Spring Fling Toronto 2023

Submitted by the Spring Fling 2023 Toronto Committee, we hear all about this year's event, with articles from two Spring Fling first-timers, Kayla Cannon and Kathleen Slemon. 

The 2023 Toronto Spring Fling was a huge success on all counts. Over 50 Fling dancers registered for the weekend, in addition to 40 Fringe dancers. It was an event that witnessed the largest gathering of young dancers in Toronto by far in recent memory, possibly ever. Among these dancers were several individuals receiving scholarships from RSCDS HQ to defray their cost of attending the event. Kayla Cannon and Kathleen Slemon, both first-time Spring Fling attendees, are two of these scholarship recipients. In reports to HQ they write a heartfelt account of their experience in Toronto.

We have obtained permission from Kayla to provide an excerpt of her article below. To access Kayla’s full article, please click the following link: https://rscds.org/blog/spring-fling-first-timer. Kathleen’s article appears in its entirety. Beyond that, you’re encouraged to explore many aspects of the Society website.

Kayla writes:

“How to describe the hours just before a long-awaited dream becomes real? I had danced Scottish Country in the Delaware Valley for almost two years—with a long gap for the events of 2020—and in Scotland for one, but the courage to attend a dance weekend had only come to me a few months before the Spring Fling. On Friday, May 26th, two friends and I drove through the green Appalachians toward Canada, singing folk songs, reviewing the Welcome Dance programme, and soaking in the thrumming, shimmering delight that it was truly happening!

Rowan, the Youth Services Committee mascot, greeted us at check-in. We had just enough time to drop our bags in our rooms, freshen up, and grab some dinner before the Welcome Dance in the spacious (and excellently-floored—not too slippery nor too sticky) gym at Glendon. As the sets formed, I was overwhelmed by the number of young dancers. So many people close to my own age who loved Scottish Country dance and kept it in their post-university lives! It was a strongly multi-generational dance, with everyone from grandparents to elementary schoolers contributing to the room’s buoyant energy.

Antlers up,

Kayla Cannon, Delaware Valley Branch of the RSCDS

                                                                                                     Rosedale Dancers

Kathleen writes:

This year, I had the privilege of attending my first Spring Fling, just a few days after my 30th birthday. I had been attending our young adult Scottish Country dance class since 2022 after a long time away from dancing. It was the perfect activity to get into as the pandemic started to subside since it includes fitness, socializing, and learning new dances and formations. I danced all through my childhood, and I couldn’t believe how quickly I was able to pick it up again. What a confidence boost it turned out to be!

Spring Fling Toronto had to be rescheduled in 2020, so our class was very aware of the new date. Since most of us started the young adult class after 2020, the originally rescheduled date wasn’t even on our radar! Moreover, because the dates landed so close to my birthday, and because it was in my hometown of Toronto, it felt like the perfect time to attend. I was even considering it a birthday present to myself, since I would be turning 30 just a few days earlier! Unfortunately, I was laid off from my job in January of 2023, and with my wedding coming up in February, I was considering not going after all due to the cost. I am so grateful to have been given a scholarship which allowed me to attend my first ever Spring Fling.

The event itself was held on a weekend with perfect weather at the beautiful Glendon campus of York University. Lilacs were in bloom and our group took whatever opportunities we could in our busy days to enjoy some time outdoors between classes and meals. For our dancing group, it really felt like a weekend where we all became much closer and got to know each other on a whole new level. It was also a great opportunity to meet new people from all over the world. The Scottish Dance Community is such a lovely community, and it truly is a small world. I even met someone at dinner who worked at the same sports bar I did as a student! I really enjoyed our classes and was thrilled to dance to live music. It was a new experience for me and it was so cool to see the instructor and musicians collaborate to bring us such amazing and challenging classes. It was also very special to see multiple generations of dancers at the welcome dance and ball. Finally, I also couldn’t believe how much energy was crammed into one weekend. With dances and socializing each night and classes during the day, I was truly exhausted!

I am so glad I returned to Scottish Country Dancing in 2022. If I hadn’t, I would have missed the opportunity to attend Spring Fling Toronto. Seeing this welcoming, fun and international community first hand has made me keen to attend other events in the future!

Kathleen Slemon, Spring Fling 2023 Toronto