Reel Club
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The aim of this course is to teach participants a range of basic steps and formations found in Scottish Country Dances and so to enable them to take part in social dancing. The course does not aim to teach specific dances and the dances taught in class are chosen because they contain the specific steps and formations being taught.
The majority of dances are made up of several
standard formations linked together in some way and it is more useful for
learners to master the common formations than to attempt to memorise the
dances themselves. There are thousands of different dances, but far
fewer formations.
By the end of the course, participants
will be understand and be able to do the following:
| Steps | All basic dance steps for reel, jig or strathspey |
| Terms | Turn; cross; cast; set; balance in line |
| Formations | Down the middle and back; hands across and back; hands round and back; figure of eight; poussette; reel of three; set and turn corners; turn corner, partner |
| Set types | Longways set; square set; round the room dance |
We realise that some of the participants in our September course come because they are planning to attend the St Andrews Ball and want to be able to take an active part in it. In response to this, where a ball dance is appropriate for the teaching purposes of the course, it will be included. Around three quarters of the dances are likely to be covered in this way. However, the main purpose of the course still remains the teaching of Scottish Country Dancing rather than the teaching of specific Scottish Country Dances. In order to help ball goers to learn the dances, the St Andrews Society arranges several ball practice sessions each year and a video is available from the Hong Kong Highlanders showing the dances walked through slowly and then danced.
Aim