What to wear:
Any comfortable clothes that don't restrict your movements are fine. Men, if you have a kilt and wish to wear it, you will not be out of place - however, Scottish dress is by no means compulsory!
Footwear:
You need soft shoes for Scottish dancing - light trainers, deck shoes, plimsolls, daps etc are fine to have a go in. If you like it you can buy special soft dance shoes called gillies. Many women wear ballet type slippers. Please see below for a list of local shops and links to Internet suppliers.
Local classes for Beginners/Intermediate Dancers:
If you are new to Scottish Country Dancing and would prefer to learn in a more structured class setting rather than informal club session, there are classes available through the RSCDS local branch, or in Guildford (see details below).
The following Scottish Country Dancing classes will be taking place (subject to sufficient numbers enrolling), at the Guildford Adult Learning Centre, Sydenham Road, Guildford GU1 3RX on Thursday evenings;
Beginners 7.00pm - 8.00pm
Improvers 8.15pm - 9.45pm
For dates and details contact the Adult Learning Centre on 01483 502422.
There is also a Beginners Class being run by the local branch of the RSCDS. This will take place at All Saints Church Hall, Fernhill Road, Farnborough GU14 9EW on Thursdays at 8.15pm from 22nd September; please contact Anne Whillis on 01252 673301 for more details.
Dances and Balls:
Find information about local events on the RSCDS local branch website. Usually, dances are recapped at a Dance but not at a Ball. Dress code tends to be informal for Dances and formal for Balls. Most tickets include a meal (with vegetarian option) and refreshments, although some dances have bring&share meals. There is usually an address available for enquiries and booking. Some tickets come with crib sheets for the dances - otherwise you can easily make your own crib sheets with the download from the MiniCrib website.
Shops:
There are Scottish wear suppliers advertised in the RSCDS Bulletin. None of these are local but most offer a mail order service. Here are two we recommend:
St. Andrews Shoemakers, 3 Newark Road South, Eastfield Ind. Estate,
Glenrothes, Scotland, KY7 4NS
Tel: 0870 7542 104 www.standrews-shoemakers.com
Scottish Dance Shoe Company, 87 Newchurch Road, Rawtenstall,
Lancashire, BB4 7QX
Tel: 01706 224272 www.scottishdanceshoe.co.uk
Local Shops (most of these do NOT sell the Scottish dance shoes for men but they do have the ballet pumps and Jazz dance shoes generally used by the ladies):
Janet's Dancewear, 82 St. Judes Road, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey - Tel: 01784-436301
Fame Dancewear, 9-11 Denmark Street, Wokingham Berks - Tel: 0118-9788657
Dance Depot, 21 High Street, Bagshot, Surrey - Tel: 01276-473040
Cabaret Dancewear, 3 Creswell Corner, Anchor Hill, Knaphill, Surrey - Tel: 01483-488440
Munroe Competition Shoes, 20 Woodall Close, Cuckfield, West Sussex, RH17 5HJ - Tel: 01444-456807 (mail order)
G Joliffe & Co, 48-54 Chapel Street, Marlow, Bucks. - Tel: 01628-475757
Scottish Dance Company, 1 Lakeside, Earley, Reading, Berks. - Tel: 0118-966 6006
Links:
You can find links to websites of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and its local branch as well as some of our fellow clubs and societies on the links page.