RSCDS Qld
What is Scottish country dancing?
If you’ve danced at a Ceilidh (think Strip the Willow or Dashing White Sergeant), then you’ve already done some Scottish country dancing.
Scottish country dancing (not to be confused with Highland dancing, which is usually performed energetically over crossed swords) is a social dance form. It is most commonly performed by groups of three or four couples called a ‘set’ and consists of a series of formations. Dancers work together to dance a short sequence of formations that provide a particular dance with its identity. The originality of the formations ensures each couple gets the chance to experience the dance from different positions in the set.
Scottish country dancers mainly dance for pleasure, finding the shared experience of dance both physically and mentally enjoyable. Whether they dance at a local club, in a town hall or at a one-off Ceilidh event, the result is the same!
Once you have mastered the basic steps and some of the formations, you’ll be able to dance anywhere in the world. Scottish country dancing may have originated in Scotland but it’s now danced in countries all over the world including in Japan, the United States and Ukraine.
Scottish country dancing can get competitive! Many groups around the world perform displays at events or festivals Although the basic steps and formations are easy to pick up, the level of technique for competitive dancing is more demanding.