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


Coronavirus notice

COVID-19:  with great regret, we are cancelling our dancing until further notice.

The new season's dancing was due to begin on Monday October 5.  Given the Covid-19 situation, sadly we will not be able to meet until at least the beginning of March 2021.  We will keep the situation under review and update this page at the end of January.  Meanwhile, if you would like to join our mailing list for up-to-date news, please email Valerie Strachan.

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!).

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. The musicians for the 2020-21 band nights are as follows (if Covid allows):
Monday 1 March 2021 Ian Robertson
Monday 29 March 2021 Chris Oxtoby
Monday 19 April 2021 Ken and Barbara
Monday 24 May 2021 Ian Robertson

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 Valerie 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 Valerie Strachan on 020 8693 5335 or valeriestrachan@btinternet.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.