InFocus Magazine

What exactly then is Scottish country dancing? This is best explained by retired local dance teacher Judi Pedder.

“The dance form is based on English country dancing enlivened by Irish jigs and Scottish reels,” she says.  “It is not folk dancing, but is ‘ballroom dancing’, executed at the balls in manor houses and including the friends of the Laird and his Lady, as well as the household staff and workers on the estate.”

She notes that in addition to the jigs and reels, a slower and statelier tempo in strathspey time is found only in Scottish country dancing.

In the dance form, four couples dance together in a ‘set’ to reels, jigs, hornpipes and strathspeys.  During the course of an evening the sets and partners change, enabling the participant to meet and dance with many other people, male and female.

Pedder dispels the confusion between Scottish country dancing and Highland dancing.

“Many people confuse Scottish country dancing with Highland dancing,” she says.  “Highland dancing is solo dancing traditionally carried out by men to stir up courage before a battle.  (War dances, in fact).  The confusion arose because Highland dance competitions were frequently part of Highland games, with many of the dancers today being young women, not robust men from the Highlands.”

There is however, a connection between Scottish dancing and French dancing, Nixon says and it’s something of a reflection of the “auld alliance” between France and Scotland (against the English, needless to say), with some of the steps and formation terms bearing French names, such as promenade, allemande and pousette.

Some of these terms also have a direct connection with North American square dancing. This isn’t just by accident, Nixon says, for square dancing is certainly directly connected to European country dancing and the only major disparity between the two is that square dancing makes use of a caller.

Each dance, she says, has a different and distinct shape and form, and each couple participating has to learn the pattern of the dance.  Therein it differs from square dancing in that the step pattern is highly disciplined in the Scottish version.  Each dance has a different shape or form.

“For me it’s just a joyous event,” Nixon says.  “The music is part of what makes it joyful for me.  That and the mixing of people of all ages and both sexes.  Some evenings there are more women than men and sometimes more men than women.  So, women sometimes dance with women, and men with men.  In that it is different from social ballroom dancing.”

“If I’m tired or sad,” she continues, “I find it excellent therapy; it’s infectious and it brings together young people (the minimum age is 16) and older people, and I think that’s really healthy.”

What might a newcomer encounter if she or he decides to come to Comox United Church one Monday evening and check out the scene?

“We enjoy dances written in the 1700s, such as The Red House Reel, along with music recorded by various artists who have chosen to keep the old tunes alive,” says Judi Pedder.  “Sometimes a dance was devised to fit a particular piece of music, or for a specific occasion or person and that still applies today.”

Technology has, of course, changed some of the traditions, the most notable being live music.

“Since the arrival of records, tapes and CDs it is no longer difficult to find suitable music, using the original tunes if possible,” says Pedder.

As all romantics are aware, Valentine’s Day is on the immediate horizon, and February 14 is also the day of the Annual Valentine’s Ball at the Native Sons Hall in Courtenay. Aside from the dancers of the Comox Valley Scottish Country Dancers showing their skills—thanks to live music provided by Muriel Johnstone on piano and Keith Smith on violin—there will be dancing till midnight and a catered buffet.  This is the major event of the year with tickets already having been requested by dancers from San Francisco and Seattle, as well as others from Vancouver and Victoria.

While the season for new admissions to Scottish country dancing is over for this year—new dancers are admitted from September to December each year—people are welcome to go out to Comox United Church (corner of Comox Avenue and Beach Drive) any Monday evening, beginning at 7:30 and see what it’s all about.  Evelyn Nixon believes you couldn’t help but be attracted to a lively activity that will also permit you to make many new friendships.

Cost for the fall session (Sept. 15-Dec. 8) is $40, and for the spring session (Jan. 12-April 27) is $45. Prepay for the year for $80.  Students under 25 years old pay half price.

For more information visit:

www.cvgo.com/scd