The most common structure of a jig is two eight-bar parts, performing two different steps, each once on the right foot, and one on the left foot. To be successful, the Scottish Country Dancer needs to concentrate on the Figures and so must be able to perform the appropriate steps without thinking about them, in the same way that the experienced driver of a car uses the pedals and steering wheel completely automatically to perform whatever manoeuvre is required. Anti-line of dance (Anti-LoD): the opposite to LoD. (close), Step forward again, bring the left foot past right leg and extend it, ready to begin the step again. The working leg and foot, from third position in front, are fully extended diagonally forward, between second and fourth positions. The step should light and lively, giving the feeling of flight and easy, relaxed movement. In Strathspey time the step is strong and more controlled. The seven steps described here cover the vast majority of Scottish Country Dances; most Figures require only two of these dance steps, one when the Figure is used in a Strathspey and the other when used in a Reel, Hornpipe or Jig. There are many types of Scottish dancing in addition to Country Dancing, and the RSCDS recognise the importance of each within the Scottish cultu , Step , Dance style Step dances can be solo dances, or for two or more dancers. A step dance requires the dancer to execute a defined sequence of foot movements. The Sailor's Hornpipe. If you are planning to produce a YouTube video of a Scottish Country Dance, see our Advice On Preparing Videos. To avoid embarrassment, Skip change and the Strathspey travelling step can be practised in an empty corridor or a quiet street; an empty lift is ideal for Pas-de-basque and, if wide enough, for the Strathspey setting step and the Highland schottische setting step. Going to a celidh? They organise and run classes, dances and other social events in their own areas and are committed to helping develop Scottish Dance and Music for future generations. A Step Dance consists typically of some 6 or 8 steps of 8 bars, often ending with a “close” (chorus). It also helps prevent dementia through the complex interplay of cognitive skills needed to memorize steps and formations, interaction with other dancers, and the effect of dance music on the mind. It is fortunate for the Scottish Country Dancing community at large that amateur recorders of videos produce the material which we can disseminate. To travel in the opposite direction, begin by stepping to the right. The basic movement is: step, close, step, pull through. Fortunately, for the successful performance of almost any Scottish Country Dance, accuracy in the Figures and in Timing are much more important than perfect Footwork. the step is the pas de basque: Bar 1: step onto the right foot A typical Scottish Country Dance consists of a series of formations that are arranged in a different sequence for each dance, hence, having mastered the basic steps and some of the formations, a Scottish Country Dancer should be able to participate happily and easily wherever there is Country Dancing. Highland dancers will be familiar with shedding, and rocking step. (step), Step to the right again with the right foot. One Strathspey travelling step takes one bar of music. Couple face in the same direction, men with their partner on their right, and join both hands, left in left, right in right and the right hands above left hands. One skip change of step takes one bar of music. Ruidle nan Coileach Dhubha (Reel of the Black Cocks). Scottish Country Dancing is full of terms that are used to describe aspects of the dance. Some of the most frequently used are described below with di , Sets A Set is a group of dancers that will be dancing together for the duration of the tune. This hold is used when dancing an Allemande (and also the Gay Gordons). Follow our step-by-step guides to some of the most popular dances. The Reel of Tulloch or "Hullachan". The arms are held away from the body, comfortably above waist height. Couples face in the same direction, men with their partner on their right and join both hands, left in left, right in right and the right hands above left. Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary or the. (step), Bring the left foot up behind the right leg, with a small hop, ready to begin the step again. Scottish Country Dancing: Controlled Abandon. Peaceful Maiden. Scottish country dance (SCD) is the distinctively Scottish form of country dance, itself a form of social dance involving groups of couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns.A dance consists of a sequence of figures. (beat), Change the weight onto the right foot again and extend the left foot forwards and to the left. The Lady and the Man almost always perform exactly the same steps when they are Travelling together; this is in contrast to Ballroom Dancing where the Lady's steps are usually the "counterpart" of the Man's (i.e., with right and left, forward and backward and wall and centre directions interchanged) and are sometimes quite different. (close), Long step forward with the right foot. The basic movement is: hop, step, close, step. This dance was devised by Ron Wallace and published by him in Scottish Step Dances 1. Steps used for moving are called travelling steps; and steps used for dancing on the spot are called setting steps. The working foot is placed to the side with the heels in line. Performed round the room or in longwise or square sets, one can see the intricate patterns of the dance unfold as the dancers step in time to the elegance and strength of the Strathspey, or the energy and agility of the jigs and reels, displayed as the couples progress through the dance. Scottish Country Dancing. (hop), Step forward on to the right foot. Setting steps are used for dancing (setting) on the spot and are commonly used when setting to your partner. If you would like to refre , Foot positions All steps start with heels together and toes pointing diagonally out. Steps used for moving are called travelling steps; and steps used for dancing on the spot are called setting steps. Scottish Country Dancing is mostly used at sociable gatherings – although it is often performed and there are even occasional competitions. A typical Scottish country dance consists of a series of formations that are arranged in a different sequence for each dance, hence, having mastered the basic steps and some of the formations, a Scottish country dancer should be able to participate happily and easily wherever there is country dancing. (step), Bring the left foot behind the right foot so that the left instep comes to the right heel. Exceptionally, in Slip down/up and parts of all Poussette movements in Strathspey tempo, the Lady's and the Man's steps are left/right differentiated. There are 159 RSCDS Branches and over 300 Affiliated Groups in more than 50 countries around the world, located on all continents (except Antarctica). More. In Reels and Jigs, this step is often called pas de basque and used for setting and/or sometimes for travelling short distances. (step), Bring the right foot to the left foot so that the heels come together, slightly off the ground. ... Main content. The objective of this footwork section is to define the uses of the steps and to remind the dancer of the details of the steps. Scottish Country Dancers are a devoted lot and spend much of their leisure time on the dance floor. This diagram defines the conventions used in all diagrams for Footwork in this Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary. The basic movement is: step, close, step, close. Note that in the representations of the steps, the movement for each beat is, for clarity, shown on a separate line, starting with the movement for the first beat at the bottom of the diagram. Scottish country dance Scottish Country Dancing Database . In Reels and Jigs this step is used for travelling. The basic movement is: step, close, step, hop. Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary includes printable Dance Instruction Cribs alphabetically ordered. Scottish Country Dancing with the Red Thistles - Part 1 (Excerpt: Promenade) from the video instructional series by The Red Thistle Dancers. In Strathspey time the setting step is similar to the travelling step but moving to the side instead of forward. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dance Steps '. Setting. This would be your starting position, but within the course of dancing there are a number of different foot positions. While moving, the feet should maintain the splayed relationship to the forward direction; the heels should be raised so that the weight is on the ball of the supporting foot and the toes of the moving ("working") foot should be pointing downwards. The step is repeated by hopping on the left foot. The weight of the body is evenly balanced on both feet. DanceData web interface, database of Scottish country dances: more than 12,000 entries and information on music and recordings. As updates may have occurred, please click the dance description to be forwarded to a printable dance description or one of the official reference sources. In the descriptions of the steps, each movement is shown in the approximate fraction of the bar which it should occupy. The heel of the working foot, in front, touches the hollow of the instep of the supporting foot. If you would like to refre , Foot positions All steps start with heels together and toes pointing diagonally out. If you would like to refresh your memory on travelling and setting steps please visit the guide to basic SCD steps. I should mention that some Scottish country dancers make a distinction between Scottish country and the kind of dancing done at ceilidhs (a ceilidh is a Scottish social dance). The step is repeated by stepping sideways with the left foot. The jig is second in popularity only to the reel in traditional Irish dance; it is popular but somewhat less common in Scottish country dance music. This can be found in Dannsa nan Eileanach. Scottish Country Dancing is the traditional ballroom and barn dancing of Scotland. Until this level of proficiency is attained, the Beginner should practise at every opportunity; fortunately, the basic form of each step requires no Partner and one can "sing", in one's head, an appropriate memorable and strongly rhythmic tune (such as the principal tune of the Reel, Mairi's Wedding, or of the Strathspey, The Duchess Tree). There are also dances in the formation of a square set danced by four couples, the Quadrilles, with four, five or … Gergel School. (beat), Step to the right with the right foot. The step is repeated by springing on to the left foot. E-mail: info@rscds.org, Join an RSCDS Branch & receive member benefits, Hop on the left foot and, at the same time, fully extend the right leg forward with the foot pointed down. We encourage you to try Scottish Country Dancing for yourself to see just how much fun it can be, so please come along and learn how to 'Dance Scottish'. This dance form is done in sets, normally of 3, 4 or 5 couples, that arrange themselves either in two lines (men facing ladies) or in a square. This would be your starting position, but within the course of, First Position, The heels are together. In a strathspey poussette, arms are slightly bent and held slightly wider than in the reel or jig poussette, with elbows down. The left hands and arms are held away from the body, comfortably above waist height. (step), Long step forward again with the right foot. St Andrew's Night in Kiev 2012Step dancing is indeed the tune is about. The heels are together. This would be your starting position, but within the course of, First Position, The heels are together. In Reels and Jigs this step is used to travel sideways, either with hands joined in a circle or with both hands joined facing partners. Steps used for moving are called travelling steps; and steps used for dancing on the spot are called setting steps. Examples are in poussettes and when slipping up, down or across in jig and reel time. Scottish Country Dance is an … In some steps in Scottish Country Dancing the weight is on one foot and the other leg is extended to the side, well turned out from the hip, the knee is straight, the foot is stretched and the toes are pointed towards the floor. Both hands are joined with partner at a comfortable shoulder height and width, with arms slightly bent and elbows down. The basic movement is: spring, beat, beat, and. It is important to remember that the heels are only on the floor when stationary and that when the foot is not on the floor, the heel should never be lower than the ball of the foot. (step), Step to the left with the left foot. It is transcribed in compound metre, being 6 8 time. In 2014, research from the University of Cumbria (UK) suggested participation in Scottish country dancing could reduce the ageing process. YOUR BASIC GUIDE TO SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE STEPS. The individual movements and steps recur frequently in many dances and show the combined influences of the Scottish, French and Irish traditions. All steps start with heels together and toes pointing diagonally out. Again with the exception of highly prescriptive Figures such as Allemande, Poussette (of all types), Promenade round and The knot, another significant difference from Ballroom Dancing is the logical separation of the detail of the Footwork from the Figures; the Dancer simply uses the designated step to perform the desired Figure. Very few dancers, even among the most experienced, have truly good Footwork. Ideally, every class should start with step practice though this is often omitted because so many dancers prefer to learn the Figures of a new dance rather than to improve their Footwork; indeed, many of us have become so accustomed to performing the steps inaccurately that we may no longer be capable of undoing the damage. When on the ball of the supporting foot, the heel of the front foot is just over the instep of the back foot. To be more precise (something alien to the ceilidh dance ethos, but hey!) Information on holds was taken from The Manual of Scottish Country Dancing. Get InvolvedLearnShopAboutBlogFind a Branch or Group, Summer SchoolThe Autumn GatheringWinter SchoolSpring Fling, What is Scottish Country Dance & Music?Steps & TechniquesMusic ResourcesTeaching Scottish Country Dance, Contact UsPhoto Use & Media PackAcceptable Use PolicyLegals, Privacy & CookiesSite Map, Tel: +44 (0)131 225 3854 In order to make the dance progressive, the ladies may leave their partners between bars 12-13 and move to the partner before them in the circle.. For Scottish country dancers, the grip in the first eight bars is allemande hold.. A live demonstration was performed by the Royal Scottish Country Dancing Society in 2007.. See also. Scottish country dancers will be familiar with some steps (for example, Pas de Basque, Pas de Basque Coupé, Glasgow Highlanders). Scottish Country Dance. Ceilidh Dancing. Setting steps are used for dancing (setting) on the spot and are commonly used when setting to your partner. Wherever you are in the world there is most likely Scottish Country Dancing. There are numerous intricate formations in Scottish country dances and the setting and travelling steps, use of hands, and patterns are danced with a respect for the fine details of the dances. Where Ballet foot positions are referenced, the subset as used in Scottish Country Dancing is implied. Back to the top of this 'Scottish Dance Video A To Z' page The individual movements and steps recur frequently in many dances and show the combined influences of the Scottish, French and Irish traditions. The man raises the woman’s right hand over her head to hold it just above, but not resting on, her right shoulder. 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