Having abandoned the world of work, I thought it was time to try out the Tuesday afternoon general Scottish dancing group. So I went along on 17 March, just before we all got locked down so it’s the only one I’ve been to as there was no 5th Tuesday meeting.

First impression is that it’s just like going on Monday evening: well-known Johnsonville faces plus others known from Club dances (and a few new ones), $5 paid at the door, tick your name off and put on name badge (provided if you’ve been before, or in my case as a first timer write your own sticky label), and the tutor was Catherine McCutcheon well known to us as one of Rod’s regular stand-ins so the approach was familiar.

The numbers were apparently down a bit probably due to the virus effect but still four sets. Then to the dancing: all dances walked through 1, 2 or 3 times depending on familiarity and the formations all known after you’ve done about a year of dancing at Johnsonville, and being St Patrick’s Day the theme was Irish/green.

And of course plenty of chit chat during and between dances but nothing idle I am sure. There was also a special treat of a couple dances popular in the New York area taught by Xiaowen Yu who has recently returned from there.

All good fun and I would recommend it to anyone free on Tuesday afternoons (3rd and 5th ones anyway). I may get brave and try the advanced group (2nd and 4th Tuesdays) when normal life resumes.

For info the group meets on the 3rd  and 5th Tuesdays of the month at in St John’s church hall, starting at 12.45 pm to around 2.45 pm.

from Charles Burden
20 April 2020