 Goldring: Graded and Social Dances 1
Week 3: 5 February 2025
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After warming up, Dave revisited Highland Fair, which we had worked through in earlier classes. On this occasion, we first practiced it in March time. Ken played Scotland the Brave, as we marched purposefully through the dance, and this helped to emphasise the different movements. We paid lots of attention to catching each other’s eye when we cast behind the lines, holding our hands correctly as we led down the middle and back, and then again in rights and lefts. Then we danced it through to the original tune.
Before Christmas, James had on request, introduced the class to a highly popular party favourite ‘Mairi’s Wedding’. The dance is great fun but also fast and so challenging for beginners. However, the groundwork was done and, now improvers rather than beginners, this class was able to gain confidence with reels of four, then move to diagonal reels and finally the four half diagonal reels that are the main feature of the dance. We danced it once through each couple, aided by Ken’s meticulous playing and Dave’s wholehearted encouragement and coaching throughout. Well done everyone. A really productive class!
This week we have one more class, 12 February, before our half term break. On 19 February there will be the half term Winter Wednesday dance at St Columba’s. Your course fee entitles you to free entry to this dance and your name will be on a list at the entrance. Do try and go along, there will be lots of friendly faces, great music and help to enjoy the dances. Then classes resume from 26 February when Ken and James will alternate the teacher role.
Some information about other happenings below. See you on Wednesday!
The Highland Fair 2/4L · J32 RSCDS Bk 22
Mairi's Wedding 3/4L · R40 Cosh: 1959
Week 4: 12 February 2025
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Dave, accompanied by Heather on fiddle, began with a marching warm up and some stretches then we revised strathspey travelling and setting step. Our first dance, The Braes of Breadalbane gave us plenty of strathspey practice whilst turning, casting and setting as well as dancing Rights and Lefts - or ‘grand chain for 4 Dancers’, as the French refer to it. (Breadalbane is an area in the southern Highlands and today mostly part of the “Loch Lomond and the Trossachs” national park).
We then moved on to quick time and worked on our skip change of step (travelling backwards as well as forwards), slip step (dancing in a circle) and setting steps (pas de basque). The next dance, A Trip to Glasgow, provided plenty of opportunity to put the traveling and setting steps into practice. Apparently, this dance was taught by Miss Milligan, a founder of the RSCDS, on the last class she ever gave in Glasgow.
The class ended with some practice of reels of four up and down, and across the dance. There were in preparation for dancing a square set Strathspey, Culla Bay. The full dance must wait for a future class, but the reels were looking good by the time we finished for the evening. Well done to all dancers and many thanks to Dave, plus musicians Adam, Ian, Ken and Heather, for a stretching and enjoyable half term. Classes resume on 26 February. James and Ken will alternate teaching weeks, starting with Ken. The course ends on 19 March. After that, you are welcomed to join the General class upstairs in the Dance studio, same day, same time.
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The Braes of Breadalbane 3/4L · S32 Skillern: Bk 21
A Trip to Glasgow 2/4L · J32 Unknown: The Leaflet Dances with Music
Culla Bay 4S · S32 Dix: Bk 41
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Week 5: 26 February 2025
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Thanks to Ken for taking the class so well and to Lindsey, who travelled down from Cambridge to provide the musical accompaniment. We’re lucky to have such great support. Willie also joined the class to make up a set where needed. After warm- up, Ken practiced pas de basque with the class. This was then used in Hello Goodbye setting (or Set to Corners and Partners as it is also known) and danced in the College Hornpipe, a lively and enjoyable reel. The very superior shortbread, provided by Liza, was much enjoyed during a well-earned biscuit break!
As you know, I include links to videos of dances covered in this email each week (see below). The videos are hosted on the Scottish Country Dance data base (SCDDB) whose URL is https://my.strathspey.org/dd/dance. Ken explained some of the other facilities available on this invaluable resource, including diagrams and cribs which explain each dance in images or in words. I found them impenetrable when I first used them, but they quickly began to make sense and can be a great help in learning dances. Some people prefer the diagrams, others the words or videos. It’s worth having a look at each type of information to see what works best for you.
After some strathspey travelling practice, Ken moved back into reel time and ended the session with a revision of Mairi’s Wedding. Next week James will be our teacher, accompanied by Ian on fiddle.
The College Hornpipe 3/4L · R32 Boag: Bk 20
Mairi's Wedding 3/4L · R40 Cosh: 1959
Week 6: 5 March 2025
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This week we welcomed Linda to the class – it was great to have your company, Linda. James was our teacher , accompanied by Ian who did sterling work in adjusting the speed of the music to match the needs of the set.
We warmed up with the Loch Ness Monster, then some stretches in preparation for The College Hornpipe, which Ken had introduced the previous week. Key challenges were changing smoothly from circle to promenade and entering the opening reel from 4th position on the 3rd, 5th and 7th repetitions (ie when the ‘1st couple’ completed their 2nd turn and stepped down, the 4s stepped up to become 3s but needed to dance straight into a reel). Good progress was made and the biscuit break well earned.
We then went on to strathspey starting with setting and travelling practice. James taught the class the Rondel (video clip here) and then the Strathspey poussette (video). These can be challenging formations to master but the class focused on the task in hand and used both formations in dancing the Sauchie Haugh. James explained that the Sauchie Haugh refers to a willowy meadow by a river: in this instance the meadow which gave modern Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow its name.
The class finished with the jig The Isle, which has Bonnie Dundee as its signature tune (. James had more interesting background to the dance, the music and their relation to John Graham of Claverhouse (also known as Bluidy Clavers), Walter Scott, and the battle of Killiekrankie (more details here). The class learned how to set to corners, finishing on the opposite side of the dance. This was immediately followed by a 1 ½ RH turn, which needed quite a bit of concentration and of energy!
Thanks to James and to Ian for a challenging and productive class. This week, Ken will be back, accompanied by Erica on fiddle.
The College Hornpipe 3/4L · R32 Boag: Bk 20
Sauchie Haugh 2/4L · S32 Emmerson Lft. Dances
The Isle 3/4L · J32 Graded Book
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Week 7: 12 March 2025​
We had another hard-working session this week – with a lot of progress made. As Ken commented, you learned and danced some quite complex formations, including set and rotate, the Rondel and the Strathspey poussette. Many thanks to Ken for his teaching and music during this term and to Erica who provided the fiddle accompaniment on Wednesday. Erica will be back on the 19th, accompanying James who will deliver the final dance of this improvers course. Once the course finishes there are 2 more General classes before the Easter break and you are all encouraged and welcomed to join the classes, 7-9pm on 26 March and 2 April in the Dance studio, upstairs at Maria Fidelis. These 2 classes are included in the course fee you paid at the start of term. After Easter, you are invited to join the General class again. It’s a lovely, friendly group, a good next step for you in developing your dancing and class fees are paid weekly (although you can buy a term ticket if you prefer).
Many thanks to James, Dave and Ken for all their teaching and support this term, to our musicians for their inspirational tunes, and to you all for the focus and effort you have put into classes. See you on the 19th for our final class of the course.
Click on the links to see dance instructions and videos.
The Westminster Reel R32 2/4L
The Sauchie Haugh S32 2/4L
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Week 8: 19 March 2025​
Congratulations! After 16 weeks of solid work, from dancers, teachers and musicians alike, the 2024/25 set of beginner and improvers courses came to an end last night. Whilst most people inevitably missed a class or two along the way, collectively, as James commented, you have come such a long way. It has been wonderful to see everyone picking up new movements with ever increasing confidence, helping each other out, correcting mistakes and enjoying the dances.
Our class this week included final bursts of step practice to consolidate our skip change of step and then Strathspey travelling step. We first revisited the Westminster Reel from last week, which includes set and rotate. We then moved on to EH3 7AF (also known as “the postcode dance’ as it refers to the postcode of 12 Coates Crescent, RSCDS HQ in Edinburgh). This revised several of the key movements covered during the course: leading down the middle and up, promenade for 3 couples, turning corners, hands across and half figure of eight. After a biscuit break, we revisited The Isle, refreshing memories of reels of 3 on the side, casting off, setting to corners, and rights and lefts.
It was time for a new dance and James introduced Mrs McPherson of Inveran which includes Inveran Reels. These are ‘straightforward’ mirror reels on the side for 2nd and 3rd couples whilst the first couple cross down to between the 2nd and 3rd position on the opposite side in the first 4 bars then cross back to place in the final 4 bars. The class practiced and then got the hang of this very well. We ended with time to spare and so James revisited the Sauchie Haugh which included the Rondel and the Strathspey Poussette.
The Improvers’ course has finished but there are 2 weeks left in the term, and you are encouraged to attend the General class for these sessions (all included in the fee you paid for this term). The class is at the same time as you have been used to - 7-9pm Wednesday – but is upstairs in the in the Dance Studio at Maria Fidelis (head up the stairs by reception, turn right at the top of the stair and keep going until the end of the corridor. It’s a great room, sprung floor, air con, mirrored wall and a very warm welcome awaiting you from the other general class members. Erica will be playing for us again next week, I’ll be joining the class too and our teacher will be Pat Davoll. After Easter, you are invited to join the General class again. It’s a lovely, friendly group, a good next step for you in developing your dancing and class fees are paid weekly (although you can buy a term ticket if you prefer).
Wholehearted thanks to James and Dave, who developed and delivered this course, as well as to Ken for his teaching support and to our musicians Adam, Ian, Erica, Heather, Lindsey and Ken for their inspiring music.
A personal thanks to you all from me. It’s been a great pleasure to dance with you these last 6 months and I was immensely touched by your beautiful flowers yesterday. You have acquired an excellent basis for enjoying Scottish country dance and I look forward to dancing with you on many future occasions. There are lots of different opportunities for dancing in London and I’ll share some of them with you in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, hopefully see you in the dance studio next week!
Click on the links to see dance instructions and videos.
The Westminster Reel R32 2/4L
EH3 7AF J32 3/4L
The Isle J32 3/4L
Mrs MacPherson of Inveran R32 3/4L
The Sauchie Haugh S32 2/4L
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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
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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.
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Other online options are Thistle Shoes and James Senior Shoes – very helpful on the phone if you have specific queries.
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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.
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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.