Royal Scottish Country Dance Society facts for kids

The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) is a group dedicated to keeping Scottish country dance alive. It started on November 28, 1923. Two women, Jean Milligan and Ysobel Stewart, created it. They wanted to save Scottish country dancing. This type of dancing was becoming less popular. New dances from other countries, like the waltz, were taking over.

The RSCDS works to collect and share these traditional dances. They find dances from old books and from people's memories. They also help teach people how to dance. The Society has members all over the world.

What is Scottish Country Dance?

Scottish country dance is a type of social dance. It involves groups of people dancing together. Dancers often form lines or circles. The dances are usually lively and fun. They are set to traditional Scottish music. This style of dance has a long history in Scotland.

How the RSCDS Began

In the early 1900s, many new dances became popular. These included the waltz and the foxtrot. Because of this, traditional Scottish country dancing was slowly disappearing. Jean Milligan and Ysobel Stewart noticed this. They loved these old dances. They wanted to make sure they were not forgotten.

So, they started the Scottish Country Dance Society. This happened in 1923. Their goal was to preserve the dances. They also wanted to make sure they were taught correctly. In 1951, the Society received a special honor. It was given the title "Royal." This is why it became the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.

Bringing Dances Back to Life

The RSCDS began a big project. They looked for old dance instructions. They found these in manuscripts from the 17th to 19th centuries. They also talked to older people. These people remembered the dances from their youth. The Society then published these dances in books.

Sometimes, the old instructions were not clear. The RSCDS helped to interpret them. They also worked to make the dance style more standard. This helped everyone dance in a similar way. Over time, they also started creating new Scottish country dances.

The RSCDS Today

Today, the RSCDS is a large organization. It has about 11,000 members. These members live all around the world. The main office is in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Society plays a huge role in keeping Scottish country dance popular.

The RSCDS offers special training. This helps people become certified teachers. They also hold fun events. One big event is the annual summer school. It takes place in St Andrews, Scotland. This school runs for four weeks in July and August. There is also a winter school in February. A youth event called Spring Fling happens in April. These events help dancers learn and connect.

See also

• List of Scottish country dances