2023 TAC 50th Summer School and 65th Anniversary Shirts

The ordering deadline has been extended to June 25, 2023

 

Please join us in celebrating our special TAC Anniversaries with these special edition shirts. There are three options for women and one for men. Each shirt will be made according to your choices of colour and logos.

PLEASE NOTE: All shirt purchases will be available for pick up at TAC Summer School and the Teachers’ Conference Weekend in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Shirts will NOT be shipped. If you do not plan to attend Summer School or Teachers Conference Weekend, there is the option to have an attending friend pick up your shirt for you.

TWO Logo options, either one to be embroidered on Left Chest:

 50th Summer School or 65th TAC

Shirt Colours: Red or Dark Grey

Prices: Women’s Scoop Neck or V-Neck     $25 CAD

               Women’s or Men’s Polo/Collared     $30 CAD

 

          The deadline for ordering is midnight June 25, 2023
 

Click here for a PDF of the sizing chart

 

2023 50th Summer School Shirts Order Form                                                            

 2023 65th Anniversary Shirts Order Form

 

 

 

 

Mission: To teach, inspire, and connect Scottish country dance teachers in North America and beyond.

 

TAC Organizational Objectives:

  • To train and support all levels of teachers and instructors of SCD within the RSCDS framework.
  • To foster high quality teaching that supports individual dancers and all types of classes.
  • To encourage involvement in Scotland's heritage of country dancing by promoting its learning, enjoyment, and sociability.
  • To make available and promote resources for reference and instruction, including dance descriptions and recorded music.
  • To nurture the development of musicians for Scottish country dancing.
  • To facilitate communication and relationships between dance teachers, instructors, supporters, organizations, and musicians.
  • To archive and preserve, in an accessible form, TAC's history of supporting Scottish country dancing.

By 2028, we envision a vibrant TAC that supports a thriving SCD community in North America through additional and diverse events, a sound financial foundation, and compelling membership value.

The following Values Statement highlights the TAC’s core guiding principles and its philosophical ideals. These values are used to both inform and guide the decisions and behaviors of the TAC leadership, its members, and participants in TAC activities.

We value:

  1. The joy of Scottish Country Dancing.
  2. Teaching Skills: Training, mentoring, and lifelong learning that allows all teachers to lead instructive and enjoyable classes.
  3. Community: A welcoming community that demonstrates respectful engagement, inclusivity, and sociability.
  4. Collaboration and Communication: The cooperative and transparent exchange of information.
  5. Stewardship: The preservation of the history of Scotland's dance and music and their continuing development as living traditions.
  6. Governance: Effective and responsible leadership to ensure the success and future of the organization.
  7. Health and Safety: Environments and practices that respect the well-being of participants and support their learning.
TAC Strategic Plans

Descriptions of Class Levels for TAC Summer School 2023

  A copy of the information can be downloaded at this link:

2023 Summer School Class Descriptions

Development/Fundamentals:  This course is for new and recent dancers or returning dancers, as well as anyone who is interested in really working on the basics of good feet, arms and hands, and good eye contact. Build your confidence and your knowledge of the central formations of Scottish country dancing.

Experienced:  This course is for dancers who have been dancing for 5+ years and have knowledge of most of the common formations [1] used in Scottish country dancing. Dancers can expect teachers to include step-practice and to explore aspects of good technique as part of the class.

Low impact:  This course is for dancers who have extensive experience in dancing and have sound knowledge of most of the formations [1,2] used in Scottish country dancing but who no longer wish to dance at the Challenge level. This course 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.

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 are expected to be familiar with both lists of formations [1,2] below.

  1. Common formations that dancers participating in the Experienced class should be familiar with:

All basic and regularly recurring formations and progressions including, but not limited to, the following examples:

  • Setting – set to corners, set to and turn corners, set to corners and partners (aka “hello and good-bye” setting), set and link, set and rotate, double triangles
  • Reels – reels of 3, reels of 4, mirror reels, cross-over reels
  • Rights and lefts, rights and lefts for three couples, grand chain
  • Poussette in quick time, poussette in strathspey time
  • Allemande for 2, for 3, for 4
  • Promenade for 2, for 3, progressive
  • Knot for 2, for 3
  • Rondel
  • Corner figures: turn corner-partner-corner-partner, corner chains, corners pass and turn
  • Ladies’ chain, men’s chain
  1. Less common formations and progressions that dancers in the Low-Impact and Challenge classes should be familiar with:

Bourrel

Chain Progression

Crown Triangles

Espagnole

La Baratte

Spoke

Spurtle

Tourbillion

Tournée

Canadian Entry Documents

International visitors, including those arriving from the U.S., please note that all persons entering Canada by any form of transport require a valid passport.

Entry into Canada: Canadian law requires all persons entering Canada to carry proof of citizenship and identity.

A foreign national or alien entering Canada must present a passport and valid visa issued by a Canadian Consular Official unless they are a citizen of a country eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., or a citizen of Canada. Visa-exempt foreign nationals flying to Canada MUST HAVE an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) and a valid passport. You can apply online for the eTA at this Canadian Government website.

For more information on entering Canada visit the Government of Canada Customs page.

 

Getting to St. Catharines

Toronto International Airport is probably the most direct with the airbus. It likely has more options as well.

Niagara Airbus

Transportation from Toronto Pearson Airport to St. Catharines.

Our local committe has worked with the company to get a discount code. We have set your discount and the code is 767 . You simply need to go to www.niagaraairbus.com  - at the beginning of the booking page, you will need to insert this code where you see the Conference/Promo code - and your discount will automatically be calculated as long as the code is entered.   We have set up at 20% shuttle discount for Toronto Pearson Airport - $83.00 + HST per adult one way and $155.00 + HST round trip. The Code is only valid if booked ONLINE 5 days or more in advance.

Guests book online and manage their own bookings with this code and may call our reservations line at 905-374-8111 should they have any inquires, or questions regarding their bookings. They may also email any inquiries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and provide the code to the reservation staff if they require help.   

The code is valid for travel from July 09, 2024 to August 18, 2024 to allow ample time to travel before and after the event.

 

Buffalo Airport also has some great deals, but then you have to negotiate getting over the border to Canada and the university.

Driving may be an option for those on the East Coast. Located in Southern Ontario, St. Catharines is approximately 1.5 hours from Toronto and 45 minutes from Niagara Falls.

Once you have arrived at Brock University, all of our classes are a ten minute walk from dorm to dance studios. We will all be housed in the same residence, and food service is inbetween. The party/social room is across the street from the residence as will be TACBooks and TACSound.

 

Accommodations

All accommodations are two single bedrooms that share a common bathroom. You can indicate on your registration form if you have a specific person you would like to share the bathroom with. If no name is indicated, we will pair you up with someone of the same gender. A great way to meet new people!