Celebrating Robert Burns around the world!

It is wonderful to see so many of our Branches and Affiliated Groups celebrating Robert Burns around the world! Remember to contact us if you would like to share a photo from your recent Burns Night celebrations and we will add it to this page.

In Glasgow, the annual RSCDS Celtic Connections Ceilidh was well attended, with 275 dancers enjoying the tunes from the Màrtainn Skene Scottish Dance Band. The evening’s MC was John Carswell from Linlithgow Scotch Hop. This was once again, a great event that was enjoyed by dancers of different ages.

                                                                       

 

Photos courtesy of Sue Anderson, Linlithgow Scotch Hop and Debbie McAlees, Glasgow Branch.

In Bo’ness, dancers enjoyed a fun Ceilidh on the Sunday with poems and Highland demonstrations!

Photo courtesy of Zsofia Jones, Bo’ness Dance.

Ceilidhkids held a fun Ceilidh in Portobello, Edinburgh. Over 50 families attended the event. Great to see so many young children enjoying themselves at the Ceilidh!

 

Photo courtesy of Ceilidhkids.

Dancers from the Helensburgh and District Branch enjoyed celebrating Burns Day at the Lochside Care Home.

Photos courtesy of Lochside Care Home.

The Gatehouse of Fleet and Kirkcudbright Branches celebrated Burns with the "traditional fare of haggis, neeps and tatties followed by a range of trifles and other goodies. Seventy-five dancers enjoyed dancing to Susan MacFadyen", commented Wave Tyrrell of Gatehouse of Fleet Branch. The Branches raised over £200 in a raffle for Alzheimer Scotland.

Photo credit: Sylvia Baxter. The Gatehouse of Fleet and Kirkcudbright Branches celebrating Burns' Night.

In Birmingham, England, dancers enjoyed a Burns' Night Supper and dance with great live music by John Dudley and Piper Martin MacKenzie.

 

 

Photos courtesy of Birmingham Branch.

The London Branch enjoyed a Burns’ Night Dinner and Ceilidh with music from the Caledonian Reelers. Dances included "the usual favourites such as Gay Gordons, The Eightsome Reel and The Virginia Reel”.

 

Photos courtesy of London Branch. Photography by Stephen Webb.

While we know that Scottish country dancing can be enjoyed by all people of all ages all around the world, we did not know it can be enjoyed by dogs too! Carolyn Pearce, from the Parry Sound Scottish Country Dancers, with her trusty collie Bracken, led the dancing at a Burns' Night celebration in Muskoka. The event was planned by Mary Jane Zissoff and committee members from the community of Orville in Muskoka. According to Carolyn, “Many paintings of Burns feature him with a Scots Collie and Bracken lives to perform. After greeting at the door, Bracken and I were played in to the main room by the band and off we danced.”
 

 

 Photos courtesy of Lyn Barsevskis, Toronto Association.

The Lyon Branch also enjoyed some stories and quizzes to celebrate Burns Night and here is a sneak preview of a dance that will be on display at this weekend’s Newcastle Festival of Scottish country dancing:

The Lyon Branch also enjoyed some stories and quizzes to celebrate Burns Night and here is a sneak preview of a dance that will be on display at this weekend’s Newcastle Festival of Scottish country dancing: 

 

 

 

Photo and video courtesy of Lyon Branch.

Heading over to Medicine Hat Branch in Canada, dancers enjoyed the “highly anticipated Burns Night Ceilidh” which was dedicated to their friend and founding member, Bill Smith who recently passed away. President Bob Mutch describes the evening “the evening began with three dances…after a sumptuous traditional Burns Supper meal prepared by club members we had various ceilidh acts – a trio of pipers on small pipes, a recitation of a Man’s a Man for a’ That and a sing-a-long medley of Scottish tunes by a family group of two violins and piano.  Between these performances we danced enthusiastically.”

 

Photos courtesy of Medicine Hat Branch. Photography by Joan Kennedy.

In New York, dancers enjoyed a Burns Supper, basket raffle and a dance at the Buffalo Branch.

 

Photo courtesy of Buffalo Branch, New York.

 

The Budapest Scottish Dance Club in Hungary enjoyed a Burns Supper with a Demonstration showing a mix of Ceilidh dancing, the ‘Hungarian Bride’ and ‘Dancing the Baby.’

Photo and videos courtesy of the Budapest Scottish Dance Club.

 

In Mexico, The Ajijic Scottish Country Dancers helped celebrate the 15th annual Burns' Night at Lake Chapala in Mexico with all proceeds going to a local children’s charity. Phyl Gaskell of the International Branch commented, "It is a melding of the cultures with the dancers' outfits being Mexican cotton skirts and blouses and the red sashes being made of fabric designed in Mexico for school uniforms! This was another sellout year with over 200 guests attending, mostly ex-pats from Canada, the US, the UK, and Europe."

Photo courtesy of Phyl Gaskell, International Branch. Shows Burns' Night celebrations in Mexico.

What great examples of the Robert Burns celebrations around the world and as Scotland's national bard himself wrote “From scenes like these old Scotia’s grandeur springs”!