We love our new dancers! You are very welcome to come to a Monday night class at BNCC.
How do new dancers start? A beginner’s course is ideal, when available. Otherwise, come along and check it out. Beginners are welcome to watch until they are ready to join in. The group routinely learns dances from spoken instructions and dances are always walked through, so new dancers get a chance to learn every dance with the group.
Contact Jan on 0432 665145 or Hazel 0400593065 to make sure that it is a suitable night to attend.
Heather Ross is the principal teacher of the Ballarat Scottish Country Dance Group. Heather has been dancing in Melbourne since introduced with her family in the 1970’s. Heather is a fully qualified teacher with the RSCDS and has been teaching classes in Melbourne since 2006. She was appointed to the Ballarat group when she moved here in 2021. Heather has enjoyed Scottish Country Dance in many parts of the world, as this is one of her passions. The traditions and music of the various dances and instrumental bands from overseas and Australia are her inspiration.
FAQS
What is so good about SCD? Well, it’s great fun and a great fitness activity too. Dancers are a friendly and sociable bunch. Do I have to be Scottish? No. Most of us aren’t. Do I need a partner? No. We dance in sets and the tradition is to swap partners for each dance. Do I have to wear a kilt? Nope. The kilt is never compulsory, even on the most formal occasions, like balls. But I hate bagpipes! That’s just fine, because there aren’t any in SCD. Fiddles, keyboards, percussion, some woodwind. No sword dance, nooo highland fling and nooooo bagpipes.
The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society is celebrating its centenary this year and has produced this video of a well known beginner's dance, the Flying Scotsman. Lots of branches have supplied video of the same dance. You can see dance styles from ceidlidh/casual to formal. Wait for Sydney Branch at the end!
Scottish Country Dance in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.