strathspey Archive: Ceilidh vs SCD

Greetings All,

Pia wrote -

<There is a certain notion going around - less strong
<these days but still there, that the RSCDS way of
<doing things is so much better than anything else,
<and therefore other things shouldn't exist

As far as I am concerned, the RSCDS way IS, by far,
the best form of social Scottish dancing.

I have no objections to the existence of other forms
of social Scottish dancing so long as they are not
allowed to contaminate what I know as Scottish Country
Dancing (despite the fact that I do not always agree
with what the Society does or has done) and as long as
I am not expected to take part in other forms of
social Scottish dancing that do not appeal to me
(because of limited repertoires, lack of technique and
discipline and an apparant complete lack of desire on
the part of the participants to improve).

Iain Boyd

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>I am not expected to take part in other forms of
>social Scottish dancing that do not appeal to me
>(because of limited repertoires, lack of technique and
>discipline and an apparant complete lack of desire on
>the part of the participants to improve).
>
>
>Iain Boyd
Come on Iain. Even you could learn Ceilidh Dancing!
--
Bryan McAlister B Arch RIBA ARIAS
Web page www.bryanmac.demon.co.uk
Email bryan@bryanmac.demon.co.uk
Mobile: 07732 600160 Fax: 0870 052 7625

Bryan McAlister wrote:
>
> >I am not expected to take part in other forms of
> >social Scottish dancing that do not appeal to me
> >(because of limited repertoires, lack of technique and
> >discipline and an apparant complete lack of desire on
> >the part of the participants to improve).
> >
> >
> >Iain Boyd
> Come on Iain. Even you could learn Ceilidh Dancing!

Let's assume that that was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. This is THE Iain Boyd,
remember.

But why should he? He made it quite clear that (exactly as I feel myself)
his personal sources of pleasure from dancing are not present in the
'ceilidh' style.

Really. This is getting a bit too Politically Correct. Why is it perfectly
OK for the ceilidh dancers not to want to do RSCDS style, but we are
castigated if we don't want to do ceilidh?

And again. The asides regarding the 'real' world. I consider myself to be
quite firmly in the 'real' world and resist strongly that I need to take up
ceilidh dancing in order to gain admittance to same.

In another mail it was suggested that pleasure being obtained in one dance
form should automatically make all other dance forms attractive. Sorry, but
this ISN'T automatic. As well as being a SCD dancer, I am a passionate
tap-dancer. I have done Highland. I attend classes in Salsa and Tango
Argentino and delight in dancing Quickstep, English Waltz and Rock'n'Roll.
On the other hand, I find Samba, Cha-Cha, Jive, 'normal' Tango and most
other forms of 'folk'-dance quite unpleasant.

Horses for courses. Please allow people to have their own preferences.

Alan

It is not that I can not learn ceilidh dancing it is
that I do not want to.

If I interpreted a previous email from you correctly,
Bryan, ceilidh dancing will have no problem attracting
new dancers because there is no hard work required to
achieve only a fraction of what is required from
Scottish country dancing. Also, Scottish country
dancing has something worth preserving while, in my
not so humble opinion, ceilidh dancing has very
little.

Let those who want to dance a limited repertoire and
romp around the dance floor go to ceilidh dancing so
that those who wish to dance with grace and
'controlled abandon' can get on with Scottish country
dancing (even if it is a dance form that was only
'invented' in 1923).

Iain Boyd

--- Bryan McAlister <Bryan@bryanmac.demon.co.uk>
wrote: > >I am not expected to take part in other
forms of
> >social Scottish dancing that do not appeal to me
> >(because of limited repertoires, lack of technique
> and
> >discipline and an apparant complete lack of desire
> on
> >the part of the participants to improve).
> >
> >
> >Iain Boyd
> Come on Iain. Even you could learn Ceilidh Dancing!
> --
> Bryan McAlister B Arch RIBA ARIAS
> Web page www.bryanmac.demon.co.uk
> Email bryan@bryanmac.demon.co.uk
> Mobile: 07732 600160 Fax: 0870 052 7625

http://mobile.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Mobile
- Check & compose your email via SMS on your Telstra or Vodafone mobile.

I vaguely recall once seeing a reference to
Hugh Foss O. B. E. Does anyone know if he ever receved that honor? If he
didn't, he certainly should have.

Harry