Lughnasa in Athens: August 3, 2025
YOU ARE INVITED TO:
Lughnasa Dance and Potluck
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Shade Community Center, 2380 Old Rte 33, Shade, Ohio
2:30 – 5:30 pm (Doors open at 2:10, Dancing starts at 2:30)
With live music by Boys of the Hock!
Come celebrate the Gaelic beginning of the harvest season with an afternoon of dancing!
Dancers: $10 – $20 sliding scale. (Please don’t let finances keep you away!)
Spectators: $5
This event is informal, but feel free to dress up if you wish.
Dances will be walked through at least once. Talk-throughs will be gender neutral.
Please bring a potluck item to share. We’ll enjoy a sit-down meal at the end of the evening.
Can’t wait to dance with you!
***
Program:
The Ferry Boat
The Bon Viveur
The Old Man of Storr
Mrs. Gibson’s Strathspey
Flowers of Edinburgh
Intermission
The Happy Meeting
The Falkirk Lass
A Trip to Bavaria
The Greenbelt Jig
The Deil Amang the Tailors
Waltz
Potluck dinner
You are invited to the:
COLUMBUS SUMMER DANCE PARTY
With live music by Reeling Around!
When: June 5, 7:30 pm
Where: Gates-Fourth United Methodist Church, 119 E Gates Street, Columbus, Ohio. (The church is in Merion Village a few blocks south of Thurman and sits on the corner of Gates and Fourth. Park along the street and climb steps on Fourth Street side to double doors. Ring the doorbell and a dancer will come greet you.)
How much: FREE. (But please bring a tea item to share)
CANCELLED: Hogmanay in Athens: January 5, 2025
This event is cancelled due to 8 to 12 inches of forecast snow! Please stay home and stay tuned for a new date and time.
YOU ARE INVITED TO:
Hogmanay Dance and Potluck
Sunday, January 5, 2025
Shade Community Center, 2380 Old Rte 33, Shade, Ohio
2:30 – 5:30 pm
With live music by Boys of the Hock!
Come celebrate the Scottish New Year with an afternoon of dancing!
Dancers: $10 – $20 sliding scale. (Please don’t let finances keep you away!)
Spectators: $5
This event is informal, but feel free to dress up if you wish.
Dances will be walked through at least once. Talk-throughs will be gender neutral.
Please bring a potluck item to share. We’ll enjoy a sit-down meal at the end of the evening.
Winter weather policy: We’ll dance as long as Athens County is at a Level 0 or 1 Snow Emergency at 11 am. We’ll cancel if Athens County is at a Level 2 or 3 snow emergency at 11 am. Please check the facebook group for weather updates in borderline cases.
Can’t wait to dance with you!
***
Program:
New Year Jig
A Trip to Bavaria
The Hunting Horn
Thanks For All the Dancing
Flowers of Edinburgh
Intermission
Antarctica Bound
The Old Man of Storr
The Silver Grey
Follow Me Home
The De’il Amang the Tailors
Waltz
Potluck dinner
Use this link to see the list of dances along with tabs to see cribs, diagrams, and videos when available.
Autumn Gold: A Tea Dance in Dayton
Cincinnati & Dayton Classes Of the Cincinnati Branch RSCDS host:
Autumn Gold
An Afternoon of Scottish Country Dancing
Saturday, November 9, 2024
1:30pm – 5:30 pm
Michael Solomon Pavillion: 2917 Berkley St # 3, Dayton , Ohio 45409
Cost $ 25
Featuring live music by Keltricity of Lousiville, Kentucky
Programme:
Hooper’s Jig J
Rose of the North S
Fireworks Reel R
The Hunting Horn J
Culla Bay S
Orpington Caledonians R
Capital Jig J
Piper and the Penguin R
The Gentleman S
Trip to Timber Ridge R
Flight of the Falcon J
Orchards of Armagh S
De’il Amang the Tailors R
Please register here, then choose one of the payment options below.
Online: Pay via credit card, bank account, or paypal account ($26.25)
Checks: $25 payable to RSCDS Cincinnati Class, sent to Andy May 5626 Monica Drive, Fairfield OH 45014
Questions? Contact Tracey Applebee (513-600-5852) or Joyce Lindsey (937-620-2782)
Bealltainn in Athens
YOU ARE INVITED TO:
Bealltainn Dance and Potluck
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Shade Community Center, 2380 Old Rte 33, Shade, Ohio
3:30 – 6:30 pm
With live music by Reeling Around
$10 – $15 sliding scale
This event is informal, but feel free to dress up if you wish.
Dances will be walked through at least once. Talk-throughs will be gender neutral.
Come celebrate the Celtic beginning of summer with an afternoon of dancing!
Cost: To be announced. If money is an issue we’d rather have you come than stay home. Please don’t let finances keep you away!
Please bring a potluck item to share. We’ll enjoy a sit-down meal at the end of the evening.
Can’t wait to dance with you!
***
Program:
Strip the Willow
The Machine Without Horses
Summer Wooing
Sugar Candie
The Kelloholm Jig
Intermission
Rory o’More
A Trip to Bavaria
New Year Jig
12 Coates Crescent
Antarctica Bound
Potluck dinner
Use this link to see the list of dances along with tabs to see cribs, diagrams, and videos when available. Or download the gender-neutral cribs.
Scottish Workshop and Dance in Kentucky
YOU ARE INVITED TO:
A Workshop & Dance in Kentucky
When: Saturday, March 2
Stretch your brain and body with a workshop by Royal Scottish Country Dance Society certificated teacher TRACEY APPLEBEE:
Time: 2 pm to 5 pm
Experience level: The workshop is recommended for dancers who know the basic steps (Skip Change, Slip Step, Pas De Basque, Strathspey travelling and setting), as well as Reels of 3 and 4, Corner figures, Poussette, and Allemande.
Men’s dress: Scottish casual
Then dance the night away at the evening social dance:
Start time: 7:30 pm
Live music by Keltricity
Men’s dress: Scottish dress
Ladies’ dress: Scottish dress casual or formal
Set list:
The Greenbelt Jig
The Falkirk Lass
JB Milne
The Kellolhm Jig
Jim Dougal of Eyemouth
The Duran Ranger
–Intermission–
A Capital Jig
Barbara’s Strathspey
Trip to Bavaria
Pelorus Jack
The Orchards of Co. Armagh
Mairi’s Wedding
Location for both workshop and dance: Midway Presbyterian Church
103 N. Turner Street
Midway, Kentucky 40347
Please RSVP prior to March 1, 2024 to joyceschase@att.net.
Cost:
Workshop and Dance: $35
Workshop only: $15
Dance only: $20
Two Scholarships available based on need. Please ask your teacher to write a brief note and send to joyceschase@att.net.
Scottish Dance Workshop in Athens
YOU ARE INVITED TO:
A Scottish Dance Workshop in Athens
When: Saturday, January 13
Warm up your brain and body with a morning social dance: 10 am – 11:30 am. Set list
Stay for the main event — a workshop by Royal Scottish Country Dance Society certificated teacher TRACEY APPLEBEE: 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm
End with a potluck: 4:30 pm
Recommended donation: $10 (Pay at the door.)
RSVP required! (Space is limited.)
Location: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens
184 Longview Heights Rd, Athens, Ohio
Experience level: Recommended for intermediate dancers familiar with strathspey, allemande, quick-time poussette, and reels of three.
We’ll share a potluck dinner at the conclusion of the workshop. So bring your dance shoes and a potluck dish to share!
For more information, please contact:
Anna Hess
740-300-0352
Hogmanay in Athens
YOU ARE INVITED TO:
Hogmanay Dance Party and Potluck
Sunday, December 31, 2023
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens
184 Longview Heights Rd
Athens, Ohio
4 – 7:15 pm
Come ring in the New Year at the Scottish time and in the Scottish style!
We’ll be alternating RSCDS dances and ceilidh dances so everybody can participate. Dances will be taught gender neutrally (larks and robins) and will be enjoyed to recorded music.
Cost: $3 recommended donation. Unitarians and children under 12 get in free. For everyone else, if money is an issue we’d rather have you come than stay home. Please don’t let finances keep you away!
Please bring a potluck item to share. We’ll enjoy a sit-down meal at the end of the evening before ringing in the new year at midnight Scottish time (7 pm eastern time).
Can’t wait to dance with you!
***
Program:
The Kingston Jig (taught and called ceilidh style)
Flowers of Edinburgh
Invercauld’s Reel
Strip the Willow (taught and called ceilidh style)
Lady Catherine Bruce’s Reel
Intermission
Blue Bonnets
Gay Gordons (taught and called ceilidh style)
The Saint John River
The Deil Amang the Tailors
Potluck dinner
Auld Lang Syne
Use this link to see the list of dances along with tabs to see cribs, diagrams, and videos when available.
Tips for Your First Social Dance (RSCDS style)
Asking a partner to dance:
- To ask someone to dance, say “Would you like to dance?” or “May I have this dance?” Extend a friendly hand and meet your potential partner’s eye. Once your partner agrees to dance with you, it’s polite to ask which side they’d like to dance on.
- Don’t be afraid to be the one asking someone else to dance. Men can ask women, women can ask men, women can ask women, and men can ask men.
- If you’d like to be asked to dance, don’t cluster and chatter with your friends. Instead, keep your body language open and make eye contact and smile as other dancers approach.
- If you’re experienced, look for newer dancers to ask; if you’re inexperienced, look for someone skilled who will help you level up.
- Try to dance with different partners throughout the night, both old friends and visitors you’ve never met. Moving to the diagonally opposite side of the dance hall is a great way to shake things up between dances and meet new people.
- It is frowned upon to say no when someone asks you to dance unless you’re sitting out that dance. But if someone happens to say no to you, know the rudeness is their problem and not yours.
- Even if you came with a partner, only dance one or two dances with that person (often the first dance, a favorite elsewhere in the set, and the last waltz). In most areas, it’s frowned upon to pre-book many (or any) dances ahead.
Forming sets:
- Sets should form after the dance is announced or music begins. Clear the floor when no dance is in progress.
- Join lines at the end, not the middle or top, to avoid disrupting other couples. Don’t walk through lines when finding your place on the floor.
- Throughout the night, be sure to dance in different sets and different parts of the dance floor. It’s frowned upon to always rush to be the couple closest to the music (although if you’re inexperienced, that area is likely better than the bottom, where more tentative dancers tend to congregate).
- The top couple counts off sets before dancing begins. Remain stationary in lines while sets form for easy counting. Ladies waiting for their partners should move to the gentlemen’s side for ease of counting. If there aren’t enough couples to form the final set, the top couple will raise the appropriate number of fingers to ask for more couples. If you’ve chosen to sit out this dance because it’s too hard for you, don’t feel pressured into dancing to make up the final set.
Dancing:
- Remain quiet and listen during recaps (talk-throughs), even if you know the dance. If there’s a walk-through, be assertive and ask to be placed first to try out the dance if you’re feeling uncertain of your skills. It’s also handy to tell your partner you feel uncertain so they can cue you if you look confused. Alternatively, especially if there’s no walk-through, you can ask the set if they mind placing you at the bottom so you can watch the dance a few times before you become the active couple.
- Dancing stops immediately if someone is injured. Otherwise, partners dance the full dance together once accepted. Do not leave your set!
- Use eye contact throughout the dance to get cues from other dances if you’re uncertain. Don’t be afraid to ask your partner, “What’s next?!”
- If the dance falls apart, don’t rush through past figures and try to catch up. If possible, don’t stop dancing either. Instead, figure out where you should be at a certain point in the music by watching other dancers, then start from that position. In general, when you make a mistake, a good rule of thumb is: Better never than late!
- Be alert throughout the dance, being ready to step up or down as a supporting couple and to assist elderly or less experienced dancers. Adjust your dancing as needed to ensure everyone in your set enjoys themselves, prioritizing safety. Give cues as necessary to keep the set dancing (eye contact or gestures are better than verbal cues for many), but don’t assume one mistake means your partner needs a constant stream of commentary. We all mess up!
- Maintain a pleasant, friendly, and inclusive atmosphere through mixing, smiling, and good spirits.
- Most importantly — have fun!
(With thanks to a variety of sources from whom these tips were drawn.)