dance equipment - shoes

Below is a brief guide to the different types of dance shoe available, which people wear for country and Highland dancing. If you are going to a ceilidh all you need are some shoes you are comfortable dancing in (something you'd happily walk a mile or so in for example). However bear in mind that the other people at the ceilidh may not be very happy if you insist on wearing steel toe-capped boots!

Ghillies - Country dance shoes

The term 'ghillie' referes to the lacing style (see alos 'Ghillie Brogues')

Soft soled, black leather shoes with criss-cross laces. Ghillies worn for country dancing usually have soles cut in a definite right and left fit ('right and left lasts') - see also 'Ghillies - Highland dance shoes'.

Techincally a man's country dancing shoe but also worn by women. For women who are wondering whether to buy ghillies or slip-on style shoes for country dancing, either will be fine unless you are taking part in a country dance demonstration or competiton, when you will probably need a pair of slip-on style shoes. It is also worth noting that the metal 'eyes' on ghillies have been known to destroy tights and bare feet, and that slip-on style shoes are cheaper; but some people feel that ghillies look more seriously Scottish

Important note: these shoes stretch on wearing; so buy a size at least one British size smaller than your normal shoe size. They may feel tight to begin with but this will not last long.

 

Ghillies - Highland dance shoes

The term 'ghillie' referes to the lacing style (see alos 'Ghillie Brogues')

Soft soled, black leather shoes with criss-cross laces. Ghillies worn for Highland dancing usually have soles which are NOT cut in a definite right and left fit ('no right and left lasts') - see also 'Ghillies - Country dance shoes'. Once you've worn Highland dance shoes a while, of course, they develope into a definite right and left shoe!

For Highland dancing (men and ladies) where kilts are worn (see Highland Dancing). People who do both highland and country dancing will often wear their Highland shoes for country dancing. So if you fancy a pair of Highland shoes for country dancing rather than pumps or 'country dance' ghillies (sometimes they have natty red stitching!) don't feel you're buying the 'wrong shoes'.

Important note: these shoes stretch on wearing; so buy a size at least one British size smaller than your normal shoe size. They may feel tight to begin with but this will not last long.

 

Country Dance pumps (slip-on)

Worn by ladies only.

Look very like leather ballet shoes, usually in black but sometimes in red or another colour (the RSCDS favour red; but any colour is fine. e.g. can co-ordinate shoes with a ball dress). The only time it matters is if you are taking part in a country dance demonstration or competiton in which case all the ladies on the team will usually wear the same colour of shoe.

Differ from leather ballet shoes in the size of the sole of the shoe. A Country Dance shoe has a full sole which covers the whole base of the foot while a ballet shoe has a small sole which does not cover the whole base of the foot.

 

Ballet pumps

Many ladies wear leather ballet shoes because these are much cheaper than 'proper' country dance shoes. The size of the sole on ballet shoes, however, means that if you are wearing a ballet shoe you will be walking partly on the soft leather upper which means that ballet shoes tend to wear out sooner than country dance shoes. Therefore people may feel it worth paying the extra for full soled country dance shoes. However, if, for example, you find that your big toe wears a hole in the end of the shoe before the under side wears out then buying ballet shoes may be the better option!

Important note: both country dance shoes and leather ballet shoes stretch on wearing; so buy a size at least one British size smaller than your normal shoe size. They may feel tight to begin with but this will not last long. Also when buying country dance shoes/ballet shoes, ask for elastic to sew across the front (helps keep the shoe on). The shop will probably give you two short bits of black elastic free of charge.

 

Jazz shoes

Black, leather (non-gillie-style) lace-up shoes with a slight heel and a variety of possible types of sole.The most useful have rubber soles with a good grip

Useful for dancing out doors (e.g. Summer Dancing in Princes Street Gardens) as the soles are waterproof (if you have rubber-soles ones!)

Worn by men and ladies

 

Ghillie Brogues

Hard-soles, smart black shoes with criss-cross lacing.

Worn by men, with a kilt

For outdoor wear. NOT for country dancing (they are not very good for ceilidhs either as they have leather soles with no grip). The only outdoor footwear which looks good with a smart kilt outfit though!

 

Where to buy dance shoes in Edinburgh

There is now only one shop in the centre of Edinburgh which stocks Scottish dance shoes. This is 'Dancewear' and it give a 10% DISCOUNT FOR NEW SCOTLAND MEMEBRS - so remember to take your membership card along and wave it at them!

Dancewear of Edinburgh
182 Rose Street
Edinburgh
(this is towards the west end of Rose Street)

You can also get 'character shoes' (for step dancing) and ballet pumps at Dancia in South Clerk Street.

Dancing shoes cost anywhere from £10-£25.

dance equipment - other items

Slip Stop

Slip stop is a white resin powder which can be sprinkled on slippery floors to make them less slippery (stopping people sliding all over the place and falling over!)

Slip stop can be purchased at

Price: £7.50 per bottle

The RSCDS shop
12 Coates Crescent
Edinburgh EH3 7AF
(between the west end of Princes Street and Haymarket.)

 

Fabric: tartan, dress material, ribbon etc

There are a number of shops in edinburgh which sell fabric and trimmings, including tartan, dress material, ribbon. A few are listed below:

Edinburgh Fabrics
12-14, St. Patrick Square
Edinburgh, EH8 9EZ
Tel: 0131-668 2790

The Cloth Shop
169 Bonnington Road
Edinburgh, EH6
Tel: 0131-5547733

 

Dance books

It is not essential to buy a manual to learn Ceilidh Dancing, Scottish Country Dancing or Highland Dancing but there are a few useful books which can usually be obtained from book shops.

Scottish Country Dancing in Diagrams, F.L. Pilling, 2004 (Eighth edition)

F.L. Pilling's Succcessors.

Pocket Edition (the normal one!): ISBN 0 9519497 3 X

Large Print Edtion: ISBN 0 9519497 4 8

Otherwise known as 'The Little Green Book' (or 'The Wee Green Book') this is the nearest thing to a Scottish Country dancers' bible. It contains diagramatic instructions for most (but be warned - not all!) of the country dances you are likey to come across. It also contains a rather essential guide to the diagrams at the front!

Price: around £7(ish)

The Eighth edition is just out (2004) and contains more dances than the Seventh edition (including Reel of the Puffins!). The Eighth edition is also in colour - well it has green rather than black lines around the dances if that counts as 'in colour'!

This book can be obtained from:

The RSCDS shop
12 Coates Crescent
Edinburgh EH3 7AF
(between the west end of Princes Street and Haymarket)
Note: this shop also stock lots of other dance-related stuff such as card cribs, RSCDS published books of dances etc.

And is also (usually) stocked by:

Ottakar's
The Edinburgh Bookshop
57 George Street
Edinburgh
EH2 2JQ
Tel: 0131 225 4495
website

Blackwells (formerly James Thin)
53 South Bridge
Edinburgh EH1

Waterstones (various stores)
e.g. 13 Princes Street
& 128 Princes Street
Edinburgh

If all else fails, The Little Green Book can be obtained from:

Scottish Contry Dances in Diagrams
c/o Sue Duckett
Holland Lane
Kelsall
Nr. Tarporley
Cheshire
CW6 0QT

Scottish Country Dancing

Peter Knight (editor), 2000, HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0 00 472500 X

'Collins' Scottish Country Dancing contains written (as opposed to diagramatic) descriptions of over 100 country dances and ceilidh dances. Most usefully, it also contains descrptions of how to dance the figures (e.g. pousette, allamande etc) in these dances (note that the more unusual figures, such as the rondel and tournée, do not occur in the selected dances so are not described). A very useful book if you're feeling inspired to teach your friends at home some of the Scottish dancing you've learned at university!

Price: RRP £7.99

Stocked by:

Blackwells (formerly James Thin)
53 South Bridge
Edinburgh EH1

Waterstones (various stores)
e.g. 13 Princes Street
& 128 Princes Street
Edinburgh

(and probably others - let us know!)

Highland dancing

1993 (sixth edition), Lindsay Publications. IBSN 1 8981 6901 2

This book is the Highland dancing textbook of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing and contains full instructions for all the 'true' Highland dances (as opposed to the solo National dances also danced by Highland dancers). These include the Highland Fling, the Sword dance (Gillie Chalium), Seann Triunghas, Strathspey, Highland Reel, and Reel of Tulloch or 'Hullachan'.

Has previously been stocked by:

Blackwells (formerly James Thin)
53 South Bridge
Edinburgh EH1

This is the only instruction book on Highland dancing we've ever found in a normal bookshop. Other instruction books are available direct from teaching/examination boards.