Welcome to the Chester Cally
Looking for a new hobby? Bored with going to the gym but want to get fit at the same time as having fun and meeting new people?
Come along to Chester Cally to get your feet and brains active by joining us in dance.
So welcome to the Chester Cally - or the Chester Caledonian Scottish Country Dance Society, to give us our full title.
Our club meets at 7.30pm on Wednesdays at the Caldy Valley Centre near Sainsbury's in Boughton - we will be dancing until about 9.45 pm. There is plenty of free parking available.
Come along and join in! £4 for adults, £2.00 for students, first night for newcomers to Scottish Dancing, free. If you wish to come along on your own, please do. Many of us arrive on our own but there is always someone to give a helping hand. Newcomers are welcome at any time, just let Chris know you intend to come.
If any member would like to be added to our mailing list, send a message to chris.r.woodward6@uwclub.net - if you are already on our mailing list and don't want to be, same thing.
What is Scottish Country Dancing?
Scottish Country Dancing (SCD) is a sociable dance form with roots stretching back for centuries. Participants are grouped into sets, typically of 3, 4 or 5 couples arranged either in two lines or in a square, and work together to dance a sequence of formations. This will leave them in a new order, and the dance is repeated enough times to bring them back to their starting positions, with everyone dancing each position in turn.
SCD is mainly danced socially, for pleasure and enjoyment. We dance different steps depending on whether it is a fast dance (reel, jig or hornpipe) or a slow one (strathspey), and we often change our partner for each dance. No special clothing is required, though it is recommended that you wear something that is comfortable and allows you to move and some soft soled shoes.
SCD is very sociable – it is common practice to dance with different partners during a night of dancing – and it is sufficiently popular and uniform that any SCD dancer can be welcomed by a local group almost anywhere in the world, even if they've forgotten their dance shoes! Many apsects of SCD can be confusing to the new dancer but a bit of perseverance in learning the basics soon pays off and a whole world of fun and enjoyment awaits.