DST - A Winter School first-timer
March 1, 2023
The giant house party – a first-timer’s experience at RSCDS Winter School 2023
Let’s begin with a confession. When a fellow dancer from London asked me last year why the heck I wanted to attend Winter School, I beamed at him and gushed: “The ball! In a real Scottish castle! That belongs to a duke!” Yes, I am a closet romantic.
So, when my friend Sylvia and I got off the bus in downtown Pitlochry on Sunday afternoon after a journey that had been somewhat more eventful than we would have preferred, the first feeling was relief. We had made it here, finally. And we met the first of many fellow attendees right there at the bus stop and trekked up to the Atholl Palace Hotel together.
Others have mentioned in older blog posts the impeccable organisation by the RSCDS, the excellent teachers and the superb musicians as well as the very comfortable accommodation and delicious food. All of this I can certainly confirm. What I did not quite expect was the general spirit of the event.
When we perused the attendees’ list, we came across only one familiar name, an RSCDS teacher who had taught a course in Germany last summer. But we did not need to worry about being the odd ones out, and, incidentally, the only German attendees this year. From the first moment, everyone was very welcoming, sharing insider tips on dinner table strategy, making sure we find the venues and, of course, engaging us in conversation and dancing. The little golden star (indicating we were first-time attendees) on the name tag was very helpful as well as a sure-fire conversation starter.
More than one repeat attendee described Winter School as “a giant house party”. As my experience with British house parties had so far stemmed solely from Jane Austen novels and Downton Abbey, I did not quite know what to make of that – there, house parties usually seemed to be a recipe for domestic mayhem. But it dawned on me very soon that this was indeed an apt way to describe the atmosphere of conviviality and general friendliness. The joint meals, the leisurely afternoon activities and, of course, the dancing where we never lacked for partners. The unexpected moments: our next door neighbours asking us over for G&Ts after the whisky tasting; getting the chance to meet, talk and take a picture with the RSCDS Chairman; the ceilidh which inspired some ideas for our group’s next Christmas party (e.g. “Excuse me Flowers of Edinburgh”); putting faces and personalities to names only known as dance devisors before.
Naturally, the ball was magnificent. Getting all dressed up in my bright peacock green gown and still feeling more like a modest peahen particularly among all the men in their splendid Scottish evening garb. The castle, the ballroom, Niel Gow’s fiddle, the Eightsome Reel. And the amazing, rousing music that made me dance on even long after my feet had officially given notice of malfunction. When it felt like barely an hour had passed, the evening was already at an end and the busses waiting to take us back to the hotel to pack up and sleep one more time before traveling home.
Let’s end with another confession: While the ball was certainly the undisputed highlight of my week, the thing that impressed me even more was the immense dedication, commitment and effort that went into the whole Winter School experience to make it memorable and enjoyable for everyone. A huge thank you to everyone involved, and I hope to be back another year!
