RSCDS BANFFSHIRE BRANCH
ESTABLISHED IN 1929
Celebrating 90 Years of the Branch
1929 to present day
RSCDS Banffshire Branch
Festival of Scottish Country Dance
History of the Festival of Scottish Country dance - by Anne Taylor
Members of the RSCDS Banffshire Branch have, over several years, been involved in training and entering teams of Children from a variety of Primary and Secondary Schools from North Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, and Moray areas. Adult teams from Banffshire and other areas have also entered the festival, either competitively or non-competitively. The festival came under the organisation of the Moray Music Festival and took place biennially in venues around Elgin. In 2018 the Moray Music Festival folded because of lack of support on the organisation side. The Banffshire Branch members had always organised the Scottish Country Dance events and it was sensible to continue and organise our own RSCDS Banffshire Branch Scottish Country Dance Festival.
The purpose of the festival has always been to advance, promote and encourage amateur performers in the Art of Scottish Country Dancing by providing a platform for dancers combined with an educational element provided by a professional adjudicator.
Parents, guardians, schoolteachers, and carers in partnership with organisers of the event ensure that the environment provided will, as far as is reasonably practicable, safeguard the welfare of all children
The festival has always been staffed entirely by volunteers from our membership, with professional contributors from Qualified Teachers, RSCDS Adjudicators and Musicians.
Traditionally the Festival took place every two years and when there was no Festival the Banffshire Branch would organise a Day of Dance for the School Children. At our last Day of Dance in 2019, it attracted 600 Primary School children from Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, and Moray.
The 2nd RSCDS Banffshire Branch SCD Festival was held in the Town Hall, Elgin, on 11th March 2020 just prior to the first lockdown situation due to the corona virus and 400 children from a variety of Schools in Banffshire and Moray, along with adult teams from Banffshire, Moray and Inverness-shire taking part.
Due to the last year and a half of various lockdown situations, again due to the Corona virus, we have been unable to organise any Days of Dance or Festivals.
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Report by
Anne Taylor
Vice Chairperson
October 2021
Due to the last year and a half of various lockdown situations, again due to the Corona virus, we have been unable to organise any Days of Dance or Festivals. However, we anticipate that in March 2022 the Branch will be able to have an Event, although something like a Day of Dance or Ceilidh dancing followed by a Branch Scottish Country dance in the evening, as an example.
Festival results March 2020
Schools involved
Aberchirder Primary School. Aberlour Primary School.
Bracoden Primary School, Gamrie. Craigellachie Primary School.
Cullen Primary School. East End Primary School, Elgin.
Linkwood Primary School, Elgin Logie Primary School, Dunphail.
Milne’s Primary School, Fochabers. Mortlach Primary School, Dufftown.
Mosstodloch Primary School. Mosstowie Primary School, Miltonduff.
Portessie Primary School. Portgordon Primary School.
Portknockie Primary School.
The Results
Milnes Primary School won the Cup for the most points
Portnockie Primary School and Mosstowie Primary School were joint Runners Up and will each have the shield for one year.
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Class 8 – Primaries 4-5 Dances chosen
1st Milne’s, Fochabers Antarctica Bound
2nd East End, Elgin Antarctica Bound
3rd Linkwood, Elgin Joe MacDiarmid’s Jig
Class 7 – Primaries 1-3 Dances chosen
1st Milne’s, Fochabers Morrai Jig
2nd Linkwood, Elgin Morrai Jig
3rd Portessie B Morrai Jig
Class 9 – Primaries 6-7 Dances chosen
1st Mosstowie, Miltonduff New Year Jig
2nd Milne’s, Fochabers The Millbank Reel
3rd East End, Elgin The Millbank Reel
Class 4 – Ceilidh Dancing – Primaries 1-4 Dance chosen
The Flying Scotsman
1st Mosstowie, Miltonduff
2nd Milne’s, Fochabers
3rd Cullen and Portgordon
Class 1 - Primary Schools with 100 pupils or less Dances chosen
1st Portknockie Charleston Chaser
2nd Portgordon and Bracoden, Gamrie Charleston Chaser
3rd Mosstowie, Miltonduff Charleston Chaser
Class 2 – Primaries with 101 – 200 pupils Dances chosen
1st Aberlour A Reel for Jeannie
2nd Milne’s, Fochabers A Reel for Jeannie
3rd East End, Elgin and Aberchirder A A Reel for Jeannie
Class 5 – Ceilidh Dancing – Primarier 5-7 (teams of 3) Dance chosen
The Dashing White Sergeant
1st Portknockie
2nd Mosstowie, Miltonduff
3rd Cullen
Class 15 – Adults (Ladies) NON-COMPETITIVE Dances chosen
Elgin & District U3A Joie de Vivre
The Ladies of Banffshire The Countess of Dunmore’s Reel
Class 16 Adults (Mixed) NON-COMPETITIVE Dance chosen
Elgin & District U3A Jubilee Jig
Class 13 Adults (Ladies) COMPETITIVE Dances chosen
1st Marybank SCD Club, Inverness-shire The Clansman and Linnea’s Strathspey
2nd The Banffshire Ladies Orpington Caledonians and Cape Town Wedding
Class 14 Adults (Mixed) COMPETITIVE Dances chosen
1st Marybank SCD Club, Inverness-shire Saltire Society Reel and Up in the Air
2nd Team Banffshire Inverneill House and The Gentleman