2024/25 Key Event Dates:
Afternoon Tea (hot drink and scone) Date TBA for our July social
Burn's Evening Wednesady 22nd January 2025 7pm. Members and invited guests. Cost £10
Annual Ball Saturday 15th February 2025 7pm. Penkridge Peace Memorial Hall. Dancing to Chris Dewhurst Scottish Country Dance Band. Ticket price £20. Annual Ball Programme & Crib Sheet
We are a Scottish Country Dancing and Social Group who meet weekly at North End Community Centre, Holmcroft Road, Stafford, ST16 1JG, UK.
Our dance classes are on Wednesday evenings, starting with our Beginners and Improvers class from 19:00 - 19:45, followed by our normal class from 19:45 - 21:30. Beginners are encouraged to stay for our main class as well at no extra cost.
Our membership charge is just £10 for the year and each evening from 19:00 - 21:30 costs just £3. If beginners do only stay to the early class, it is £1.50. (Please bring your own cup/mug. We will provide tea or coffee & biscuits).
Scottish Country Dancing includes jigs, reels and the slower strathspey dances, usually in "sets" of 3 or more couples, but you don't need to find your own dancing partner. All our members dance with each other and the ladies who are experienced dancers are able to dance in either a lady or a gentleman's position. We have many members who come along on their own as well as friends and couples.
Beginners will be surprised to find how quickly they are able to be taken through full dances - we always walk through every dance, even in our normal classes from 19:45, so there's no need to worry, just have fun.
Learning to do the steps properly comes with a bit of time and practice at the beginners and improvers class. Everyone is helped through the dances and you don't have to be step perfect.
Want to keep fit? Want something that is fun to help you get fit?...... and all in a welcoming and friendly environment -- then please come along for a couple of trial sessions. You don't need to join formally straight away. There have been articles published in the British Medical Journal on the benefits of dancing and one specifically mentions Scottish Country Dancing
Footwear and clothing: For our weekly classes, you just need to wear something you are comfortable in and can move freely in. Men do not wear kilts to our weekly class. You will need some lightweight footwear, such as pumps or trainers. You don't have to get any special footwear until you want to.
At our President's and Burn's evenings and Annual Ball, we tend to dress up a bit more. You will see the difference in our Gallery Photo's.
Throughout the year we also have other dancing events and social activities: