Spring term 2026
The term will start on 7th January and end on 13th May 2026, party night with music by Robert Whitehead.
A new idea for Wednesday evenings
From Wednesday 18th March 2026, we are going to have a weekly “No Instruction dance”, something which has proved popular at some other SCD Clubs in both the UK and abroad. The rationale for this is that it gives the more experienced dancers the chance to spend a few minutes doing a dance which they can manage without any recap or walk throughs. Only those who are confident about doing the dance will take part, so there is no pressure for anyone else to join in.
The NI dance will be the second one after the tea break. The title of the chosen dance will be highlighted here, and will be announced at the start of each evening. Two copies of the crib for the dance will also be posted in the Hall, for those dancers who want a quick reminder before dancing it.
Cribs and videos
Here is the link for Carol’s programme for 15th April. The No Instruction dance is The Falls of Rogie.
One of the dances is a 3 couple strathspey by Jean Attwood who devised over 150 dances. This one is Langholm Fair and it depicts a fair, where boys meet girls, celebrate “handfasting” (1-year trial marriage) and then marry. There was a handfasting fair in Langholm in the 16th-18th centuries – Courtesy of the Scottish Country Dance Database – a valuable resource.
The cribs and videos of the dances planned for a Wednesday evening at Saltire are now a regular weekly feature on our website under Class Nights. The link will be available each week sometime between the Sunday and Tuesday. All dances are walked through.
Clicking on the link will bring up a list of the dances on a separate tab. Clicking on a dance will bring up details of the dance, including the crib, the diagram and a selection of videos. Some dancers prefer not to look at the dances beforehand and, since all dances are walked through on a Wednesday evening, looking at them in advance is entirely optional.
Autumn term 2026
The term will start on 9th September and end on 16th December 2026.