General Information:
PLEASE NOTE.... Our last class for 2025 was on Friday, 5 December. Classes will resume on Friday, 27 February 2026 in our new venue, the Birkdale School of Arts Hall in Birkdale Road, Birkdale (see map and photo of hall on our “Location” page). Our last class for 2026 will be held on Friday, 4 December. Classes will not be held on Good Friday, 3 April, nor on Fridays 13 March, 10 April, and 18 September due to prior hirings. The hall doors will open at 9.45am, and the hall is to be vacated by 12.15pm. Morning teas will be arranged for most last Fridays of each month. BYO mug! The daily class fee remains at $6. |
You do not need to bring a partner, as we generally dance in groups/sets of 6 (3 facing 3) or 8 (4 facing 4) - in fact, the Scottish Country Dance etiquette is that you share yourself around with as many dancers as possible during the course of the class.
The class is informal - ladies skirts/shorts; men shorts (longs in the cooler weather) and flat, comfortable shoes. As long as you are reasonably fit and can dance to the beat of the music, you will enjoy the experience.
Better still, Scottish Country Dancing is recommended by the Heart Foundation, and is almost guaranteed to slow down the onset of dementia!!
The class is informal - ladies skirts/shorts; men shorts (longs in the cooler weather) and flat, comfortable shoes. As long as you are reasonably fit and can dance to the beat of the music, you will enjoy the experience.
Better still, Scottish Country Dancing is recommended by the Heart Foundation, and is almost guaranteed to slow down the onset of dementia!!
We dance from 10am until about noon, and then usually have a cuppa and cake/biscuit.
Visitors from other clubs are very welcome.
We have full Public Liability Insurance coverage, in the highly unlikely event of some accident occurring.
Visitors from other clubs are very welcome.
We have full Public Liability Insurance coverage, in the highly unlikely event of some accident occurring.
What is Scottish Country Dancing?
Scottish Country Dancing actually originated in France a few hundred years ago, and has evolved to what it is today, a combination of movements such as right-hands-across (otherwise known as wheels or stars), turns by the left hand and right hand, circles, reels, rights and lefts, and many other formations, which go to make up the various dances. If you have ever watched square dancing, the movements are very similar - in fact, square dancing evolved from Scottish Country Dancing.
Most dances are performed in what is called a 4-couple set, where the 4 ladies stand opposite the 4 men, partner facing partner. The couple closest to where the music is playing is called the first couple, and so on down the line to the fourth couple. The dance generally starts with the first couple doing most of the dancing for the first 32 bars of music, with support from the other couples in the set. Each couple has the opportunity to take their turn to do the dance. Unless the dance is very well-known, a walk-through of the dance is conducted for each couple before the music is turned on.
You will be taught travelling skip-change steps to reel and jig beat, and to the slower, more elegant strathspey beat, as well as setting steps for the various types of music.
Most dances are performed in what is called a 4-couple set, where the 4 ladies stand opposite the 4 men, partner facing partner. The couple closest to where the music is playing is called the first couple, and so on down the line to the fourth couple. The dance generally starts with the first couple doing most of the dancing for the first 32 bars of music, with support from the other couples in the set. Each couple has the opportunity to take their turn to do the dance. Unless the dance is very well-known, a walk-through of the dance is conducted for each couple before the music is turned on.
You will be taught travelling skip-change steps to reel and jig beat, and to the slower, more elegant strathspey beat, as well as setting steps for the various types of music.
