What is Scottish Country Dancing?Scottish Country Dancing of course origins in Scotland, but with groups all over the world, it is very international.
The dances are usually in one of three tempos (jig, reel or strathspey) and are made of a number of figures involving one or more dancers in sets of typically 4 couples.
Once you know the steps and the main figures, you can dance the majority of the many thousands and thousands of dances. We dance the old favourites, but with new dances being devised all the time, the repertoire is growing.
You can read more about Scottish Country Dancing following the links on the
Interesting Links page.
Do I have to wear a kilt?Nope, but you may if you like. We do recommend to wear comfortable (and loose) clothes, but a kilt is not a must to be able to join the dancing.
I don't have a partner....No problem - you can come on your own!
We usually change partners for each dance, so you don't need to worry about a partner. This is one of the really nice things about Scottish Country Dancing, and it gives you the opportunity to dance with a lot of different people with different levels of experience. This way you learn a lot and meet loads of nice people.
Shoes - what to choose?You may have seen dancers wearing some strange shoes with laces - that's the ghillies. Some dancers (mainly female dancers) use the dance pumps (they look a bit like ballet pumps or gym shoes). They are all soft and flexible, which is the most important.
If you are new to the dancing and not sure yet if it's for you, just wear some soft, flexible gym shoes, preferably with a leather/suede sole. For shock absorbtion, you can fit them with a soft innersole or even wear an extra pair of sports socks.
If you want to get the real stuff, they can be bought online from a shoe maker in Scotland (i.e.
www.jamessenior.co.uk or
www.thistleshoes.com)