Publications

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.