We have never experienced a time like this. To help support the worldwide community of Scottish country dancers, we are issuing a series of newsletters to our members and subscribers - Dance Scottish At Home. This will develop and improve as time goes on, and we will be responding to what you would like to see and read. Our aim is to include articles, music, games, podcasts and online classes that will entertain and connect us with our dancing friends across the globe.

You are encouraged to share Dance Scottish At Home with dancers and musicians in your Group, Branch and wider network. We are all part of the Scottish dance family and now is the time to show it. 

Your feedback and ideas are welcome – please click here to share them with us.

To receive this newsletter just sign up here. All non-members welcome!

Dance Scottish At Home - 16th July 2021

Welcome to Dance Scottish At Home – our last issue before a Summer holiday – and this edition is packed full of Scots dance, music, history and puzzles to keep you entertained over the Summer break.

At Home Podcast

Luke brings a second Virtual Summer School themed “At Home Podcast” as he sits down with Schools Director, Anne Taylor to discuss the upcoming event – what went in to producing it, and what you can expect to see and hear. There’s also plenty of music to enjoy from Bill Ewan, Craig McCallum, Neil Copland, Marian Anderson, Muriel Johnstone and Keith Smith.

What's behind the name?

Argyll's Fancy - The Argyll referenced in the dance and the tune is, of course, the Duke of Argyll and the earliest reference to the tune is in Volume 6 of ‘The Scots Musical Museum’, published by James Johnson in 1803, where it is attributed to J. Duke of Argyll - possibly either the 4th or 5th duke who were both John Campbells. 

Global youth

Good news for everyone who registered for our Virtual Dance Display - way back when... 🙂 The video instructions are in their final stages, and soon you will be able to dance to the music of a lovely piano medley played by Luke Brady.
 
The Virtual Dance Display will be a collage of dance videos taken by our members around the world. Everyone dances to the same instructions, so that - synchronised together and using split-screen technique - they will make one beautiful display of dancers skipping and setting away.
 
If you have any questions, or feel you would like to contribute, please send an email to info@rscds.org.

The latest online class

Join a different RSCDS Teacher each week for a mixture of basic movements, warm ups, technique and steps to keep you active. Live classes ended on 14th July 2021, however all 64 classes have been recorded and are available for catch up at any time.  *Please note that not all recorded classes begin immediately - skip ahead on the recording to find the start time, or just let it run and enjoy the music!* 

ONLINE CLASS - 14TH JULY 2021   ALL ONLINE CLASSES

Dance puzzles

Do you enjoy solving puzzles? This week we have provided 2 challenges to entertain, perplex and intrigue you. 

JIGSAW PUZZLE    DANCE SCOTTISH AT HOME ANAGRAMS

RSCDS news

The Management Board held a virtual meeting on Saturday 26 June 2021. Please login to read the meeting highlights under the MB Noticeboard. 

You can also view the 2021 Trustees' Report and Accounts here.

Nominations are still open for the various Board and Committee vacancies and the deadline for submitting candidate profiles is Saturday 11 September.

RSCDS, like so many organisations, runs effectively thanks to a vast number of volunteers who are passionate about Scottish country dancing, and willing to give their time.  During these physically distant times RSCDS office staff, Board members, and volunteers have continued to work, and make decisions, using virtual meetings. A return to meeting ‘face to face’ will be much welcomed but with increasingly easy communications online, input through remote attendance at RSCDS meetings will undoubtedly continue to be a part of our future, post pandemic, world.

We strongly encourage RSCDS members to review the information for the current Board and Committee member vacancies on our Volunteering webpage.

Lots of RSCDS books and recordings have been mentioned throughout this issue of Dance Scottish At Home – Argyll’s Fancy and Highland Fair in the RSCDS Graded Book; Book 10 and Book 43 in the Year of RSCDS Books; Book 42 and Book 48 in RSCDS Online Class. Click on the links, find the products in the shop and find the perfect present for a Scottish country dancer!

Find the full Dance Scottish At Home newsletter here >

"I greatly appreciate the innovative way that the RSCDS has ensured that we all keep up our dance skills and stay connected to one another throughout this challenging time.  It was a real treat to have Angela teach the class accompanied by her husband, Graham on the piano.

Thank you again to the imaginative team at RSCDS for implementing this social connection for all of us in the worldwide dancing community."

 Helene and Douglas Nelson,  rscdsgleneagles.org