Tuesday Dance Class and Social Evening Every Tuesday 6:00 - 8:00 pm Weekly charge - €3 (€1 if you are a Phoenix Club member or have already paid for your weekly Temporary Membership) If you attend more than 3 weeks we request that you join the P3A. P3A annual membership = €5 + initial €5 joining fee (renewable in September)
Between September and July, Tuesday is the night we all get together on a regular basis (see Location) — the best description is a social night with dance instruction, although you don’t have to dance to attend; some people come with their partners, or by themselves, just to chat and enjoy the atmosphere while others dance everything on the programme. Please note the group is not only for Scots. We welcome many nationalities and although this is an adult dance session, younger visitors are also very welcome, they are usually better dancers than we are!
If you'd like to dance with more confidence because you haven’t danced before (or it was a long time ago) there is 'beginners, basics & improvers' Scottish and Ceilidh dancing class on Monday afternoons; see the link HERE or at the top of the page for more information on that.
If you can't do a daytime class however, you can still join us to dance on Tuesdays whatever your ability. There is a short introductory session prior to the class from 5:30pm for anyone who wants to turn up - the content varies dependent on the needs of attendees. The emphasis throughout is on having fun and enjoying yourself rather than fantastic technique. You can get yourself a drink at the bar (we no longer have bar staff but they trust us to sort ourselves out) or you can make yourself a cup of tea or coffee (€1.50). There is no pressure to dance if you don’t want to, or can’t for some reason, but if you do want to dance you’ll find it easy to join in, in fact almost impossible not to. Note that you don’t need to come equipped with a partner—although sets are made up of ‘couples’ everyone dances with everyone else in Scottish dancing — all our ‘singles’ get plenty of chances to dance (and we aren't all ladies, men enjoy this style of dancing too!). A program for the evening is displayed on this website (see 'Tuesday Programme' link above -with links to instructions and YouTube examples if available) and on the night - the dances are colour coded to allow dancers to judge if they will enjoy them, or find them too challenging, or not challenging enough! All dances are walked through and ‘called’ if required. What to wear:- Make sure you are wearing suitable footwear, trainers are fine to start with or any other flat flexible shoes—but make sure they will stay on your feet properly so they don’t trip you up. See - the 'warnings' below for more about footwear. There are no other special requirements. Wear something that allows you to move freely and is fairly cool, many ladies feel more comfortable wearing a skirt to dance, but others prefer jeans or trousers. Some take the opportunity to 'dress up' a little, others like to keep it casual - anything goes as long as you are comfortable. Tartan is not necessary and men do not wear kilts at these sessions. Kilts are a bit warm to wear in Cyprus for anything but the main events of the year e.g. Burns Night or the Ball, where those that have them sport them with pride - but it's no problem if people don't have them.
Warnings
If you are attending for the first time please note that the floor is tile, as are most of the floors in Cyprus. It is hard on the feet; Scottish dancers wear ‘ballet flats’ or ‘ghillies’ with some form of cushioning insoles, but trainers, pumps or similar footwear are fine to start with and will provide some initial shock absorption until you get used to it. Flip flops (thongs if you are Australian!), sandals or shoes that aren't fully attached to your feet or footwear with heels are not suitable for our style of Scottish Country Dancing.
Many Scottish Dances are energetic, but if you don’t consider yourself fit don't let this stop you, there are always some slower dances on the programme too and dancing is an ideal way to get, and keep, fitter, mentally and physically, however if you do have health problems please let the session leader know as some dances may not be suitable for you. Efforts are made to keep people safe but ultimately you are in charge of your own health.
This is not Ceilidh dancing - although is it closely related to it — once in a set you are part of a team and you may not be able to stop until the dance is ended!