Start with the basics.....

Here goes…. 

  1. The Building Blocks You only need to count to eight. The building blocks of SCD, are called formations or figures. They are almost all eight bars long, sometimes 16.
  2. What’s a Bar Then? Musical term, but all you need to know is that a bar is just over a second long in jig and reel time ( count one tomato, two tomato and so on) and twice as long in Strathspey time.
  3. Jigs and reels are fast dances, strathspeys are elegant and much slower.
  4. Four figures=32 bars=one repeat in both dance times.
  5. What’s a set then? Dancers in groups. Longways, square, even triangular. The dancers change position somewhere during each repeat and that is how the dance progresses. Everybody gets a go at all positions in the set.
  6. OKayyy- lots of options then?? Yes, but by far the most common setup is three couples in a four couple set, which means that three couples are dancing and one couple is resting at either the top or bottom of the set through each repeat. This is the traditional structure and takes a while to grasp.
  7. There are easier set types to start with. We will have a look at a four couple set. That means that everybody dances, at least a bit.
  8. OKayyy- how to make a start? You have to remember the four figures, and manage to dance them from each position in the set. You are always thinking and planning ahead. Most of us find that it takes a while for our brains to catch up, so be patient!

The Challenge

First of all, absolutely zero knowledge is assumed at the Come and Try session. So watch this if you want, but if it seems too complicated, don’t bother. Just come along. We will be starting with really simple dances.

Watch the video. A Day at Culzean Castle is a beginner dance, using simple figures and progressing with a step up at the end of the repeat. It’s a strathspey so there is plenty of time. It is a four couple dance in a four couple set. 

Each set consists of two lines, with partners facing across the set.

Four sets are shown in the video.

Your job is

  1. to identify the figures If you are doing this for the first time, don’t worry too much. We will cover them in the next two pages. And they are listed in the bottom left corner of the video in the second repeat.
  2. count to eight for each figure and remember that this is strathspey time, so it is elegant and graceful with just over two seconds  per bar.
  3. do a mental check half an hour later and see if you can remember the figures. Don’t panic! You absolutely do not have to remember dances. There are at least 22,000 documented dances so that would be impossible anyway. IRL, the dance will be taught in a class and briefed or walked through in social dance settings. During the dance, you do have to the remember the figures and learn to move smoothly from one to the next. Our music can sound a bit merry-go-round but when you are dancing, it’s magic. Lots of hints to help the dancers.            

 

This dance was devised by June Inwood, long time teacher at Box Hill Scottish Society, in inner east Melbourne, Australia. She wrote it specifically for new dancers, to use very common SCD figures, but it is a sweet and enjoyable dance anyway. It is danced here by Box Hill Scottish Society in July 2024.

Thank you to our wonderful musicians, Matthew, Philip, David  and Duncan.

Bars 1-8 Rights and lefts

Bars 9-16 Right hands across, left hands back

Bars 17-24 Figures of eight across the set

Bars 25-32 Lead down and up, cast to fourth place. 2,3,4s step up.