DST - Heels together, feet out

I really didn’t know what to expect… It was my first-time attending summer school in St Andrews. I had taken up Scottish Country dancing in October 2021. A background in highland dancing helped a little but in essence this was a whole new form of dancing. I had taken to it like the proverbial duck to water and attended as many classes and dances as my work and home life would allow. Summer school looked like a great opportunity to develop further as a dancer. I swithered about attending the beginners’ class. However, a dancer in one of my classes had been to summer school previously and thought that I would manage the intermediate class. So, with some trepidation I enrolled for that.

On arrival at University Halls, I registered at the RSCDS office and received my name badge. A gold star was stuck on it to indicate to others that this was my first time. This gave me some reassurance that allowances would be made for my lack of experience!

Most evenings there were dances held either in the University Halls or at the Younger Hall. There were fourteen dances at each dance. All the information about the dances were sent out in advance. This meant that you had time to review them and to watch YouTube videos of them. During the week some of the dances were covered in the classes, some were covered in the daily walk throughs at 2pm and others were informally covered by dancers getting together to practise.

The morning classes were fantastic. Even if I had just done them, I would have been very happy with my week. We had two teachers for three mornings each in different halls. The teachers had very diverse teaching styles and that gave us a wider perspective on many aspects of dancing. Halfway through each morning we stopped for a half-hour tea-break in the kitchen. My class got on very well with each other and by the end of the week friendships had been made.

The walk throughs in the afternoons were taught by different teachers each day. They were attended by dancers from various classes, so it was a chance to meet others of varying abilities. Most importantly, it was the opportunity to practise some more for that evening’s dance.

The musicians who performed throughout the week were excellent. Classes had live music (in my case two different pianists) and the walk throughs were done via audio equipment. The evening dances had live music played by musicians and that really made for a great atmosphere.

Due to complicated personal reasons I only actually stayed in halls for the last two nights. My room was very comfortable with coffee making facilities. Because I was commuting, I didn’t join the after-dance parties being held in the party room each night. I did attend the international branch’s afternoon gathering with drinks, snacks and a chance to meet other dancers and talk all things dancing. I also went to the garden party: Prosecco, strawberries and dancing on the lawn in the sunshine to accordion music – what a wonderful experience. Friday night was a ceilidh where people displayed their many and formidable talents. Musicians, dancers, singers and poets performed to a packed room and left a memorable impression.

There were a vast number of dancers, musicians, teachers, and venues throughout the week. The permutations were great, but all seemed to work seamlessly. I can only put that down to the excellent planning and organising that went on behind the scenes. I would personally like to thank all the organisers, teachers, musicians, and fellow dancers (especially those who were kind enough to take me up to dance and offer encouragement) for making week 1 of the 2022 summer school so wonderful.

In all, it was the most memorable week. My experience of dances has increased, and I hope that my dancing has improved! My advice to any prospective new attenders – drink lots of water, bring lots of changes of clothes and prepare yourself for a fantastic week of dancing that you will never forget.

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