2011-07and08 St Andrews Summer School

St Andrew's Summer School 2011 Week 1

Well, here I am, back at my desk after a truly superb week at Summer School in St Andrews. I left the others behind … Rosemary Keen, Barbara Swanepoel and Gill Gordon … to continue their separate UK holidays for varying amounts of time, and Kim Mills bravely tackling Unit 3 of the teaching certificate!

But I believe I can speak for all of us when I say that we had a really great time. Superb teaching, lots of lovely live music, plenty of socialising … all bound together with our shared love for Scottish Country Dancing.

One highlight among many was watching Barbara’s awesome dancing when she was chosen for a Ladies Step demonstration at the Thursday evening dance at Younger Hall. We Capetonians were so proud of her. (Tom was there and videoed Barbara’s performance … I’m hoping he’ll make us a DVD and bring it next week when he arrives in Cape Town with his friend Jane.)

In fact, it was altogether an outstanding evening’s dancing, with Jean Martin as MC (one of the RSCDS examiners who visited Cape Town last September), and music provided by Marian Anderson and her band (who played for the Lynfrae dance at Kelvin Grove a few years back).

Another high point in the week was a garden party to celebrate 80 years of Summer School (it was chilly, but luckily the rain held off that afternoon!). Here’s a photograph of the Cape Town contingent.

Gill Loubser

27 July 2011