No partner or experience needed. Wear flat soft-sole shoes
All classes are held at the City Light Church, 550 Obed Avenue, Victoria V9A 1K5. All teachers are accredited by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. For all classes the hall rental begins 15 minutes before class to allow for set up and getting your shoes on.
. Classes run from September to December and January to May … .
NEW! Step Dance Classes! Thursdays 6:30 – 7:15. Teacher: Joan Axford. This type of dance is a combination of highland and Scottish country dance steps. It is open to both men and women. The classes are being offered at cost of the hall rental, so the more dancers who attend the lower the cost per person, but expect about $10 per class.
Scottish Country Dancing is lots of fun and sometimes challenging. Our classes are set up in levels so that dancers can learn at an appropriate pace. It is important for our dancers to encourage newcomers to the class and for new dancers to be ready to join the class. Therefore, if you are considering joining a new level class, please speak with your current teacher and the teacher in the class you would like to attend. Here are some tips on the formations you should be ready to dance at each level:
• For the Experienced Social, you should know the basic and intermediate formations without a reminder
• For the Daytime Social class, you should have danced the basic formations and be ready to put them into a dance
• For the Intermediate class, you should know the basic formations without a reminder
Basic Formations: Advance and retire, Hands round, Hands across, leading and dancing down and up, Rights and lefts. Casting, Back to back, Poussette, Allemande, figures of 8, know your corners, Promenade, Figure 8, Grand chain, Ladies’ chain, and simple reels of three and four
Intermediate Formations: The Rondel, The Knot, Reels of 3 on opposite side and own side, Corners pass and turn, Double triangles, Rights and lefts for 3 couples, Strathspey poussette, Half poussette, Set to corners and partner (Hello-Good bye), Set and link, Set and link for 3 couples, Set and rotate, Men’s chain, Reels of 3 and 4 (side, across, diagonal)
Experienced Social – Mondays 7:30 – 9:30 pm. Teacher: Bob Anderson. Experienced Social for dancers with good knowledge of all basic and intermediate formations and who wish to dance more challenging dances and formations.
Basic Class – Tuesdays 7:30 – 9:30 pm. Teacher: Sheila McCall. In the Basic class you will learn the five steps used in Scottish Country Dancing. You will learn basic formations and become familiar with the concept of sets, progression and teamwork while you experience the joy of moving to lively Scottish music. You don’t need to come with a partner, just come and join us for fun evenings as you learn.
Daytime Social – Tuesdays 1:15 – 3:15 pm. Teachers: Louise McGillivray, Gordon Robinson, and Anita Mathur. This is the class for those who prefer a daytime class. We learn/review formations, work on phrasing, covering, handing and the “teamwork” in Scottish Country dancing. We do old and new favourites, and dances from upcoming socials. A friendly group that would love to have you join them, regularly or occasionally!
Intermediate Class – Thursdays 7:30 – 9:30 pm. Teachers: Gael Forster and Joan Axford. For dancers who know the basic formations and want to expand their repertoire, this class will teach a range of formations, work on phrasing, handing and learn a mix of traditional favourites and newer dances at the basic and intermediate levels. For more experienced dancers, this will be an opportunity to review dance formations in a social dance setting. Dances from upcoming social programs will also be included.
Demonstration Team. Teacher: Joan Axford. VISCDS also offers a demonstration team to perform at community events as part of the ethnic culture in Victoria. The team dances at seniors’ residences and centres, the Highland Games, Burns celebrations, Folktoria, Greekfest, etc. It is an opportunity to share our dance and music, and to encourage others to join our group. Each year, the team learns a new routine. You do not have to be an expert dancer. The team is always welcoming new members. If you like being part of a team and attending community events, this could be for you. The team meets on Tuesday at 7:30 pm about twice a month. For more information, please call or text Joan Axford at 250-415-2540 or e-mail at joanaaxford@gmail.com.
If you are new to the area or visiting from out of town, please contact us if you require directions on how to get to the classes.