A long cast (off) ..

To SC dancers today's blether title will have a different meaning to most other peoples... I quite like the idea that to anglers it has a different meaning, to knitters another and to actors and sailors maybe more still. In a dancers' vocabulary it basically means taking longer than usual to travel outside of your set from one position to another - but doing it in time with the music and with awareness of everyone else you are dancing with. It's how I feel about leaving to go to Winter School - I'm not there yet, I have just over a week to go but I've starting the process of getting there already and it all has to work in a certain way to get me there - seeing Mother in the process, meeting Pete who is already in the UK and travelling to Pitlochry (hopefully, train drivers & weather allowing) before arriving at the Atholl Palace Hotel, full of anticipation for a wonderful week of dancing. Leaving here is always hard however, we are so lucky to have such a super friendly and fun group. To have people from so many different backgrounds and nationalities, not to mention different ages, enjoying themselves together is very special. This week the Monday class was much smaller than previous weeks, however it was a really useful session covering lots of formations and with lots of chatting and catching up afterwards. Tuesday was well attended and great fun too. The hard work that people - not just from the Monday class - have been putting into practicing and learning the dances, mainly by watching the videos posted on this website, is  paying off - it is really pleasing to me that they are making a difference - after all it takes a bit of time to set it up, so it's great to know people are using them. In the next couple of weeks the Tuesday class will be kept going by class members who I know will have plenty of support - I thank them all - I should know that it isn't easy to do! Monday classes are suspended until I get back. While I'm at Winter School I'll try and add to this blog and give everyone an idea of what it entails - who knows maybe some of you will give it a try  in a year or two - keep going and you could do it.