Class Descriptions
FUNDAMENTALS: This course is for new, recent or returning dancers, as well as anyone who is interested in working on the basics of good feet, arms and hands, and eye contact. Build your confidence and your knowledge of the central formations of Scottish country dancing. Dancers will become more comfortable dancing from talk-throughs only and develop the ability to smoothly transition between steps and formations. This class will teach and improve the following steps and formations:
BASIC STEPS
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skip change of step pas de basque |
strathspey traveling step strathspey setting step |
slip step stepping down and up |
BASIC FORMATIONS
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hands round turn partner lead/dance down and up hands across casting ladies’ chain poussette (quicktime) |
promenade for 2 and 3 allemande for 2 and 3 set to corners set to & turn corners grand chain reels of 4 turn corners & partner |
rights & lefts advance & retire back to back figures of 8 balance in line reels of 3 (across and on the side) |
INTERMEDIATE: This course requires a working knowledge of all the basic steps and formations (see above). Dancers should be able to dance a simple dance from a talk-through only, and achieve some continuity between basic formations. The intermediate class will focus on teamwork, handing, eye contact, phrasing, deportment, and covering. This class will concentrate on improving the basic steps and formations and learning and improving intermediate steps and formations:
INTERMEDIATE STEPS
Highland Schottische setting Glasgow Highlanders setting
INTERMEDIATE FORMATIONS
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Rondel set & rotate set to corners & partner (hello-goodbye setting) men’s chain |
S’pey poussette right ’round half poussette corners pass & turn knot (2 & 3 cpl) |
set & link for 2 and 3 crossover reels of 3 double triangles rights & lefts for 3 |
EXPERIENCED: This course is for experienced dancers with an extensive knowledge of most of the figures listed above and who wish to expand their repertoire of dances. The focus will include a balance of technique and dances.
CHALLENGE: This course is for dancers who perform at a high level and wish to be challenged further. This will be a physically demanding class requiring a good level of physical fitness. Dancers should be proficient in all of the steps and formations listed above. The class aims to expand the repertoire of advanced formations and dances; polish individual technique with continued emphasis on teamwork, phrasing, and covering; and increase the quality of dancing physically demanding formations and dances.
All classes except Challenge will incorporate low-impact techniques and will be suitable for anyone who is injured, needs to be careful, or is simply interested in exploring ways to keep dancing as long as possible.
