It's a very short and belated blether this week... too many things happening all at once. Not that I'm complaining, it's been great! However I haven't, so far, had the chance to say 'welcome back' to some of our 'swallows' and since they are only here for 2 weeks :-( I need to say it or it'll be time to say goodbye! Last week we had some excellent dancing, and even though they'd not danced for a couple of years - you would never have known it. I'm sure this week will be just as much fun. Hopefully I'll see you all soon... because there's no more time to type... bye!

It is a shame that so many people were missing on Monday because it was one of the days I had allocated to 'just dance' rather than spending time practicing our steps or getting the hands just right... and didn't they do well. We introduced 'Waltz Country Dance', renewed our acquittance with 'The Dream Catcher', pranced through 'Postie's Jig' and still had time for 'De'il Amang the Tailors' and 'The Ring of Brodgar'. Well done to all concerned, and thanks too to our 'helpers', we literally couldn't do it without you. Tuesday was an equally successful night, lots of fun and lots, and lots of dances. We even managed two sets up for Mairi's Wedding - not the most successful dance of the night but  eliciting a spontaneous round of applause from the ladies behind the bar! - and perfection only comes from practice, and giving everyone the chance to have a go now means we'll have more brilliant dancers on the floor at the ball. We actually had time available to complete the whole programme, but by mutual consent we skipped the final dance - exhaustion had finally set in! We have to say 'goodbye' now to some of our swallows but we will hopefully be saying 'hello' to others next week to keep the ball rolling!
Finally, FYI we are planning a 'Members Meeting' - hopefully for a Saturday in early April, as a purely social get together for dancers, chatters, beginners and Tuesday nighter's, and as an opportunity to catch up with those who can't necessarily make the dance sessions, but keep an interest in the Group and it's events.

and the  rest of the days haven't been bad either! Thank you to everyone who is taking the trouble to let me know when  you can't make the dancing sessions - especially the Monday class. Apart from it being reassuring to know that you are still wanting to attend, but are just unable to at that moment, it also makes it easier for me to organise my 'lesson plans'. This week while our numbers were slightly lower I took the opportunity to introduce 'rights and lefts' and 'reels of four' while teaching the class the beautiful square set strathspey, 'The Dream Catcher'. It's not usually considered a beginner's dance so we took it slowly, but by the end of the session (despite a certain amount of brain ache) we danced it with ease. Well done to everyone involved. The pudding was proved the next day when class attendees helped make up a set for the Dream Catcher at the Tuesday social evening. This week it was lovely to have a brief visit from some of our 'swallows' - not that they had much time to talk because they danced all night and had little time to catch up with everybody, luckily they'll be back again next week, if people didn't manage to see them, before they fly back to blizzardly Britain.