Edinburgh PE students take SCD class

Recently an afternoon of Scottish country dancing was offered to the PE students at Edinburgh University. William Williamson, along with accordionist Ewan Galloway took the students from the Circassian Circle and the Dashing White Sergeant to dances that introduced them to new figures enabling them to fully understand how a set works and culminating in the team’s devising their own dance.

William suggested to them that when they go into schools they can challenge the young people by taking the dancing ‘up a notch’ and introducing steps, handing and formations but always with fun at the core.

The students themselves rose to the challenge and were immediately engaged in every aspect of the workshop. The students were particularly interested to hear about the history of Scottish dancing, its uniqueness and that it’s very much a living tradition.

William taught the students pas de basque, reminiscent of John Maclean’s film, in the RSCDS archive, of PE students at Jordanhill College, and a number of the formations. He also made them aware that the Jigs and Reels pack is now available to Scottish schools on Glow.

William said “The students were extremely enthusiastic about Scottish country dancing, its history and how important it is in Scotland’s cultural landscape. They were also impressed by the international draw of Scottish dancing and its health benefits”.

William left the students with a challenge-  that they take “their” dancing into the schools in Scotland proudly, and help to keep Scotland’s rich heritage alive for future generations.