Derek Haynes

Derek Haynes began Scottish Country Dancing in 1953 and in 1954 joined Liverpool Branch where he became a Branch teacher, committee member and treasurer. He passed his Full Certificate in 1958 and has been teaching ever since.   As well as taking a regular class in his home area, Derek teaches at many day and weekend schools throughout the UK.   He regularly attends Summer School and is usually on the staff, teaching both Country and Men's Highland dancing.   He also taught at the first RSCDS Winter School at Pitlochry.

After he left Liverpool in 1962, Derek taught various Adult Education classes in North Lancashire and he also teaches regularly at the Cumbria Council's Adult Education Centre in the Lake District.

Derek is also well known in mainland Europe where he has taught at numerous weekend schools in Belgium, France, Holland, Spain, Norway and Sweden.  Further afield, he has undertaken teaching tours of the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia.

Derek has danced in, and trained demonstrations teams, and is well known as a solo Highland dancer winning many medals at various Highland Games.

One of Derek's strengths is his ability to teach technique at ALL levels.   Throughout his teaching career Derek has striven to follow the Society's principles and maintain and improve the standard of Scottish dancing wherever he goes.  As a result some technique is always introduced at his classes but at the same time he makes the dancing FUN.   Derek's standards have always been high and his enthusiasm for dancing has been an inspiration to others.

Derek is also well known as a devisor of Scottish Country dances, and he has published several Collections of Dances in aid of cancer charities.   RSCDS published his first dance, Neidpath Castle in 1963, Miss Gibson's Strathspey in 1979 and the Clansman in 1984.