RSCDS-NJ FAQ

Scottish Country Dancing in New Jersey

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Why should I do it?; What is Scottish Country Dancing, anyway?; Is it the same as the Highland Fling? What do the dances look like?; Who can do Scottish Country Dancing?; Do I need a partner?; Do I have to be Scottish?; How much does it cost?; What if I'm a beginner?; What do I wear? Do I have to wear a kilt?; Do I need special shoes?; Do I get to listen to bagpipes? (Alternatively, do I have to listen to bagpipes?); What happens at a typical NJ Branch weekly class?; What other events are there?; Who teaches the classes?; What is the RSCDS?; Where else can I dance?; Where can I find dance and class schedules and directions?; Where can I see Scottish Country Dancers in action?; Where can I get more information?
WHY SHOULD I DO IT?: It's great exercise; it's mentally challenging; it's done in the company of friendly, interesting people; and most of all, it's fun. Take a look at the pictures in our gallery; notice how everyone is smiling?
WHAT IS SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING, ANYWAY?: Scottish Country Dancing is a modern version of eighteenth century European social dancing. If you've ever seen a Virginia Reel, you'll have the basic idea.

Three or four couples stand in opposing lines; the first couple dances a pattern with the couples next to them; then they drop to the bottom of the line and the next couple begins the pattern again. Generally each couple repeats the pattern twice, so the dance is repeated 8 times, with every couple dancing each position twice.

There are many variations, of course. There are fast dances, jigs and reels, and strathspeys which are slower and more elegant. You can see short videos of Scottish Country Dancers in action here.
IS THIS THE SAME AS THE HIGHLAND FLING? WHERE DO THE DANCES COME FROM?: No. The Highland Fling is danced by a single dancer for competition; Scottish Country Dance is social dancing. You do it for fun, not to compete, although many clubs have demonstration teams.

There are hundreds of different dances; some are very old, traditional dances, others have been devised more recently. The RSCDS publishes and distributes new and old dances in a standardized format. Some of our own local members have had their dances published by the RSCDS.
WHO CAN DO SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING?: The usual saying is 'from 8 to 80'; but our octogenarian dancers would probably take exception to that. And while we don't have many very young dancers, some members do bring their children along, and quite a few people had their first exposure to Scottish Country Dancing in their Scottish grade school.
DO I NEED A PARTNER?: No. Couples are certainly welcome, but it's customary to change partners for each dance, so coming alone is no problem. Everyone dances. This also means that beginners are usually paired with more experienced partners, which is very helpful.
DO I HAVE TO BE SCOTTISH?: No. You'll meet a lot of Scots here, though.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?: The weekly classes and social dances are mostly well under $10; larger dances and balls, which usually include a meal, run about $40. For exact figures, go to the Classes or the Events pages.; The annual fee to belong to the NJ Branch is $10. In addition, although it's not required, dancers are encouraged to join the our parent organization, the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Membership dues are $30 per year. Benefits include the Membership Book, the Annual Dance Book, and the right to apply for the RSCDS Summer School at St. Andrews, Scotland, and the TAC School in Canada.
WHAT IF I'M A BEGINNER?: We were all beginners once, so you'll find us very helpful. While there is a core group of steps and patterns which are soon learned, in the New Jersey groups all the dances are taught before they're danced, so newcomers can easily join in. Usually, the dancers walk through the dance once or twice and may take some time to work on a particular figure before dancing it straight through. Tenafly has a separate beginner class, where you will spend the whole class learning one dance, which is then danced with the whole group. Groups without a beginner class adjust the level of instruction to fit the experience of the dancers present that night.
WHAT DO I WEAR? DO I HAVE TO WEAR A KILT?: At classes women are enouraged to wear a skirt and men the kilt (they say it changes the way you move!) but you don't have to. Slacks are fine for both sexes; you should be comfortable and able to move easily.

People dress up more for the big dances: the dance floors at the NY Branch sponsored Westchester Ball or the Jeannie Carmichael Ball at West Point are an impressive sight.
DO I NEED SPECIAL SHOES?: The classic Scottish dancing shoe is the ghillie, but ballet slippers or any soft, flexible shoe will do. You want to be able to get up on the balls of your feet. Don't stay away because you haven't got the right shoes, though - sneakers will do in a pinch.
DO I GET TO LISTEN TO BAGPIPES? (ALTERNATIVELY, DO I HAVE TO LISTEN TO BAGPIPES?: One of the pleasures of Scottish Country Dancing is the wonderful music; it's hard to resist jumping up to dance while you listen to a lively jig or reel. We often dance to live music; the basic dance band is a keyboard and a fiddle, and other instruments may join in. A piper plays for the Grand March at the beginning of larger dances, but isn't part of the normal dance band.
WHAT HAPPENS AT A TYPICAL NJ BRANCH WEEKLY CLASS?: The evening starts with a few minutes of stretching and perhaps a little practice on a particular step. Then 3 or 4 dances are taught and danced over the next hour; if there's a beginner's class, they separate and learn one dance in detail.

Everyone comes back together for refreshments, conversation, and announcements; in the last half hour the whole group finishes with a few more dances, one of which is the one the beginners learned.
WHAT OTHER EVENTS ARE THERE?: Most groups have "end of series" parties after every 10 classes; there's also a holiday party in December and "Burns Night" in January near the date of Robert Burn's birth (January 25).

Parties are similar to the regular classes except that less time is spent teaching and there's usually live music and more food. The Burns Night celebration includes a ceremonial reading of Rabbie Burn's "Address to the Haggis", followed by refreshments including haggis, neeps, and tatties.

The New Jersey Branch sponsors three large events every year. The scenic Alpine Boat Basin Picnic and Dance is held outdoors in September, in a pavilion in the Palisades Interstate Park along the Hudson River. In February, the Central Jersey Workshop and Tea Dance features a morning workshop, lunch in a local restaurant, and a Tea Dance in the afternoon; it's usually held in the Cranbury, NJ area. The season finishes with the Rerr Terr, with a fish and chips dinner and an evening dance in Tenafly.

Our sister RSCDS branch in New York City sponsors the Jeannie Carmichael Ball, held at West Point, NY in November; the Westchester Ball, in Larchmont in June; and the Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) party in Elmsford, NY.

All these events will be listed on our Dances and Events page, with links to the registration forms and other information.
WHO TEACHES THE CLASSES?: Our teachers are local members who have been trained and certified by the RSCDS.
WHAT IS THE RSCDS?: When it seemed as if this style of dancing was dying out after the first World War, two Scottish ladies, Miss Milligan and Mrs. Stewart, started the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS). Today there are RSCDS affiliated groups all over the world.

Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Society publishes dances, trains and certifies teachers, runs schools and workshops, and generally keeps things organized. The RSCDS Website is a valuable source of information on all facets of Scottish Country Dancing.
WHERE ELSE CAN I DANCE?: There are RSCDS branches in NY, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware; our Links page will connect you to their websites for dates and schedules. The NY and NJ branches share meny members and are always welcome at each other's classes and events.

In fact, there are RSCDS groups everywhere. Check the RSCDS 'Branch and Group Finder' page to find a group wherever you happen to be.
WHERE CAN I FIND CLASS SCHEDULES AND DIRECTIONS?: Click for the class page for our local groups: Tenafly; Hightstown ; Fanwood; and Cherry Hill. For other nearby groups check our Links page.
WHERE CAN I SEE SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCERS IN ACTION?: A You Tube search for 'Scottish Country Dancing' will find many videos; or check out the pictures in our own Photo Gallery.

The Alpine Boat Basin Dance is held outside in September in the Palisades Interstate Park; feel free to stop by and watch us. The date and time will be found on our Dances and Events page.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?: For details about the NJ Branch, look on our Contact Us page for phone numbers to call. The Links page has websites of other local groups; the RSCDS website has a lot of general and historical information.