What to wear/ bring?
Clothes
Lessons are informal, so there's no need to dress up. Loose/ unrestrictive clothes are your best bet as they don't hamper your movements. Scottish dancing is an active style and you may get quite hot during the course of the lesson. Thus it's advisable to bring a layer you can easily take on or off depending on whether you're dancing or sitting out.
Shoes
As a beginner, anything goes really - although probably not such a good idea to dance in stilettoes or steel-toecapped boots! Flat-soled shoes are recommended and it's also easier to dance in soft soled shoes than hard ones. A basic rule is that the thicker the sole, the more tired your feet will get. If you have them, jazz or ballet shoes can also be worn.
Once you know that Scottish country dancing is for you, it's generally recommended that you invest in some proper shoes. This makes teaching more precise (it can be hard to see what a trainered foot is doing), and your dancing easier and of a higher standard. You have two main options here:
Scottish country shoes - these are similar to black ballet shoes (which many people use instead), attach with elastic and generally have a full sole. This is the cheaper option, costing around £12-16 for an adult pair.
Highland ghillies - developed specifically for Highland, step and [scottish] National dances, but many country dancers prefer them to the above as they provide more support (are laced), and make your foot look more pointed. They can have a full or a split sole, although the former is reccomended for country dancing. These shoes are slightly more expensive at around £25-35 for a basic adult pair.
Traditionally for country dancing, women wore the ballet-style shoes and men wore ghillies. However today it is usually other aspects that govern each person's individual choice.
Partner
No need to bring one of your own! It's polite to switch partners for every dance, plus everyone else there will need a partner for each dance too. Most Scottish country dances require an even number of people in the set, however if there's an odd number of attendees this is easily remidied by people chosing to have a break or alternatively one or both of the dance teachers joining in.
Sustenance
While squash is provided during the break, dancing can be thirsty work so it's reccomended you bring a bottle of water along too. As with other energetic activities, it can also be handy to have a small snack - either for during the break, for your journey home, or both.
Lessons are informal, so there's no need to dress up. Loose/ unrestrictive clothes are your best bet as they don't hamper your movements. Scottish dancing is an active style and you may get quite hot during the course of the lesson. Thus it's advisable to bring a layer you can easily take on or off depending on whether you're dancing or sitting out.
Shoes
As a beginner, anything goes really - although probably not such a good idea to dance in stilettoes or steel-toecapped boots! Flat-soled shoes are recommended and it's also easier to dance in soft soled shoes than hard ones. A basic rule is that the thicker the sole, the more tired your feet will get. If you have them, jazz or ballet shoes can also be worn.
Once you know that Scottish country dancing is for you, it's generally recommended that you invest in some proper shoes. This makes teaching more precise (it can be hard to see what a trainered foot is doing), and your dancing easier and of a higher standard. You have two main options here:
Scottish country shoes - these are similar to black ballet shoes (which many people use instead), attach with elastic and generally have a full sole. This is the cheaper option, costing around £12-16 for an adult pair.
Highland ghillies - developed specifically for Highland, step and [scottish] National dances, but many country dancers prefer them to the above as they provide more support (are laced), and make your foot look more pointed. They can have a full or a split sole, although the former is reccomended for country dancing. These shoes are slightly more expensive at around £25-35 for a basic adult pair.
Traditionally for country dancing, women wore the ballet-style shoes and men wore ghillies. However today it is usually other aspects that govern each person's individual choice.
Partner
No need to bring one of your own! It's polite to switch partners for every dance, plus everyone else there will need a partner for each dance too. Most Scottish country dances require an even number of people in the set, however if there's an odd number of attendees this is easily remidied by people chosing to have a break or alternatively one or both of the dance teachers joining in.
Sustenance
While squash is provided during the break, dancing can be thirsty work so it's reccomended you bring a bottle of water along too. As with other energetic activities, it can also be handy to have a small snack - either for during the break, for your journey home, or both.
A typical lesson plan
Approximate timings only
7.30 - Official starting time. Pick somewhere to dump your stuff, sit and change into your dance shoes. If you like to stretch before dancing then it's reccomended you arrive 5-10 mins earlier as this is not built into the schedule.
7.35 to 8.30 - First half of the lesson comprising of 3-5 dances depending on complexity. The first dance is walked rather than danced as a warm-up. It's also a simple one so as not to explode your brain!
8.30 - A 10-15 minute break for rest, rehydration (squash is provided) and chatter.
8.45 to 9.30 - Second half of the lesson. This section is the time when more complicated, new, or specially requested dances are likely to be included.
Both slow time (strathspey) and quick time (reel and jig) dances will be included each week. Dances are usually walked through before being danced; at least once, but as many times as people need. New or more complicated figures may be walked and then danced through a couple of times if people are unsure. Before the music begins, there will be a quick spoken recap just in case you've forgotten how it actually starts!
7.30 - Official starting time. Pick somewhere to dump your stuff, sit and change into your dance shoes. If you like to stretch before dancing then it's reccomended you arrive 5-10 mins earlier as this is not built into the schedule.
7.35 to 8.30 - First half of the lesson comprising of 3-5 dances depending on complexity. The first dance is walked rather than danced as a warm-up. It's also a simple one so as not to explode your brain!
8.30 - A 10-15 minute break for rest, rehydration (squash is provided) and chatter.
8.45 to 9.30 - Second half of the lesson. This section is the time when more complicated, new, or specially requested dances are likely to be included.
Both slow time (strathspey) and quick time (reel and jig) dances will be included each week. Dances are usually walked through before being danced; at least once, but as many times as people need. New or more complicated figures may be walked and then danced through a couple of times if people are unsure. Before the music begins, there will be a quick spoken recap just in case you've forgotten how it actually starts!
Beginners' guide to balls/ formal events
For more information on both the practical, theoretical and historical, Edinburgh University's Scottish Country Dance Society (New Scotland)'s website is an excellent place to start. Bear in mind that some of the information is specifically targetted at the Scottish universities' circuit, however it's very beginner-friendly (written in simple language rather than a horde of technical terms).
New Scotland's Dance/ Ball guide for Beginners
Also check out our links page!
New Scotland's Dance/ Ball guide for Beginners
Also check out our links page!