past events: 2001-02 (summer)
Trip to Poland | Language School dems | Trip dems | Dancing in the Gardens | New Scotland BBQ | Summer Dance | Dannsa dem | Edinburgh Festival competition | French Exchange part 2 | Castle Ceilidh
Dance Trip to Poland 2002
by Rachel
Geir's Poland photos
Tomoko's Poland photos (plus odds and ends)
Poland trip photos
From 7th-17th September 2002 a group of New Scotland and friends travelled to Poland for 20 Miedzynarodowy Festiwal Folkloru - that's the 20th International Festival of Folklore (for those whose Polish is not quite up to scratch....) in Zielona Góra.
We travelled by coach and overnight ferry, which was considered a great idea except by those who got sea-sick (the undulating cinema screens on the ferry were interesting!). The highlight of the outward journey though, was bumping into a German folk dance group in a service station north of Berlin, which resulted in an impromptu 'ceilidh' in the roadway!
We arrived in Zielona Góra at midnight and the following morning were launched straight into the festival with a parade and two performances. One of these, in the town of Swiebodzin near Zielona Góra, was 50 mins long! Still feeling rather travel dazed, and trying to remember how to dance, we sailed effortlessly (umn honest!) through the programme which was full of manic costume changes (not helped by being a highland dancer and a piper short - their flight arrived that evening). Collapsing exhuasted in the pub (conveniently almost behind the stage) afterwards we were glad to see the following day looked mercifully free of long perfromances with some time to practice our dances....
...Until we discovered that the evening 'performance in a pub' was to be 'a musical performance. No room for dancing'. Help! With our official musicians consisting of 2 pipers and an accordianist we could see a hard night comming on for them. However a whip round our multi-talented(?!) ranks produced two (scared!) fiddlers, a third piper (go Yoshimi!) and a small choir (bet you thought you'd never see that!). Much to our amazement the resulting performance, with highland dancing and some rather squashed ceilidh dancing, was perhaps our most successful of the trip! The audience liked us so much that, after the Portuguese group had concluded their following slot, we were demanded back for an encore!
A final, most memorable occurrence that evening (or rather the early hours of the morning) was, when on returning to the bar at our university-halls-accommodation, to continue the little ceilidh we had got going in the previous pub, we met up with THE BASQUE GROUP!
Ask anyone who went to Poland what they remember most and they'll probably say 'the Basque group!'. The 'Basque group' was Alkartasuna Euskal Dantza Taldea, from Pasaia in Gipuzkoa; and they were great! Their dancing was good and they liked to party! Our best evenings/nights/early mornings of the festival were spent sharing music and silly dances (not to mentions swapping society T-shirts and badges, and our respective native drink varietires and national flags) with the Basques.
The following days of the festival, with gorgeously sunny weather, involved similar long performances to that in Swiebodzin, in various other local towns and a main performance in Zielona Góra itself. On one occasion we were also taken to a wild-life park where we had a BBQ and a chance to ride horses (Jo even tried it in his kilt -ouch!). The only mild shock was having to 'play with the children' in the main square one morning! At least none of the children were crying when our valient efforts were curtailed by our musicians being whisked off for a sound check!
The final days of the festival involved two 'Gala Performances' and the festival 'ball' and presentations ceremony. The gala performances invovled very short (7 min) slots from each of the 12-14 groups (! this was a BIG festival) attending the festival, and it was nice to be able to watch all the other groups dance. For the final gala performance in Zielona Góra, the British Ambassador to Poland and the Vice President of Poland were in the audience..... and this was the night the heavens decided to open, it POURED with rain and the audience got soaked!
We were all very sad to leave Zielona Góra. Our guides were even sad to see us go! We hope to visit again and we also hope to see both out Polish hosts and the Basque group again soon!
'Language School dems' 2002
by Yoshimi
Photos of various dems in 2001/2002 inlcuding 'Language School dems'
In August and September, the Edinburgh University Institute for Applied Language Studies (the 'Language School') holds a number of ceilidhs for its student groups. New Scotland helps at these ceilidhs - performing some country dances, demonstrating the ceilidh dances and helping organise student sets and walk throughs etc. We usually choose our favourite country dances to perform - for example Bonnie Anne, Schiehallion, Ian Powrie's Farewell to Auchterader, and Reel of the Puffins. The students have had classes in ceilidh dancing during their language courses, so many know the dances and most sets do not need much help from us (we think perhaps not everyone attends the ceilidh classes though!).
The ceilidhs are full of Scottish tradition. There is a piper. There are highland dancers (not provided by New Scotland) who are superb - it is wonderful to watch them! There is also a traditional haggis supper. The haggis is piped in and addressed with some verses from Robert Burns' as it is cut, then the piper and the person reciting the verse toast the haggis with whisky (although we are told the piper normally has Irn Bru instead of whisky!). Everybody gets to try the haggis with neeps and tatties - this is good especially if you have not had time to eat before coming to the ceilidh.
Sometimes the language students perform 'contributions, which are usually very entertaining. The staff also perform a contribution - usually a dance in 'interesting' costume!
'Language school dems' are fun to take part in, they are not stressful, and some people come along to help just because it is a fun evening. There is also a bar and we get a free drink!
'Trip dems' 2002
by Rachel
Photos of various dems in 2001/2002 inlcuding 'trip dems'
During the year, usually around Easter and during the summer break, New Scotland runs 'Scottish evenings' on request for visiting tour groups and conference guests. The evenings involve a mix of Country Dancing demonstrations, Highland Dancing demonstrations, and participation ceilidh dancing all to live music (including bagpipes!) and a demonstration of the history of the kilt (which we refer to as 'the Feileadh Mor').
Running these Scottish evenings helps us raise money to subsidise trips to dance festivals abroad and to bring foreign dance groups to visit Edinburgh; so the evenings are generally referred to as 'Trip Dems' (or 'Bob dems' - because Bob devised the format for the evenings and does a lot of the organising for them - thank you Bob!).
This year we had several 'Trip dems' over Easter. These were held in the upper hall at Kirk o' Fields Church, and we were often provided with biscuits, cakes and hot/cold drinks in the interval which was much appreciated! The first dem was very memorable as it was a group of very bouncy enthusiastic French teenagers. The poor accordionist was in danger of getting flattened by careering bodies on a number of occasions! Also memorable was the amazement of the Dutch group when Hugo (our piper for the evening - a Belgian in disguise) said 'Good evening' in Dutch and then continued in Dutch to explain the Feileadh Mor to them!
'Trip dems' during the summer this year were all held in South Hall Pollock. The dems included our usual annual evening for Japanese school children (from London!), for which all the ceilidh dances were called by our 'in house' interpreter, Yoshi (we were all pretty good at counting to 8 in Japanese by the end of the evening!).
We also did two very big dems, each for around 500 American High School kids who come to Edinburgh every year to perform in the Fringe Festival. Despite the fact that they had only just arrived in Edinburgh so were rather tired and jet-lagged almost all the 'kids' got up and danced really enthusiastically. Many of them are also musicians and dancers so they pick up the dances really fast. We also got free beer and soft drinks to quench our thirst -it can get very hot in a hall with 500 people dancing!
Our first 'American High School' dem was dramatically interrupted by the fire alarm. But as the fire brigade left equally puzzled about why the room we were changing in thought it was on fire (we think it might have been too much steam off sweaty bodies!!) we continued on with the dem (not to forget all the posing for photos afterwards!). Much fun was had by all, and the opportunity to brush up on a few of the dance medleys we planned to perform at the International Dance Festival in Poland in September 2002 didn't go amiss!
Summer dancing in Princes Street Gardens 2002
by Rachel
Princes Street Gardens 2002 photos
Every year on Monday and Tuesday evenings during June and July 'Dancing in the Gardens' occurs (usually 7:30pm-9pm). The venue is the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens West although the first Monday and Tuesday are often in the Assembly Room on George Street (it you've never been in the Assembly Rooms it's worth going along just to have a look inside); so confusingly it's sometimes 'Dancing in the Gardens in the Assembly Rooms'! The indoor venue is nice if it's raining as the dancing area at Ross Bandstand is outside so... well you can probably guess - bring your umbrella!
Dancing in the Gardens is to a live band which varies every evening. There is a set programme of country dances (with occasional unprogrammed extras and ceilidh dances) with each evenings programme chosen by a different dance group. Dances are demonstrated by a team of dancers (usually from the dance group who devised the programme) before everyone gets up to have a go themselves. Everyone is welcome (cost in 2002 £2 per evening) and there is usually a mix of country dancers, friends and tourists.
Every year New Scotland devises and demonstrates one of the programmes. This year we devised and demonstrated the dances for the second evening of dancing which was in the Assembly Rooms. We decided to be daring and break from the traditional 'short alternative' costume and wear our new 'short alternative' costume ('alternative short alternative'?). Several people complimented us on our performance both on the day and also the following week -we hope it wasn't just the costume!
Even when we're not 'demming the gardens' there are usually a bunch of New Scotland members there every Monday and Tuesday. After the dancing (or if it's really pouring with rain then instead of the dancing) we head to the pub to dry out/cool down/eat because we forgot to before hand/quench our thirst (delete as applicable).
New Scotland BBQ 2002
by Yoshimi
A couple of photos from the BBQ (along with some of other social events in 2001/2002)
No time to have a hang over after the Summer Dance! The next day New Scotland migrated en mass to Portabello beach for a BBQ. It was a hot day (for Scotland)- very lucky us - and we managed to feed ourselves without burning the food or us too much.
People brought beach game to play - frisbee, soft ball etc. And we also had the traditional attempts at burying people - we've never seen Johann running that fast, even tickling him doesn't make him run that fast! Michael was so scared he ran away and did not come back for an hour - but we managed to cover him with sand anyway and took some lovely photos!
After the fun on the beach, we went to Sam and Craig's flat for a cup of tea and games. Luckily it did not start rain until we got into their flat!
Everybody had fun, we were fed well, and had a nice memory to finish off the year.
New Scotland Summer Dance/Fun Dance 2002
by Yoshimi
On June 15th 2002, New Scotland held it final dance of the academic year, which was also the last dance of the year on the univeristy 'circuit'. This dance is called the New Scotland 'Summer Dance' or 'Fun Dance' because we usually put lots of our favourite dances from the year on the programme. The first New Scotland Summer Dance was in 2000 and was partly organised so that people who only started dancing in the third term could experience a dance with live music. The other reason for organising the dance is that it makes a nice 'final event' for the year.
This year the Summer Dance was held in St. Peter's church hall Lutton Place. By this time of the year, most exams are finished so people can relax and just enjoy the dance. This is also the first dance organised by the new committee following our AGM in May - so the dance is extra nice for the old committee!
This year the programme was written by Margaret and was very energetic (only slightly less energetic than the Newcastle Spring Dance programme!) The excellent music was provided by David Anderson and his band. Some people turned up late - very unusual! Maybe it was senility caused by the long sunshine hours after winter??
The 'Dannsa' dem
On June 9th 2002, some New Scotland members took part in a televised 'dem' for an ITV Gaelic program called 'Dannsa'.
Edinburgh Festival (dance competition) 2002
by Yoshimi
Edinburgh Festival 2002 photos
Edinburgh competition festival is an annual competitive Scottish Country Dance Festival. It is smaller than the Newcastle Festival with most of the competitors being children. However there are adult sections which New Scotland enters every year (and we've won more than once!).
This year the Edinburgh Festival was held in St Stephen's Church, Edinburgh on Saturday, 25th May. New Scotland competed in three sections. We entered two technique sections: the Mixed technique (competing for the Challenge Cup); and the Ladies technique. Each team danced a Strathspey and Reel/Jig and the dance technique was judged. We also entered a team for the demonstration section where a medley of fast and slow dances is performed and the performance as a whole is judged.
This year we had four beginners in the team (yes, it was a challenge for us)! We came second in all sections (OK so there were only two teams competing!) and did really well, getting 'outstanding' for both technical sections and 'excellent' for the demonstration. The adjudicator liked us being lively and bouncy!!!
This is a nice small festival to start competitive Scottish Country Dancing!
French exchange part 2: La Traversée visit Edinburgh, May 2002
by Gary
French
Exchange photos
French Exchange part 1: New Scotland
visits France, summer 2001
After our wonderful visit to Burgundy in Jun/July 2001, May 2002 was the time for New Scotland to return the hospitality. And so, 26 dancers and 4 musicians from La Traversée dance group in Burgundy arrived on the 8th of May for a five-day visit.
We managed to fit a lot of dancing into the five days with several workshops in French and Scottish dancing and a ceilidh with full Burns supper including piper and traditional toasts! We also toured Glasgow city centre, the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, visited Alloway (home of Robert Burns) and had a full day touring The Trossachs and Perthshire.
The day trip to The Trossachs and Perthshire started with a misty cruise on Loch Katrine followed by public dancing displays of both French and Scottish dancing on the pier for the entertainment of embarking passengers on the afternoon cruise. We then visited the smallest distillery at Edradour before making our way to picturesque Dunkeld for a traditional meal of stovies and dumpling at the Taybank Hotel. We had a great evening both inside and outside the hotel as New Scotland musicians, French musicians and local musicians from the village joined in an impromptu "jam session" which led to a ceilidh in the car park!
And so passed another successful New Scotland trip, exchanging culture, dancing and fun!
St. Andrews Castle Ceilidh 2002
by Kate
This year on Sunday 5th May we took a coach load of New Scotland members and friends up to St. Andrews for the annual 'Castle Ceilidh' organised by St. Andrews Celtic Society. As the name suggests, the ceilidh is held outside in the grounds of the castle and up to 500 people come along to dance the evening away, eat crispy cakes, drink hot tea and admire the sunset out to sea. This is a not-to-be-missed event!
Naturally(?!) this year it was a beautiful sunny day and we all kept warm by dancing until sunset (and by wearing several layers of clothing!). The dancing was followed by the traditional procession of torches down to the pier, and a trip to the pub to defrost!