Scottish Country Dancing

Scottish country dancing (SCD) is a sociable dance form with roots stretching back for centuries . Participants are grouped into sets, typically of 3, 4 or 5 couples arranged either in two lines (men facing women) or in a square, and work together to dance a sequence of formations. This will leave them in a new order, and the dance is repeated enough times to bring them back to their starting positions, with everyone dancing each position in turn.

It is not Highland dancing which is best known as dancing over swords.  Rather, it is social dancing in circles, squares or parallel lines of dancers.

SCD is mainly danced socially, for pleasure and enjoyment, but many groups also perform.

Although the basic steps and formations are easy to pick up, the technique is being honed continuously so that at its highest levels it can now be an extremely athletic, balletic dance form (not that the majority of social dancers take it as seriously as that).

There can be no dancing without music, and Scottish country dancing has attracted some of the most talented musicians to play for it. From the first chord to the final bow or curtsey, dancers are inspired by the driving reels, jaunty jigs, smooth strathspeys or lilting slow airs – leading to the popular expression “the music will tell you” (now also immortalised in the name of a dance).

SCD is very sociable – it is common practice to dance with different partners during a night of dancing – and thanks to the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society is sufficiently popular and uniform that any SCD dancer can pack their dance shoes and be welcomed.

The International Society

Royal Scottish Country Dancing Society known as RSCDS is currently located at 12 Coates Crescent, Edinburgh, Scotland (there is a dance composed after this address!).

The Society began in 1923 with two women – times were changing and the dances that they had grown up with were being forgotten as new dance forms were introduced into Scotland.  They decided to see if others were concerned and interested in saving the national dances, placed an advertisement in the local newspaper to hold a meeting and the rest, as they say, is history.  90 years on and we wonder what we would do without our Scottish country dancing in our lives.  The Country dancing of Scotland is the social or group dancing and we dance with all dancers, so no special partner is required. 

New Zealand is just one branch of many RSCDS branches throughout the world and the worldwide family continues to grow as children and adults find this form of dance.

Our Local Club

The Hibiscus Coast club was formed on Thursday 29 March 1979 at an inaugural meeting held in the old community centre, Orewa.Hibiscus Coast SCD Club is just one of many clubs operating under the Auckland region,and we welcome juniors and adults with tuition in steps and formations, leading to confidence in dancing in a group and enjoying the toe-tapping music.