The RSCDS Collaboration

First of all to tell the story behind the tartan. Co-designed by Kirsty Anderson (The House of Edgar) and David Norman-Harris (RSCDS member and previous E&T Convenor), the beautiful RSCDS tartan was registered in 2006. Inspiration for the colour palette came from the blues of the Saltire and The Royal Standard of Scotland, with thread-counts of 19 and 23 being used throughout to signify the founding date of The Society. We are delighted to be the official weaver and stockist of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society tartan with 10% of every sale of the RSCDS tartan going directly to the Charity to support their mission of "Growing a vibrant worldwide community of Scottish Dance and Music".

The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society exists to "promote and develop Scottish country dance and music worldwide for the benefit of present and future generations", and with a base in Edinburgh just around the corner from our flagship store, and 159 branches worldwide, including one near our new store in Albany, NY, this is a truly international organisation. The driving force behind the formation of the Society in 1923 were Mrs Ysobel Stewart and Miss Jean Milligan, two very different ladies whose skills combined to create a strong base for a Society dedicated to upholding standards and traditions, while understanding and enjoying the social side of dance. We share Miss Milligan's conviction that "dancing should come from the soul" and are excited to be part of the ongoing work to share the joy and health benefits of Scottish Country Dance around the world.

The RSCDS runs some fabulous events throughout the year that we hope to attend; Spring Fling, Summer School, and perhaps the Winter School can be our first appearance to meet some members? There are so many classes and events going on, wherever you are in the world you are never far from Scottish Country Dancing, and as we run our pop-up shops we also hope to drop in and join in where we can.

Not to be confused with Highland Dancing, today Scottish Country Dance embraces the social dances of Scotland and while the RSCDS promotes the social and fun side of dancing, the Society is also committed to helping to uphold the standards of correct dancing technique. Time for me to brush up on my pas de basque! Luckily when I checked the spelling of that particular step I immediately came across an RSCDS video that demonstrates it perfectly, so anyone wondering what is going on in our offices, we are just practicing...

You might be surprised to hear that Scottish Country Dancing actually derived from English styles dating back to the 17th century, which then adopted other forms such as Scotch Reels, Quadrilles, and Waltzes with the addition of very precise footwork. The RSCDS upholds this intricate footwork and describes the style of dance we now see in Scottish society and practiced around the world which has "elegance and courtesy of the ‘country dance’ and the energy and step precision of the old ‘reels’." With talented musicians to add that special atmosphere, it is hard to remain sitting down, so what are you waiting for? Don your tartan, choose your partner, and get ready to ceilidh.