Calvin Social Group

65 Years of dance history: 1957-2022

 
The Calvin SCD Group announces, with great regret, that our classes can no longer continue. In the fall of 1957, a Scottish country dance group began to meet in the lower hall at Calvin Presbyterian Church. It flourished for decades, especially under the leadership of teachers Iain Macfarlane (1960–1980) and Frances Gray (1980-2010). Isabelle MacPherson taught beginners classes in the upper hall for many years and continued to support the group after she retired. Vicky Zeltins taught at Calvin from 2010 until Covid-19 brought an end to social dancing in March 2020.

Dancers enjoyed live music at weekly classes until 2004; Don Bartlett was at the piano for many of those years and continued to play at Christmas and spring parties. The lower hall at Calvin Church was once filled with dancers on Tuesday evenings.

Over the years, however, membership and attendance have progressively fallen, while costs have risen. Calvin Church will be under renovation in the fall, and when we investigated other venues, it was clear that we could not meet the expense. After so many happy years of dancing, it is with great sorrow and disappointment that we have concluded there is no option but to discontinue the group. We hope that everyone who danced at Calvin will find another group to join and will continue to enjoy the pleasure of Scottish country dancing. 

                             …The Calvin Committee

On The Scene

In March 1961, a local Toronto television show visited Calvin Scottish Country Dancers, and gave a lively account of the group.

<-- Click image to see video 

One viewer commented: “Probably the best SCD video on Youtube, pure joy without prissiness. Hooray~!!~! passing left  shoulder in Mairi's Wedding!  How sad that these folk are probably all gone now. Al Boliska himself died aged 40 in 1972”

Margaret Birnie, a founder of Calvin group in 1957, died recently. Her story is remarkable, including award of a Bletchley Park Medal. Don’t miss this wonderful account of her life of service:  A Top-Secret Life

Fiona Morton wrote a detailed account of Calvin’s history:

Download:  Calvin-celebrates-60-yrs-2017.pdf


 

THE LAST CHORD:   Calvin closes after 65 years