They organise and run classes, dances and other social events in their own areas and are committed to helping develop Scottish Dance and Music for future generations. This dance was devised by Ron Wallace and published by him in Scottish Step Dances 1. While you're resting your feet, enjoy this site created especially for the online Scottish Country Dancer online, a central direction hub for all your dancing needs, quick reference, a dancing boutique, and a wee bit of amusement. Scottish Country Dancing - Learn The Steps. There are 159 RSCDS Branches and over 300 Affiliated Groups in more than 50 countries around the world, located on all continents (except Antarctica). The individual movements and steps recur frequently in many dances and show the combined influences of the Scottish, French and Irish traditions. If you would like to refre , Foot positions All steps start with heels together and toes pointing diagonally out. Steps used for moving are called travelling steps; and steps used for dancing on the spot are called setting steps. In order to make the dance progressive, the ladies may leave their partners between bars 12-13 and move to the partner before them in the circle.. For Scottish country dancers, the grip in the first eight bars is allemande hold.. A live demonstration was performed by the Royal Scottish Country Dancing Society in 2007.. See also. Steps used for moving are called travelling steps; and steps used for dancing on the spot are called setting steps. (step), Bring the left foot past right leg, with a small hop, ready to begin the step again. It also helps prevent dementia through the complex interplay of cognitive skills needed to memorize steps and formations, interaction with other dancers, and the effect of dance music on the mind. Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary includes printable Dance Instruction Cribs alphabetically ordered. This hold is used when dancing an Allemande (and also the Gay Gordons). One Strathspey travelling step takes one bar of music. Ceilidh Dancing. The basic movement is: step, close, step, pull through. The working foot is placed to the side with the heels in line. This diagram defines the conventions used in all diagrams for Footwork in this Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary. Wherever you are in the world there is most likely Scottish Country Dancing. In Reels and Jigs, this step is often called pas de basque and used for setting and/or sometimes for travelling short distances. to teach basic Scottish Country Dance Included inside - Teacher’s notes, with illustrated, step by step instruction for 6 easy dances and a CD of suitable music - a perfect recipe for a fun and rewarding activity for pupil and teacher alike! A Step Dance consists typically of some 6 or 8 steps of 8 bars, often ending with a “close” (chorus). Scottish Country Dancing Database . If you are planning to produce a YouTube video of a Scottish Country Dance, see our Advice On Preparing Videos. In 2014, research from the University of Cumbria (UK) suggested participation in Scottish country dancing could reduce the ageing process. To travel in the opposite direction, begin by stepping to the right. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dance Steps '. (step), Step to the right again with the right foot. Setting. Scottish Country Dancing Database Also known as My Strathspey, this database contains an extensive dance database, formations, devisor info, publications, music info, minicribs, videos, and Pillings diagrams, and tools for curating and creating dance programs and crib sheets The basic movement is: spring, beat, beat, and. Scottish Country Dancing is the traditional ballroom and barn dancing of Scotland. Examples are in poussettes and when slipping up, down or across in jig and reel time. This can be found in SOBHD textbook Highland Dancing. The heel of the working foot, in front, touches the hollow of the instep of the supporting foot. In Reels and Jigs this step is used to travel sideways, either with hands joined in a circle or with both hands joined facing partners. Some of the most frequently used are described below with di , Sets A Set is a group of dancers that will be dancing together for the duration of the tune. Ruidle nan Coileach Dhubha (Reel of the Black Cocks). The arms are held away from the body, comfortably above waist height. Snapshots of dance descriptions are provided as an overview only. Exceptionally, in Slip down/up and parts of all Poussette movements in Strathspey tempo, the Lady's and the Man's steps are left/right differentiated. The individual movements and steps recur frequently in many dances and show the combined influences of the Scottish, French and Irish traditions. While moving, the feet should maintain the splayed relationship to the forward direction; the heels should be raised so that the weight is on the ball of the supporting foot and the toes of the moving ("working") foot should be pointing downwards. The left hands and arms are held away from the body, comfortably above waist height. Setting steps are used for dancing (setting) on the spot and are commonly used when setting to your partner. (step), Bring the left foot up behind the right leg, with a small hop, ready to begin the step again. A Step Dance consists typically of some 6 or 8 steps of 8 bars, often ending with a “close” (chorus). Couple face in the same direction, men with their partner on their right, and join both hands, left in left, right in right and the right hands above left hands. The jig is second in popularity only to the reel in traditional Irish dance; it is popular but somewhat less common in Scottish country dance music. Travelling steps are used for moving about the set, which is part of creating the shapes and formations that are an intrinsic part of country dancing. Scottish country dance (SCD) is the distinctively Scottish form of country dance, itself a form of social dance involving groups of couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns.A dance consists of a sequence of figures. This would be your starting position, but within the course of dancing there are a number of different foot positions. The weight of the body is evenly balanced on both feet. I should mention that some Scottish country dancers make a distinction between Scottish country and the kind of dancing done at ceilidhs (a ceilidh is a Scottish social dance). (close), Long step forward with the right foot. This dance form is done in sets, normally of 3, 4 or 5 couples, that arrange themselves either in two lines (men facing ladies) or in a square. Scottish country dancers will be familiar with some steps (for example, Pas de Basque, Pas de Basque Coupé, Glasgow Highlanders). (hop), Join a worldwide community of Scottish country dance and music, Copyright © 2020 Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. In a strathspey poussette, arms are slightly bent and held slightly wider than in the reel or jig poussette, with elbows down. Again with the exception of highly prescriptive Figures such as Allemande, Poussette (of all types), Promenade round and The knot, another significant difference from Ballroom Dancing is the logical separation of the detail of the Footwork from the Figures; the Dancer simply uses the designated step to perform the desired Figure. Minicrib is a database of nearly 4000 dances which enables cribsheets to be printed out. The step is repeated by springing on to the left foot. In Strathspey time the setting step is similar to the travelling step but moving to the side instead of forward. 4/4 step dance. This is repeated as often as necessary. One skip change of step takes one bar of music. It is fortunate for the Scottish Country Dancing community at large that amateur recorders of videos produce the material which we can disseminate. ... Main content. It is important to remember that the heels are only on the floor when stationary and that when the foot is not on the floor, the heel should never be lower than the ball of the foot. St Andrew's Night in Kiev 2012Step dancing is indeed the tune is about. In some steps in Scottish Country Dancing the weight is on one foot and the other leg is extended to the side, well turned out from the hip, the knee is straight, the foot is stretched and the toes are pointed towards the floor. Fortunately, for the successful performance of almost any Scottish Country Dance, accuracy in the Figures and in Timing are much more important than perfect Footwork. The basic movement is: hop, step, close, step. Scottish Country Dancing. To the purists, Scottish country is dignified, courtly dancing, which adheres strictly to the correct patterns and steps. Scottish Country Dancing with the Red Thistles - Part 1 (Excerpt: Promenade) from the video instructional series by The Red Thistle Dancers. The step is repeated by stepping forward with the left foot. Until this level of proficiency is attained, the Beginner should practise at every opportunity; fortunately, the basic form of each step requires no Partner and one can "sing", in one's head, an appropriate memorable and strongly rhythmic tune (such as the principal tune of the Reel, Mairi's Wedding, or of the Strathspey, The Duchess Tree). A typical Scottish Country Dance consists of a series of formations that are arranged in a different sequence for each dance, hence, having mastered the basic steps and some of the formations, a Scottish Country Dancer should be able to participate happily and easily wherever there is Country Dancing. This would be your starting position, but within the course of, First Position, The heels are together. Steps used for moving are called travelling steps; and steps used for dancing on the spot are called setting steps. Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary or the. Two slip steps take one bar of music. DanceData web interface, database of Scottish country dances: more than 12,000 entries and information on music and recordings. In Reels and Jigs this step is used for travelling. Anti-line of dance (Anti-LoD): the opposite to LoD. Setting steps are used for dancing (setting) on the spot and are commonly used when setting to your partner. To avoid embarrassment, Skip change and the Strathspey travelling step can be practised in an empty corridor or a quiet street; an empty lift is ideal for Pas-de-basque and, if wide enough, for the Strathspey setting step and the Highland schottische setting step. In Strathspey time the step is strong and more controlled. The Sailor's Hornpipe. Ideally, every class should start with step practice though this is often omitted because so many dancers prefer to learn the Figures of a new dance rather than to improve their Footwork; indeed, many of us have become so accustomed to performing the steps inaccurately that we may no longer be capable of undoing the damage. If you would like to refre , Foot positions All steps start with heels together and toes pointing diagonally out. The man raises the woman’s right hand over her head to hold it just above, but not resting on, her right shoulder. (beat), Change the weight onto the right foot again and extend the left foot forwards and to the left. The tradition continues and there are also modern step dances. The Lady and the Man almost always perform exactly the same steps when they are Travelling together; this is in contrast to Ballroom Dancing where the Lady's steps are usually the "counterpart" of the Man's (i.e., with right and left, forward and backward and wall and centre directions interchanged) and are sometimes quite different. Very few dancers, even among the most experienced, have truly good Footwork. (hop), Step forward on to the right foot. It is transcribed in compound metre, being 6 8 time. There is no satisfactory alternative to learning the steps from a good teacher. the step is the pas de basque: Bar 1: step onto the right foot Highland dancers will be familiar with shedding, and rocking step. Repeat ad lib. (step), Bring the right foot to the left foot so that the heels come together, slightly off the ground. (step), Bring the left foot behind the right foot so that the left instep comes to the right heel. Scottish Country Dance is an … (close), Step forward again, bring the left foot past right leg and extend it, ready to begin the step again. There are also dances in the formation of a square set danced by four couples, the Quadrilles, with four, five or … A step dance requires the dancer to execute a defined sequence of foot movements. We encourage you to try Scottish Country Dancing for yourself to see just how much fun it can be, so please come along and learn how to 'Dance Scottish'. E-mail: info@rscds.org, Join an RSCDS Branch & receive member benefits, Hop on the left foot and, at the same time, fully extend the right leg forward with the foot pointed down. When on the ball of the supporting foot, the heel of the front foot is just over the instep of the back foot. To be successful, the Scottish Country Dancer needs to concentrate on the Figures and so must be able to perform the appropriate steps without thinking about them, in the same way that the experienced driver of a car uses the pedals and steering wheel completely automatically to perform whatever manoeuvre is required. Beware of following another dancer's bad example! Gergel School. (step), Long step forward again with the right foot. All descriptions of the foot positions are taken from The Manual of Scottish Country Dancing. Follow our step-by-step guides to some of the most popular dances. More. This would be your starting position, but within the course of, First Position, The heels are together. Scottish Country Dancers are a devoted lot and spend much of their leisure time on the dance floor. Performed round the room or in longwise or square sets, one can see the intricate patterns of the dance unfold as the dancers step in time to the elegance and strength of the Strathspey, or the energy and agility of the jigs and reels, displayed as the couples progress through the dance. In the descriptions of the steps, each movement is shown in the approximate fraction of the bar which it should occupy. Both hands are joined with partner at a comfortable shoulder height and width, with arms slightly bent and elbows down. The vast majority of Scottish Country Dances can be performed using the seven steps, Slip step, Skip change, Pas-de-basque, Step up or down, the Strathspey travelling step, the Strathspey setting step and the Highland schottische setting step, all of which are described in the linked pages. The most common structure of a jig is two eight-bar parts, performing two different steps, each once on the right foot, and one on the left foot. The step is repeated by hopping on the left foot. Scottish Country Dancing is mostly used at sociable gatherings – although it is often performed and there are even occasional competitions. If you would like to refresh your memory on travelling and setting steps please visit the guide to basic SCD steps. The step should light and lively, giving the feeling of flight and easy, relaxed movement. Going to a celidh? (hop), Bring the left foot in front of the right foot with the left heel just over the right instep, transfer weight onto the left foot and bring the right foot off the floor. As updates may have occurred, please click the dance description to be forwarded to a printable dance description or one of the official reference sources. There are many types of Scottish dancing in addition to Country Dancing, and the RSCDS recognise the importance of each within the Scottish cultu , Step , Dance style Step dances can be solo dances, or for two or more dancers. Scottish Country Dancing: Controlled Abandon. A typical Scottish country dance consists of a series of formations that are arranged in a different sequence for each dance, hence, having mastered the basic steps and some of the formations, a Scottish country dancer should be able to participate happily and easily wherever there is country dancing. Get InvolvedLearnShopAboutBlogFind a Branch or Group, Summer SchoolThe Autumn GatheringWinter SchoolSpring Fling, What is Scottish Country Dance & Music?Steps & TechniquesMusic ResourcesTeaching Scottish Country Dance, Contact UsPhoto Use & Media PackAcceptable Use PolicyLegals, Privacy & CookiesSite Map, Tel: +44 (0)131 225 3854 There are numerous intricate formations in Scottish country dances and the setting and travelling steps, use of hands, and patterns are danced with a respect for the fine details of the dances. Peaceful Maiden. The basic movement is: step, close, step, close. The Reel of Tulloch or "Hullachan". 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