Publications

New publication

The Membership Services Committee is planning to publish a book of dances with music in 2010. The following notice was included in Scottish Country Dancer, edition 8, April 2009:

Call for dance submissions

In response to many members’ demands, the Membership Services Committee is planning to produce a book of dances with music in 2010. This will be a book for purchase. All Branches are invited to submit a dance that has been “tried and tested”  and RSCDS-qualified teachers can submit a dance which they have used at a school (day; weekend etc.) and has proved popular. Please note the following points:

• only one dance per Branch/teacher should be submitted
• standard terminology should be used (guide available from Headquarters at a cost of £5)
• submissions should be in electronic format
• a dance can be submitted with music (preferably in electronic format also), or with a suggested tune
• the Music Director’s decision regarding music will be final

The deadline for submissions is 4 September 2009.

Featured Dances

To provide some consistency and familiarity for dancers visiting other branches, the Society has selected a set of common dances which it recommends are featured during the year's programme of events. The current list can be found here. 

Glossary of Standard Terminology

This provides guidelines on how dance instructions should be written, in order that the terminology used is as consistent as possible.

Index to Formations

This lists the standard formations and the dances (in RSCDS publications) in which these formations appear. The current edition was last updated 2006 and covers dances up to and including Book 45. It can be ordered from the on-line RSCDS shop here.

Manual of Scottish Country Dancing

The reference for Scottish Country Dancing as practised by RSCDS members. This was revised in 2005. The current edition can ordered from the shop.

Dance Instructions

The RSCDS has published many books and leaflets of dances, and recorded music to accompany them. If you are looking for the instructions or music to a specific RSCDS dance, have a look in our Dance Index.

Other groups and individuals also produce their own dances and recordings, and there are now over 12000 dances around. If you can't find the dance in the RSCDS index, check Alan Paterson's DanceData database - that attempts to list all dances and recordings produced worldwide, along with sources.