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Resources for 8 week beginners' course in Euston

Welcome to dancing with RSCDS London!

We will post details each week of what has been covered in the Wednesday class, including links to websites with more information (including videos) about individual dances and steps.

These links are provided for your interest only. Some people find them helpful, but you don’t need to look at them to enjoy and progress in the classes. An alternative link on the RSCDS website offers more 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: 9 October 2024

 

James Fairbairn was our teacher this week, accompanied by Adam Brady on keyboard. 

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​We danced the following dances :

  • Circassian Circle 1C · R32

    • 1 couple in a Circular dance, 32 bar Reel)

  • Leap Year 2/4L · J24

    • 2 couples in 4 couple Longwise set, 24 bar Jig

  • The Honeymoon 3/4L · R32 

    • 3 couples in a 4 couple Longwise set, 32 bar Reel

  • De'il Amang the Tailors 3/4L · R32 

    • 3 couples in a four couple Longwise set, 32 bar Reel

 

Everyone worked hard and quickly learned  a lot of different steps and formations (details below). I’ve included links to another website, The Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary, which has many instructions and videos of different steps and formations.

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Steps

 

Figures and formations

​Week 2: 16 October 2024

 

This week’s class reinforced the learning from our first week and added further aspects with dancing The Isle which included pas de basque – a setting step.

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In addition to The Isle, we danced

Circassian Circle 1C · R32  1 couple in a Circular dance, 32 bar Reel

Leap Year  2/4L · J24  2 couples in a four couple Longwise set, 24 bar Jig

The Honeymoon   3/4L · R32  3 couples in a four couple Longwise set, 32 bar Reel

De'il Amang the Tailors  3/4L · R32   3 couples in a four couple Longwise set, 32 bar Reel

 

Our class this week (Wednesday 23, 7-9pm in the drama studio at Maria Fidelis School) will be taught by Jenny Kendrick who will build on the work we have done so far with James Fairbairn. The following week, 30 October, there will be no class but we will dance at the RSCDS London Autumn Wednesday dance at St Columba’s Church, Pont Street, SW1X 0BD . Entrance to the dance is included in your course fee and the dance is designed to be accessible to new dancers. There will be lots of experienced dancers there to help you along.

That’s all for the moment but please do ask if any questions or concerns. Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday.

​Week 3: 23 October 2024

 

Many thanks to Jenny Kendrick, who led the class with some great music from Erica Banks. There is no class on 30 October but there is a dance in the Lower Hall at St Columba’s Church, Pont Street, 7-10pm. Details here. The programme is designed to be accessible to new and less experienced dancers, there will be lots of people there to help you and, for those who have signed up for the full course, dance entry is included in your course fees. It’s usually a lovely, fun evening so do come along.

 

A theme of last week’s session was listening to the music, counting the bars and gaining confidence about when to move.

  • The Bramble Circle: We began by warming up with The Bramble Circle, a circle dance which we danced first with our partners and then, progressed to the men moving on at the end of each time through dancing with the lady next to them, their ‘corner’.

 

  • Warm up: Erica then gave us some waltz music as we did some warmup exercises. We moved on to practicing the different kinds of steps used in jigs and reels: skip change, which is the traveling step, and slip step, which we use in circles and sometimes when dancing down a set, both hands joined with our partners.

 

  • A Reel for Jeannie: For our next dance, A Reel for Jeannie R4x32 we worked on right hand turns, casting and making arches.

  • The Moray Reel: We then looked at how to step up and down and how to turn Corner, Partner, Corner, Partner (this demanded a bit of swift movement in places!) before dancing the The Moray Reel J8x32 

  • Espie McNabb: For our final dance of the evening we  practiced setting (pas de basque) and crossing, leading down the middle and up (right hand in right hand)  and finished with a circle round and back in Espie McNabb (a dance named for an old song – words here) .

         

I’ve included links to all the dances - you can look up videos and other information about them if you wish (it’s not necessary for the class, just included in case of interest). I

​Week 4: 6 November 2024

 

We had a (nother!) hard working class this week and welcomed Paulina, Janet and Paddy to the group.

 

James returned as our teacher with Adam providing the music. As with our last class before half term, we began by warming up by dancing The Bramble Circle. This circle dance is great both for loosening limbs and for reinforcing the idea of ‘corners’ and ‘partners’ .  Once we were nicely warmed up, we progressed to looking at reels of three. The important thing to remember, as James told us, was that in a right shouldered reel of three, the first and second dancers in the reel pass each other by the right shoulder, whilst the 3rd dancer moves out to their right to join in the reel. And for a left shouldered reel of three, the first 2 dancers pass left shoulder, whilst the 3rd dancer moves to their left.  Look at this webpage for guidance and videos of this and other formations. We had lots of useful practice in dancing reels before we embarked on our second dance “Sleepy Maggie’

  • Sleepy Maggie

    • Circle left

    • Set & cast, step up/progress

    • Hands across and back to face 1Crnrs

    • set to and turn corners

    • 6-bar LS reels of three on opp sides, cross right.

 

We then moved onto another dance Jig to the Music , first practicing the slip down the middle, then back and & casting 2 places as well as stepping up. Our final dance was the Provost Wynd which allowed us to do some more practice on reels of three as well as a circle, crossing, casting, stepping up and down and dancing right hands across and left hands back – a lot to remember! Do look at our Beginners’ class resources page to find links to formations covered so far. There are some excellent videos out there which can be very helpful.

 

Next week, our teacher will be Ken Martlew (Jenny, who was to take the class is unwell) with music from Erica Banks on fiddle. Ken was one of my earlier teachers and it should be a most enjoyable and very constructive class.

 

Providing my memory co-operates, I will bring sashes next week to help dancers discern more easily who is dancing as the opposite sex.

Looking forward to seeing you next Wednesday.

​Week 5: 13 November 2024

 

Ken Martlew was our teacher this week, accompanied by Erica Banks.

 

Ken began the class with a thorough warm up as well as some practice dancing slip step in a circle as well as skip change of step (the quick time travelling step)

Our first dance, Leap Year, allowed us to revise dancing right hands across and left hands back, leading down the middle and up (NB: if we are told to ‘lead down’ that usually means right hand in right hand. ‘Dance down’ means nearer hands joined) and finishing with turning right hand back to place, then left hands to place.

 

The Morya Reel (confusingly a jjg, despite its name) presented a bit of a challenge with the different speeds expected at various parts of the dance.  It began with the first man and 2nd woman changing places – but over 4 bars of music, which seemed like a long time to make such a short movement. This was repeated 3 more times (1st women and 2nd man, then first man and 2nd woman, and finally 1st women and second man again).  We practiced small slow steps and curving (rather than backing) into place. Then things speeded up as the first couple led down the middle and up in 6 bars, casting off into 2nd place on the 7th and 8th bars of the phrase. The dance ended with the first couple turning their first corner, then their partner, then 2nd corner and finally their partner back to place – all in 8 bars. Ken showed us how best to make a quick turn in 2 bars, keeping arms tense and close to our bodies.

 

We’d definitely earned a break by this point and all enjoyed some very superior shortbread, thanks to Liza who kindly brought it in for the class to share.

 

After the break, Ken introduced the class to strathspey steps. Strathspey is a slow, stately step, about half the speed of jigs and reels. We practised travelling and setting steps ahead of more strathspey dancing with James next week. (Check this link for more descriptions and demonstrations of strathspey and quick time steps).

 

We finished the evening by dancing Deil Amang the Tailors, first revising setting step, pas de basque , as well as dancing half right hands across and half left hands across. It’s a quick dance but great fun and made a good end of the evening.

Details of the dances are given via the links below and will be pasted also onto the class resources web page.

 

Leap Year                            2/4L J24

The Moray Reel                3/4L J8x32 

De'il Amang the Tailors3/4L · R32 

 

Many thanks to Ken and to Erica for an excellent evening.  Looking forward to dancing with the class again next week when James will be our teacher.

​Week 6: 20 November 2024

 

We had another hardworking class last week with James as teacher and Ian as class musician.

 

We warmed up to The Charleston Chaser which required a bit of speed from everyone as it began with the ladies crossing the dance, dancing down the opposite side, crossing again and dancing back up to place – all in 4 bars – and then the men did the same. That got the blood racing a little and we then did a few stretches to some waltz music. 

 

Ken had introduced Strathspey traveling and setting steps the previous week. James revised these then taught the class its first Strathspey dance, Seann Truibhas Willichan, which introduced the concept of a ‘meanwhile’ (whereby some dancers are doing one movement whilst at the same time, others in the set are doing a different movement).  The class danced it six times through in a three-couple set.

 

Moving back into quick time we learned two new movements, the ladies’ chain and grand chain for three couples then put them all together in Mrs Stewart’s Jig.

  • This video shows the ladies chain, first danced at normal speed, then walked slowly to help understand the movement at each stage).

  • This video shows the grand chain. Again, first danced at normal speed then walked. In this video it’s danced in Strathspey step but it is used in reel, jigs and strathspey.   

 

We finished with the Highland Fair, which included Rights and Lefts (essentially a grand chain for 4 dancers) and was danced once for each couple with a stop in between.

 

This week, James will again be the class teacher, this time accompanied by Ken on piano. By request we’re going to be looking at Mairi’s Wedding - a very popular dance at parties, excellent practice for reels and great fun to dance.

​Week 7: 27 November 2024

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The transport system did not make it easy to attend class last week with trains, tube and buses all affected. James, travelling in by car, was caught up in the jammed traffic resulting from the train chaos, so Ken, our musician for the evening, nobly stepped in, switched role and took us through some warmup stretches including pliés, then practiced skip change of step (quick time travelling step, pas de basque (setting step) and slip step (which we use when dancing in a circle).

James then arrived and we revisited Mrs Stewart’s Jig which we had begun to learn last week. There’s a lot to remember in this dance with a grand chain and a ladies chain – check last week’s notes online here for videos of these two movements. The shortbread break was definitely earned! Lots of concentration required on all the dances, not least Mairi’s Wedding which James introduced by special request. This is a very popular dance at parties and reeling events as well as in Scottish Country Dance. It involves four diagonal half reels of four, followed by a reel of three across the dance. Well done to everyone, teacher, musician and dancers alike for working so hard on the dance. Once you get the hang of it, it’s great fun and the class went a long way towards getting the hang of it during the session. As James said, it’s highly unlikely you will ever have to dance this in a set of beginners. Outside of the class, you will usually be partnered with someone who is very familiar with the dance – so take lots of credit for the progress you made!

We finished the evening with the Deil Amang the Tailors - fast, fun and a fitting end to a demanding evening.

Detail of the dances available via the links below.

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Mrs Stewarts Jig 3/4L · J32 Lightmans: Bk 35

Mairi's Wedding 3/4L · R40 Cosh: 1959

De'il Amang the Tailors 3/4L · R32 Unknown; Bk 14

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Next week, 4 December, is our last beginners class this term but we have a further session, included in your class fee, on 11 December when we join forces with the General class for some end of Christmas term dancing. It’s a great opportunity to dance with friendly, more experienced dancers.

We will then be back next term with an Improvers course, which starts on Wednesday 22 January – details here

​Week 8: 4 December 2024

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Great work this week in the final class of the beginners’ course (still one more session next week with the general class – see further details below!). Health or work issues mean that not everyone could attend but, with 6 dancers, plus James and me, we had a very effective four couple set.  

 

We warmed up with The Loch Ness Monster and some stretches.  James then introduced Culla Bay – the first square set the class had attempted.  This was a strathspey and allowed us to practice reels of four (which we had encountered in a more complicated format the week before in Mairi’s Wedding). In Culla Bay the reels were much more straightforward and the class made great progress. The dance also introduced the figure ‘half turn and cast away’ (or twirl) plus more familiar movements such as circle and hands across.  Once again, the shortbread break was very well earned!

 

After the break we learned EH3 7AF  (the postcode for RSCDS HQ in Edinburgh) which has a progressive promenade (a ‘normal’ promenade takes 8 bars and everyone ends up in the same place that they started from. In this progressive promenade, the first couple return to the top of the set in 6 bars, then cast off into 2nd place on bars 7&8, and the 2nd couple dance up to first place, so that promenade ends with couples in the order 2,1,3 ). Once that had been mastered, we danced the whole dance 8 times through - well done all! Our final dance of the evening and of the beginners’’ course was Sleepy Maggie. It was really good to see how confidently you danced all the different figures and how well you timed the different phrases as we danced it 8 times through.

 

It’s been a great pleasure to dance with you this term – thank you!  As James said on Wednesday, you have made significant progress. There is still one more session to go on Wednesday 11 December.. This is a combined session with the General class, upstairs in the Maria Fidelis dance studio.  James has recommended some dances that you may enjoy and there will be more experienced dancers there ready to help you. We’ll have some seasonal snacks and enjoy the last session of the term together.  

 

Our Improvers course starts on Wednesday 22 January (same time same place) and it would be wonderful to see you again then. The course is designed to follow on from the beginners so there will be lots of chance to practice the skills you have already encountered and to learn some more.

 

Before that we have our Burns Ceilidh and Supper on Saturday 11 January at St Columba’s Church, Pont Street (where we had our Autumn Wednesday dance and where next week’s 14 December Christmas dance will be). Do come along if you can, it’s simple dances, lots of fun, fabulous music plus haggis, neeps and tatties – what more could you ask for?  

 

Many thanks to you all for being such a great class, to James, Jenny and Ken for their teaching and to Adam, Ian, Erica and Ken for their music.

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!

  1. For standard Scottish country dance shoes you can try Antonio Pacelli.

  2. Other online options are Thistle Shoes and James Senior Shoes – very helpful on the phone if you have specific queries.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

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