Virtual Festival 2025

Voting for the People’s choice award in the 2025 Virtual Festival closes in Friday and we received some excellent entries, read all about Ashill Scottish Country dancers Journey. 

During the summer break I had the crazy idea that we could enter the Virtual Festival. With willing dancers from Ashill scd near Ilminster in Somerset we started to plan our entry. We decided on a theme which was dances that featured a colour of the rainbow in their title. We worked on timings and I found music tracks. If the music wasn't an RSCDS publication then we had to get permission from the musician eg The Greenbelt Jig, and for one dance Chris Dewhurst very kindly recorded the music specially for us. The hall was booked for four extra classes so that we could all learn, practice the dances, steps and formations involved. Some of our members got creative with rainbow ribbon and rainbow bunting to decorate the hall, making rainbow rosettes to wear and blowing up red helium balloons for the dance The Red Balloon, one of which floated away and finished up on the ceiling !. We also had to raid our wardrobes to find brightly coloured rainbow outfits to wear. Then it was time to make decisions about who was going to dance with whom, in which dance and in what position - not an easy task !!. We even had masking tape crosses on the floor to mark positions to keep the set in the frame for filming. Filming took place in September and we all celebrated afterwards with bubbly and cake. It was then over to Gary who worked his magic with the filming and editing to arrive at the finished result which has now been submitted to the RSCDS for your enjoyment. We all really enjoyed the challenge , although hard work at times and we all felt a great sense of achievement having completed the project to the best of our ability. The group is relatively new with a fair number of less experienced dancers and two who had only been dancing for a few months. Our aim was always to show the joy of dancing together and inclusiveness by involving everyone regardless of ability or experience. 

Further information about our club can be found on our web site at www.ashillscd.wordpress.com. You are always welcome to come and join us. Remember that Ashill Scottish dancers always have fun. 

Many thanks, 

Anita Wilson  ( RSCDS teacher ) Ashill scd  affiliated to the RSCDS