We Dance Scottish because. . .
• It brings us joy • Easy to start – no experience, partner, or Scottish heritage needed
. . . Everyone is welcome
Dance for joy ~ Scottish Country Dance is lively, multi-generational, and rollicking good fun! There are 6 dances each season with wonderful live music. Beginners are especially welcome at March Beginners’ Night, and at the Family Christmas dance. There are formal/semi-formal balls each year, and many special events. These video links show typical dances, and typical Toronto dancers!
Some easy-peasy ceilidh-style dances:
• Braveheart • Kingston Flyer • Knot on a Ferryboat
Some high-energy Scottish country dances:
• St Andrews Fair • Rest And Be Thankful • Red Nose Jig
Two more-challenging dances:
• Reel of the 51st Highland Division • The Peat Road
Some Short Strathspeys:
• The Minster on the Loch • We Reely Progressed
About Scottish Social Dance. . .
Scottish Dance: It’s old. . . it’s new. . . it’s fun. . . it’s social.
Scottish country dance is the traditional social dance of Scotland. It’s based on ancient folk dances, mixed with elements of ballet, influences from the Royal court of France, and some overlap with Highland dancing. Scottish country dance was carried around the world by Scottish immigrants, and by Highland regiments. It remains popular world-wide, and in unlikely places such as Paris, Japan, and Italy.
SCD is great fun for young and old but it IS challenging mentally and physically. You must be fit, and quick on the uptake. Some people can pick it up on the fly, but the better way is to take Lessons.
Some of the dances we do are over 300 years old; many are newly (and cleverly) devised to incorporate intricate formations. We dance lively jigs and reels and the distinctively Scottish, very stately, Strathspey. We also dabble in marches and waltzes. To learn more, click on Lessons.
