Dance, intimately combined with music, has been a fundamental part of human culture since the very earliest times. It enjoys huge popularity today, both for fun and as a physical activity to keep people fit. Spontaneous pleasure in dancing is obvious among small children; teaching children the basics of more formal dancing in primary school and encouraging them to continue in secondary school can lay the foundations for life-long enjoyment.
Dance Scottish!
Scottish dancing has particular advantages over many other forms of dance. Its steps and basic formations are easily learned but can build into dances of considerable complexity as dancers become more adept. It encourages teamwork and makes no gender distinction in its movements. It is full of patterns that encourage mathematical thinking. Many of the elements of the school curriculum, from health and wellbeing through social skills and the expressive arts to a range of academic subjects, are supported by and can be developed through Scottish dancing.
Download the RSCDS’s Schools Resources leaflet for ideas on curricular links and other useful information.
How can we help?
We have two sets of resources that will set you on your way and help you learn to 'dance Scottish'. These are perfect for the beginner, and are important resources for teachers.
The Jigs and Reels pack has popular Scottish Country Dances and Ceilidh dances for beginners. In the pack there are instructions for the dances, DVDs showing the dances performed and music CDs for each dance.
There is also the Dance Trad pack, which has a further set of Ceilidh and Scottish Country Dances to expand the repertoire and assist in the technique of your dancing. There are instructions for the dances, DVDs showing the dances performed and music CDs for each dance.
Both resources are available for purchase in the shop.
In addition, our Primary School Accreditation Programme is a perfect way to get started and will help your class work towards their Bronze, Silver or Gold badges, while Medal Tests enable enthusiastic children to gain medals marking their individual achievements.
