Three-Branch Centenary Celebration Dance

Three-Branch Centenary Celebration Dance : Hands Across the Border, and Hands Around the World

On Saturday 30th September, 2023, three Branches of the RSCDS (Carlisle & Border, Dumfries, and Lockerbie) joined forces to organise a Dance just on the Border, at Longtown Community Centre, to celebrate the Centenary of the Society.

The programme featured the 10 Dances for the Decades, along with some favourites chosen by each Branch, including 'The Solway Reel', and the strathspey 'Sunset Over Solway', since the Solway Firth both connects and divides us.

There were toasts to Scottish Dancing, and to clubs around the world, many of which were dancing on the same day. We had previously exchanged Centenary greetings by cards and email with Branches and Affiliated Groups from around the world, which were displayed and read out at our celebration, when those assembled heard messages from all over the UK, from America to Australia, and from Europe to South Africa.

RSCDS Carlisle & Border Branch already had a longstanding personal connection with RSCDS Pretoria, so we contacted Pretoria Branch to invite them to participate. In reply they suggested that we should include one of their favourite dances in the dance programmes for the celebrations both in Longtown in Cumbria and Pretoria in South Africa. This we have done and we have exchanged with them our videos of the dance “Summer Assembly”, from Pretoria's Centenary Social, our Longtown Dance, and also from our city centre dancing in Carlisle on the same day.

Almost 100 people gathered in Longtown to celebrate the occasion, dancing to the music of Susan MacFadyen and her Band. They enjoyed a buffet supper before the dance, with refreshments and snacks provided by various local and other sponsors.