Welcome to the Newark Scottish Country Dance Society

Since the lifting of Covid restrictions we open windows and doors to provide ventilation, and hand sanitiser is always available for use during the evenings.  Members bring a mug for interval refreshments; wrapped biscuits are provided. 
Please help yourself and everyone else - do not come to classes if you have any of the recognised Covid symptoms and feel free to sanitise your hands when at class.   
 

Scottish Country Dancing

Scottish country dancing is a wonderful pastime and is great exercise for mind and body.  Although originating in Scotland, you will find clubs and classes in most countries around the globe.  Scottish country dancing is very much a social activity and, unlike many other types of dancing, dancers are encouraged to dance with different people, so that couples who do come along, will dance mostly with other dancers and it is therefore most definitely not a requirement to come to a class with a partner.  There are three basic types of dances: reels and jigs which are fast dances with their own footwork and strathspeys which are slower. There are many thousands of dances and more being written every year, but the vast majority are made up of combinations of a small number of basic formations.  Once you have mastered these, you are in a good position to learn to dance a large number of reels, jigs and strathspeys.

Dancing fun in our Tuesday evening hall

We are a friendly group of dancers and give a warm welcome to new members!  Please browse our website to find out more about us, view the diary of our forthcoming events and to get in touch.

A Busy Weekend in July!

A team took part in the massed dancing at the 2023 White Rose Festival on Saturday 8 July which was followed by an evening dance.  Then on Sunday 9 July members performed at the Newark Book Festival.  The second photograph below shows the dancers in Newark wearing outfits - tartan skirts and white tops - created last year by Shelley, one of the Newark dancers.

(1) At the White Rose Festival and (2) at the Newark Book Festival

Blue Sky, Yellow Sun

Members have recently practised Blue Sky, Yellow Sun, a 4x32 bar strathspey.  It was written by Murrough Landon the Saturday after the invasion of Ukraine.  He writes “In London the weather was fine. I went out walking but kept thinking of those suffering far away. The combination of the yellow sun in a pale blue sky reminded me of the Ukrainian flag which gave me the title.”  Later, Wouter Joubert kindly offered his tune And when it rains... which he has dedicated "in support of peace and to all those who are bullied by tyrants".
Wouter made a 4x32 recording of this (with three other tunes) and this is used in a video of the dance recorded at the weekly class on 22 March 2022.  It can be viewed by clicking the link: https://youtu.be/WjlrFvHBcGU
or https://my.strathspey.org/dd/dance/20674/

Collingham Young Farmers

Our first dem took place since dancing began again after the Covid break when we were invited to join Collingham Young Farmers for their meeting on 01 December.  We demonstrated four dances, and helped them try five other dances.  There was great enthusiasm, much laughter and lots of smiles during the evening, which finished with them asking us to be in a group photo. 

Newark SCDS 1971 - 2021

A photograph of dancers at our Annual Dance commemorating 50 years since the Society was formed in 1971. A cake was cut by our Honorary Life Members, Sylvia and Godfrey Cozens, and a brief historical background given by our long-standing members Sally Stewart and Pat Harland. The dancing then began again, with the clock ticking towards year 51.

Members' Social 2021

After classes stopped in March 2020, it was wonderful to be able to invite all our members to meet up again before classes begin for the 2021/2022 season.
We have moved to a new location, the Bridge Community Centre, with more space for dancing, better ventilation and a car park.
For the first time, we had live music for the Member's Social, with Iain Carmichael playing his accordion, accompanied by Tom Cord on drums. 
Four sets of dancers enjoyed a great evening and our weekly classes have now begun, hoping that nothing will interfere with planned classes, Socials, Dances and Day School.  The Members' Social in 2022 is on Tuesday 06 September - please come along and catch up with others you may not have seen since before the summer.

Scottish Country Dance meets Steampunk!

​Members danced in the centre of Newark on August Bank Holiday Sunday 2021 during the middle of a Steampunk Festival. 

Garden Dances

​Covid restrictions prevented any Garden Dances taking place in 2020.  In 2021 groups of up to 30 meet in gardens, allowing dancing to take place, but staying distanced and therefore not able to use hands for crossing, turning, circles etc and dances are chosen which do not include certain formations such as poussettes.  From 2022 normal dancing has resumed, although the wet weather in July 2023 has limited the opportunities to dance outdoors.