The Highland Gateway
The Newsletter of the Perth & Perthshire Branch of
The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
Scottish Charity No: SC024464
Issue Number 45
April 2009
Committee 2008/9
Chairman Allana Creighton
Vice Chairman John Graham
Secretary Vacant
Treasurer Valerie Lord
Members Jean Dewar, Kathleen Frew, Christopher Smith, Linda
Gaul, Brian Park
Contact Details: Allana Creighton
1 Mapledene Road, Scone
Perth PH2 6NX
The objects of the Local Association are:
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To preserve & further the practice of traditional Scottish Country Dancing.
To provide, or assist in providing, special education or instruction in the
practice of Scottish Country Dancing.
To promote the enjoyment and appreciation of Scottish Country Dancing by
any suitable means.
Generally to do such things as are considered by the Local association to be
incidental or conducive to the attainment of objects above stated.
Branch Web Site
Thanks to excellent work by Allana Creighton we now have our own Branch web site
www.rscds-perthandperthshire.com
Have a look at this for news of Branch activities. If you have any news to pass on
please send it to the Web Master, allanacreighton@btinternet.com
Bells Sports Injury Clinic
This is just a reminder, if you should overdo it dancing, that the Branch have again
subscribed to the above sports clinic. This is worth thinking about if you suffer from
an injury sustained while dancing. You will get access to expert help and there is a
slight reduction in the fees for RSCDS Branch members.
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Chairman’s Letter.
You may have seen in the press recently that as a result of a very successful
charity dance we were able to donate £450 to the Cornhill Macmillan Centre at
Perth Royal Infirmary. A big thank you to everyone involved.
Since the last edition of the Highland Gateway, our book of Perth Dances and
accompanying CD were officially launched at the beginning of March. Sales are
picking up and copies have now reached as far as Australia, New Zealand,
Canada, USA and Hawick!
The spring classes will be going ahead as usual in the Kinnoull Church Hall every
Tuesday in May and June with live music and a different teacher every week.
These evening are very enjoyable so please come along.
We hope you will continue to support our summer dances which will be in the
new Bankfoot Church Centre every Tuesday during July and August. There will
be a variety of bands and the programmes are now available from committee
members.
In the meantime John and his team are busy finalising the arrangements for the
Perth Ball on 24th April 2009 at the Hangar at Perth Airport, Scone. I hope you all
have your tickets as I’m sure we’ll have a great night.
Please remember that the deadline for nominations for the Branch award is 1st
May 2009. Forms were included with an edition of the Highland Gateway last
year or they can be obtained from a committee member.
Unfortunately our Secretary, Louise Paton, has resigned from the committee due
to other pressures on her time, so if you feel you would like to help us in this role
please let me know.
More information on the forthcoming events can also be found on the Branch
website at www.perthandperthshire.com.
Allana Creighton
A note from the Editor
This is your magazine and I look forward to receiving Branch news and reports on
dances for publication. Thanks to all who have contributed. Please send any
contributions for the next issue of the newsletter to me, Brian Park, 24 East Moulin
Road, Pitlochry PH16 5HY no later than 7 August 2009.
E-mail: parkbrian@btinternet.com
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The Homecoming Dance
At a meeting of the Monday night class in January we were asked to dance each of
the 4 dances that had been short listed for this celebration dance from an original
submission of over 80 dances to the RSCDS organising committee. Each dance was
presented to us by Jim Healy as a number and we had to decide which dance was
suitable for dancers with little experience but nevertheless enjoyable for all to dance.
All the dances we performed were interesting and very different and the dance which
we all know now as The Homecoming Dance unanimously chosen as the winner.
We then were asked to perform the dance again to two different tunes and select the
tune which suited the dance best. I am sure that you are all aware of the results.
Brian Park
A Successful Charity Dance - Macmillan Centre profits
from a trip to the light fantastic
As a result of a very successful charity dance held in January we were able to donate
£450 to the Cornhill Macmillan Centre at Perth Royal Infirmary.
Allana Creighton handed the cheque over to Ann Gourlay, Service Development Manager
for Perth & Kinross community Health Partnership on Monday 2nd March at the branch
class. Class members, committee members and a number of guests attended the event.
A big thank you to everyone involved.
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Perthshire dancers take to the floor to release unique CD
and book
Proudly showing off the new CD and book are, left to right: John Graham, Bet
Nairn, Allana Creighton and Margaret Breckenridge.
The members of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society’s Perth and
Perthshire branch have just launched their first ever CD and book of dances.
The 12 Scottish country dances, all with a special connection to Perth, were
chosen from a total of 42 submissions. The branch chairman, Allana Creighton,
describes the selections as “a mixture of old and new” and hopes they will
become part of the worldwide “living tradition” of Scotland’s dance heritage.
Similarly, the CD recorded by James Coutts and his Scottish Country Dance
Band has a wide variety of traditional and modern tunes designed to appeal to
dancers everywhere.
The dancers are particularly delighted to be launching the venture in
Homecoming year. It is an achievement of which Perth and Perthshire can be
proud.
Launching the book and CD this week, Allana Creighton praised members for
their response to the project, commending the winner of the competition to
design a book and CD cover, local artist and dance teacher, Margaret
Breckenridge.
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On Monday Allana directed the first of two sessions at which members were
being taught the new moves.
Some 35 dancers made up the sets, including a number of visitors who had
braved the stormy weather to come from as far away as Inverness. Pat and Peter
Clark travelled down from Kingussie – “Och, it’s just an hour up the road,” the
Herald was told. Pat’s been dancing since she was six! In fact, some of those
present have been at it for 50 years. Brian Park, who had travelled from Pitlochry,
resplendent in Highland dress, said: “The great thing about dancing is that you
can turn up anywhere in the world and find a group of country dancers. I’ve
danced in Jakarta, Hong Kong, and all points north, south, east, and west.”
Allana told us some of the chosen dances had been danced locally but many
were being performed for the first time. Some had the music specially written for
them, by local folk, of course, and some took tunes that just seemed to fit. One
offering even came all the way from Boston. “We tried to get a mix, and to involve
all the local classes and people from different areas. The selection process was a
master class in democratic decision making, with try-outs and a final committee
vote.”
Is there a future for Scottish country dancing the Herald wondered? Yes, if you
consider that there are dozens of classes countrywide. Allana said: “There is
something going on every night and there are dancers still dancing at 80. You
could dance every night of the week if you wanted to.”
The dancers might think they’re getting older – especially after spinning a few
reels seven nights a week -- but the effort is on to breathe new life into the auld
art, with dancing on the school curriculum, and classes for dancers as young as
seven, “the youngest age at which they can internalise the steps,” says Allana.
Carry on jiggin’.
Fiona Cumming - Reporter for the Perthshire Herald and Perthshire
Advertiser.
And also on ‘The Reel Blend’
The CD and book also featured on the Robbie Shepherd’s ‘The Reel Blend’ on
Sunday 5 April as first item in the programme with the Two Inch Race being
broadcast.
Thanks to Robbie Shepherd and Jennifer Cruickshank
Copies of the book and CD can be obtained from Allana for the price of £ 15.00
plus postage. Sold separately the book costs £5.00 and the CD £12.00.
Notes for you diary
Our next branch dance will be held on Saturday 24 April 2009 Perth Ball in The
Hanger, Scone. This is an all ticket function.
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Spring Classes and Summer Dances
Spring Classes this year will be held on every Tuesday in May and June in
Kinnoull Church Hall at 7.30pm. Every week a different teacher from the Branch
will take us through the more difficult or less familiar dances on the Summer
Dance programmes. We are fortunate to have secured the services of three
talented accordion players – Luke Brady Neil Copland and Roger Crook. We
hope that you will support these classes and that they will enhance your
enjoyment of the Summer Dances. Soft drinks and biscuits will be included in the
price of £3.00.
Just to keep us all on our toes, the venue for the Summer Dances is the new
Bankfoot Church Centre in Bankfoot. This is a wonderful new facility in the area
with plenty of free parking, although access may be slightly slow until the new
junction on the A9 is completed. If you need transport to get to Bankfoot from
Perth, please let me know. These dances will be held every Tuesday in July and
August at 7.30pm and cost £5.00. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. As
usual, we have a wonderful line up of great bands and the teachers have worked
hard to provide programmes with something to suit dancers of all ages and skill
levels. All the dances will be re-capped, so even if you have been unable to
attend the classes a warm welcome awaits. Please support these events by your
presence and be sure to tell all your friends and visitors.
See you there!
Linda Gaul
Tuesday Dance Dates at Bankfoot Centre
7 July
14 July
21 July
28 July
4 August
11 August
18 August
25 August
Band Marion Anderson
Band Jim Lindsay
Band Lothian
Band James Coutts
Band David Oswald
Band Sandy Nixon
Band Glencraig
Band Colin Dewar
Branch Award Scheme
The Committee agreed to reinstate the Branch Award scheme following a request at
the 2007 AGM. Details of the scheme and nomination forms can be obtained from
any member of the committee and these have to be submitted to the committee
before the 1 May 2009 for consideration this year. Nominations will be reviewed by
the committee and worthy awards will be made at the 2009 AGM in September.
There is still time for nominations to be received.
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Forthcoming Events
Saturday 9 May Pitlochry Town Hall
Band Glencraig
Contact: June Templeman
01796 473488
Saturday 25 July Pitlochry Town Hall
Band Colin Dewar
Contact: June Templeman
01796 473488
Friday 22 May Ericht SCDC
Blairgowrie Town Hall Band S Nixon
Contact: J Graham 01250 884315
Saturday 8 August Pitlochry Town
Hall. Band David Anderson
Contact: June Templeman
01796 473488
Saturday 30 May Pitlochry Town Hall
Band: David Oswald
Contact: June Templeman
01796 473488
Friday 21 August Ericht SCDC
Blairgowrie Town Hall
Band: James Coutts
Contact: John Graham 01250 884315
Saturday 6 June Castleton Dancers,
Braemar are holding a dance in the
Stag Room, Mar Lodge. Ticket only.
Contact: Marilyn Baker
01339 741225
Saturday 22 August Pitlochry Town
Hall. Band: Marion Anderson
Contact: June Templeman
01796 473488
Saturday 27 June Pitlochry Town Hall
Band: David Oswald
Contact: June Templeman
01796 473488
Saturday 5 September Pitlochry Town
Hall. Band: Glencraig
Contact: June Templeman
01796 473488
Friday 10 July Ericht SCDC
Blairgowrie Town Hall
Band: D Anderson
Contact: John Graham 01250 884315
Saturday 19 September Pitlochry
Town Hall. Band: Marion Anderson
Contact: June Templeman
01796 473488
Saturday 11 July Pitlochry Town Hall
Band Marion Anderson
Contact: June Templeman
01796 473488
Friday 25 September Ericht SCDC
Blairgowrie Town Hall
Band: J Lindsay
Contact: John Graham 01250 884315
Disclaimer
Please note that the Perth & Perthshire Branch of the RSCDS cannot be held
responsible for any error in the details provided for any forthcoming events or
classes. The editor would appreciate being informed of any changes required for
future issues of the newsletter.
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Perth and Perthshire RSCDS Branch Nomination Form for Branch Awards
Please complete this form in BLOCK CAPITALS and in black ink. Copies of the form
are also available on the Branch website. Completed forms should be sent to the Branch
Secretary.
Full Name of Nominee……………………………………………………………..
Title……………………………………
Contact Address of
Nominee……………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
Statement in support of nomination. (please attach a separate sheet if necessary
however statements must not be longer than 600 words)
Proposer(1)
Full Name……………………………………………………………………………….
Contact Address………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
I agree that the above statement and details reflects the contribution of the nominee.
Signed……………………………………………………Date………………………
Proposer(2)
Full Name……………………………………………………………………………….
Contact Address………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
I agree that the above statement and details reflects the contribution of the nominee.
Signed……………………………………………………Date………………………
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