Shoes
As we
say on the home page, you do not need a kilt or (if you are a
woman) a long white dress with a tartan sash to enjoy Scottish
Country Dancing. But once you get serious about it, you
may wish to purchase a pair of soft leather dancing shoes.
These can either be laced (known as Ghillies, which most men
prefer) or slip-ons (ie, soft-toed ballet shoes, which many
ladies prefer). There are a number of suppliers.
St Andrew's
Shoemakers of Glenrothes have an excellent website and
supply various styles of Ghillies from about £25
per pair. Slip-ons are cheaper (at around £18). One
of our members strongly recommends the
Scottish
Dance Shoe Company. If
you are in London and would like to try before you buy, there is
Freed's, at 94 St
Martin's Lane, opposite the Coliseum (Tel:
020 7240 0432) though at present, their web-site
does not show the lace-up shoes. The same applies to
another possible source
Gandolfi at
150 Marylebone Rd (Tel: 020 7935 6049). Although not
actually a supplier, Edinburgh University's Scottish Dance Group
has an excellent review of the
different types of footwear that can be worn.
Kilts
One kilt maker suggested by one of our leading members is the
Master Kiltmaker:
http://www.masterkiltmaker.com/
Instructions and Music
The
Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and its
London Branch have
online shops from which you can purchase the official RSCDS
dance instructions (published in books with or without the
recommended accompanying music) as well as CDs of the music
specially recorded for the set of dances in each book.
They also sell other books, various recordings and miscellaneous
SCD-related items.
Books about Scottish Country Dancing
In association with the RSCDS, Collins published a very useful introductory pocket book
in 1996: "Scottish Country
Dancing" which is still in print and which describes the main steps and
formations as well as giving fairly detailed instructions for
more than a 100 of the more popular dances.
If you would like to read more about the history, traditions
and development of SCD you will find the following of interest.
"Highland Balls and Village Halls" by GW Lockhart (Luath
Press, Edinburgh, 2nd edition, 1997) For a more complete
listing of books on the history and tradition of Scottish
Country Dancing, see our Bibliography page. |
