St. Columba's Dancers
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Scottish Country Dancing at St. Columba's Church, Knightsbridge


Dancing returns on Monday 4 October


St Columba’s Scottish Country Dancers will return to dancing and launch the new season with a Band night on Monday 4 October 2021. We’re delighted that Chris Oxtoby will be playing for us at St Columba’s Church Hall, Pont Street, London SW1X 0BD.

We look forward to seeing old friends, after far too long an absence, and to welcoming new dancers!

Our Covid Safety Guidelines have been revised on 23 September: Please read here.  Dancers are requested to provide evidence of vaccinations (e.g. Covid-19 vaccination card) or a negative Covid-19 test (within 1 day of the dance) upon entry to the dance.

St Columba's at Pont Street is outside the Congestion Charge zone.  However, dancers should be mindful of the routes where the charge applies and of course the times that it applies.  Further information may be found here.

For more information, please contact Willie Lawrence at stcdconvenor@gmail.com

St. Columba's Dancers is a group of friendly social dancers who meet on Monday evenings from October to May.  We enjoy Scottish country dancing, usually to recorded music, and five or six times a year dance to a live band (band nights!).  Band nights for the 2021-22 season are:
Monday 1 November 2021 Ken Martlew & Barbara Manning
Monday 6 December 2021 Calum Mitchell & Keith Anderson
Monday 24 January 2022 Frank Reid (Burns' night)
Monday 7 March 2022 Ian Robertson
Monday 4 April 2022 Chris Oxtoby
Monday 23 May 2022 Craigievar


Scottish country dancing is fun and wonderful exercise for both body and mind. We welcome dancers of all ages and levels of experience and our dance programmes include simple dances for beginners as well as those for the more experienced.  We have a team of MCs who are happy to call or walk through our dances so that everyone can join in.

You might like to come to the short practice session held at 7.15 on non band nights.  This will also give you a chance to meet the MCs and others before the dancing starts at 7.30.  The list of the dances for each week, together with the instructions (cribs) for each dance can be found on the Diary page.  There are also links to the Dance Lists, which provide information on videos of the dances where these are available. 

If you would like a weekly email reminder of the next programme, please contact Graham Hamilton to ask to be added to the mailing list for St Columba's Dancers.

St. Columba's Lower Hall is a lovely place to dance.  Directions to the hall are given here.  You don't need to come with a partner or to wear a kilt, but should wear either pumps or soft, flat shoes (not trainers).  If you are coming for the first time, please make yourself known to us, or better still get in touch with Willie beforehand.
 
There is no charge to attend the evenings (except for Band Nights) and dancers are asked to contribute £1.50 for tea and biscuits in the interval.

Links to the Church web-site and to other Scottish Country Dance groups which meet at St. Columba's are on the Links page.

Further details from Willie Lawrence at stcdconvenor@gmail.com.

Dancers enjoying band night

History

St. Columba's Dancers was formed in 1941 to provide a social outlet for young Scots living in London.  In those days, it met on a Saturday afternoon and included singing and table-tennis.   Over the years it evolved into what it is today: an informal sociable gathering, now of many different nationalities.