I want to learn ceilidh dancing!

[onelittletreasure]

Have just moved to Paisley, Scotland and having been to my first ceilidh recently, thought it could be fun to learn ceilidh dancing. Extensive internet browsing has not brought up anything. Bit of a long shot but can anyone help?!

Thanks!

Hmm, you can get lessons in Edinburgh, but I can't find anywhere in Glasgow. Maybe the Edinburgh people would know? If not, grab some friends and teach yourselves!

Try hunting for Scottish Country Dancing as opposed to ceilidh dancing, that might help.

It doesn't, I tried - you get lessons for Highland dance, which is quite different.

Actually quick google presented this www.rscds.org/

It's ages since I went there, but the Riverside Club in Glasgow was always a good place to learn as there were always experienced people willing to show beginners the ropes.

Not a class, but learning-by-doing can be more fun!

Look for ads in your local post office, shops or newsagents as sometimes there are notices for dancing, especially now that winter is almost here.
It is brilliant fun and will keep you fit.

The best learning is 'on the job' so to speak! Get yourself to lots of ceilidh's and before you know it, you'll be swinging with the best of them!

I love a good ceilidh! Foot stamping, hand clapping, bloody good fun!

Enjoy!

not sure what you mean oldlady, sorry. Scottish country dances are those that are done at ceilidhs - i.e. strip the willie, gay gordons, strathspey reel etc. These are of course different from highland dancing.

[excuse lack of capitals shift key fecked]

gomez, it's just that I tried googling "Scottish Country Dance" and only found links for the sort of wee-kilted-lassies-dancing-with-swords thing, iykwim. It's possible I didn't look far enough.

Ah, I can do you a wee cute 5 year old with kilt and swords but as you say that will do you nae good at a ceilidh.

Try these punters www.rscdsglasgow.org/

Sorry look under the link for classes on the RHS.

I was going to cheerily recommend Knees Up Cecil Sharp but that's a long way from Scotland. However at all the ceilidhs I have ever been to, you learn by doing it and people are quite happy to guide you along: unless the places you are going to are absolutely full of veteran dancers with no tolerance for newbies (in which case they might be a bit grim anyway) the callers will ve telling you what to do anyway.

Have you tried looking at local sports centres, village halls (well, you know what I mean) etc. Not so much looking for lessons as clubs. How far afield are you looking? Are you sticking specifically to Paisley? Have you tried the Renfrewshire Leisure website? Then you've got Inverclyde, taking you down into Greenock, and of course Glasgow, but I doubt that's such a good bet. North Ayrshire, for somewhere like Beith? Not looking for dance schools but clubs.

SGB, there are no callers at a ceilidh! It's survival of the fittest.

(Actually, I had callers with my wedding band, my mum was mortified!)

OLKN: at the ones I go to there are always callers, but the ones I go to are folky/morris ceilidhs. Am I inadvertently insulting the Scotch here?

LOL @ Scotch.

OK, there are generally no callers at a Scottish ceilidh - I've never encountered them (other than at my own wedding, can't remember who recommended the band or even who they were, because it was 25 years ago.) I actually quite liked them, but my mum was genuinely horrified that we were insulting the other guests, who already knew the dances.

We were taught Scottish Country dancing at school (primary and secondary) so perhaps you could ask there?
Or phone up your local radio station or Paisley newspaper to ask if they know where there are any local groups.

:shudder at memories of Scottish Country Dancing at High School: