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I was saddened to learn of Bronwyn Maysmor’s death on 19 January 2024 at the age of 77 years. Following my move to Lower Hutt from Hamilton in 1983, I joined Lower Hutt Scottish Country Dance Club where I met Bronwyn who lived in Eastbourne at that time. She quickly involved me in social activities with other club members. My abiding memory of Bronwyn is her love of colour—in gardens, her clothes and her dancing shoes (usually a shade of blue or mauve). 1990: Bronwyn (note her purply-blue shoes!), Carol and Elizabeth at the Wellington Easter Weekend School at Newlands College Bronwyn (together with Ian) took part in many Scottish Country Dancing events in the Wellington Region including Balls, Hogmanays and New Dancers’ Celebrations. Often, she dressed in fabulous costumes to fit the theme of the event. Like Bronwyn, I love colour, including shades of  blue and purple. I enjoyed visiting various gardens with her to admire the colourful flowers in bloom. 1984: Loralee with Bronwyn on a tour of Eastbourne gardens Bronwyn contributed many articles to Harbour City Happenings about activities at her club and produced a Tribute (with Charlotte Williams) to Norman Whitson, a long-term tutor at Eastbourne Club, and one to Betty Redfearn. 017: Charlotte, Bronwyn and Ian with Norm Whitson at Eastbourne’s 60th Anniversary Photo: Harbour City Happenings March 2017 Three events I enjoyed with Bronwyn stand out in my memory. The first was a trip to Morison’s Bush in the Wairarapa in 1992 for the weekend of the Martinborough Fair with a number of dancers including Bronwyn and Ian, Elizabeth and Malcolm Ferguson, Iain Boyd, Noeline O’Connor, Kath Burn, Betty Redfearn, Val Jenness, Margaret Hepworth and Beth Duncan. We appreciated Morison’s Bush for the history of Scottish Country Dancing in New Zealand—for many years, the area was the centre of social life and dances for dancers in Wellington, Wairarapa, and Hawke’s Bay. Morison’s Bush was also the site of the first Scottish Country Dance Ball in New Zealand. We stayed in a beautiful old homestead at Morison’s Bush near the Ruamāhanga River with the evenings chatting. laughing and barbecuing dinner. 1992: The group of dancers at the old homestead at Morison’s Bush 1992: Peter and Bronwyn barbecuing dinner Early on the Saturday morning we set off for the Martinborough Fair to make sure we got a nearby park. Activities back at the homestead in the afternoon included volleyball, board games or walking along the river. 1992: Bronwyn, Loralee and Val at Ruamāhanga River near Morison’s Bush I had the opportunity to see Bronwyn’s superb organisation skills in action when I was on the committee for the Wellington Region Event in 1993, with Bronwyn as organiser. The Region decided to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the New Zealand Branch in 1993 with a dinner and ceilidh (called the Top Event) in February before the dancing season started. Alan Burn, the Region President at the time, suggested honouring Wellington Region teachers at the event for their dedicated work. The Region sponsored teachers to attend; although clubs did have the opportunity to sponsor their own tutor if they wished. Advertisement for the 1993 Top Event from Harbour City Happenings September 1992 The event committee asked those attending to wear a hat of any description to the Top Event held on 27 February 1993 at the James Cabaret (now closed) in Wellington. The evening started with a happy half hour of socialising, mixing and talking about each other’s hats. 1993: Bronwyn wearing her colourful fruit and flower-laden hat welcoming all to the Region Top Event Dancing at the 1993 Top Event to music from Peter Elmes, John Smith and Merren Simmonds We welcomed 26 Wellington tutors to the event. The photo below is a great historical record of Scottish Country Dancing in the Region at that time. The teachers in the photo are: Back row: Iain Boyd, Margaret Laidlaw, Romaine Butterfield, Rita Brennan, Margaret Allison (Bailey), Edith Campbell, Hilda Brodie (Smith), Kath Burn, Maureen Robson, Damon Collin, Dave Macfarlane, Mirth Smallwood, Barbara Gill, Elizabeth Ferguson, Val Jenness, Gary Morris, Marie Malcolm, Alma Secker, Glenys Mills, Noeline O’Connor, Ian Simmonds, Raynor Stratford. Front row: Betty Redfearn, Norm Whitson, Carol Smith, Annette Zuppicich Wellington Region Tutors at the1993 Wellington Region Top Event See more about the Top Event including the wide variety of items performed by dancers from the Region in this article in the 1993 New Zealand Scottish Country Dancer The third event I well remember is Bronwyn and Ian’s wedding in February 1994 at the Dowse Art Museum in Lower Hutt, followed by a ‘dessert party’. We were each asked to bring a dessert—a simple and enjoyable way of celebrating. There were plenty of ‘oohs and ahhs’ from people as they chose from the wide array of desserts on offer. 1994: Bronwyn and Ian’s wedding at the Dowse Museum. Fiddler John Smith is standing behind the wedding party. I have enjoyed looking through my albums to find photos of Bronwyn and Ian at events from 1990 onwards. (Prior to that, the quality of my camera wasn’t good enough to take photos of actual dancing). The last photograph I have of Bronwyn was at the 2019 Wellington Region Hogmanay at Crofton Downs Primary School hall organised by Johnsonville Club. 2019: Wellington Region Hogmanay with Bronwyn at the centre right dancing The Highland Fair – wearing her mauve dancing shoes! A few months later, the pandemic hit. Sadly, I didn’t have the chance to catch up with Bronwyn again. I will miss seeing her dance in her beautiful mauve shoes. See more of Loralee’s photos and download if you wish Loralee Hyde4 March 2024 All photos by Loralee Hyde except where noted [...] Read more...
In 2019, Johnsonville Club member Désirée Patterson gave this great account of New Zealand Branch Summer Schools she had attended, including what is involved during this week of Scottish Country Dancing; the classes, social activities and evening events as well as the fun and friendship. Last year, I had a wonderful week at the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland 2022-2023 Summer School, the first get-together for three years due to the pandemic. My highlights included taking part in an innovative Excursions Group during the mornings, designed for non-dancers and those like me who wanted to save their legs for the evening functions. Katharine Hoskyn from Auckland organised the excursions for the group. She sent us a survey to complete beforehand, asking what we would like to do and see on the excursions—ranging from walks in gardens to visiting the Art Gallery and Museum to having coffee breaks. Going to a café every morning was top of the picks! That’s always an opportunity for more chatting and laughter. Having an essential coffee with the excursion group after a walk in Hobson Bay –  here Loralee is with Betty from Napier. Photo: Katharine Hoskyn The excursions gave us a chance to get to know people from other parts of New Zealand and Australia. Being awed by the sheer size of two Tyrannosaurus skeletons at the Auckland Museum was just one of our fun-filled activities (yes, we also had coffee at the Museum). Jeanette from Rotorua and Brenda and Betty from Hawke’s Bay dwarfed by the two T-Rex skeletons at Auckland Museum. See all my highlights and photos of the Auckland Summer School For Summer School 2023-2024, it was the turn of the RSCDS New Zealand Branch Nelson/Marlborough Region to host us in Nelson—billed as the place for dancing, sun and friendship! Catching-up with old friends from around New Zealand and the world (together with making new friends) is one of the highlights of Summer School. On the first night of dancing, the laughter and chatter echoed around the hall. I wondered what fun we would have during the rest of the Summer School at classes, evening functions and other social activities. A good number of dancers represented the Wellington Region at Nelson. Plus, Ann Oliver taught the Social Class, Catherine McCutcheon took Advanced and Lynne Scott led the Musicians’ Class. Aileen Logie, Jason Morris, Hilary Ferral and Ian Telfar played in the band. And Elaine Laidlaw briefed Hogmanay. A Hogwarts themed fancy dress night set the scene for many amazing costumes along with dances fitting the theme and lots of smiles and laughter. I managed to concoct a Hedwig the owl costume entirely from bits and pieces I found at home, with a mask template downloaded from the web. Loralee dancing Slytherin House as Hedwig. Photo: Tim Cuff, Nelson Creative Remarkably. I danced Slytherin House partnered by Fluffy, the three-headed dog (with three dancers dancing as one!). The rest of the set was very accommodating, particularly while dancing the Snake Pass. Fluffy, the three-headed dog (the middle head is Wellingtonian Helen) The band, dressed up as characters from Hogwarts, (along with many Hedwigs), played spooky, supernatural music to fit the theme at the Hogwarts dance, especially for Slytherin House! At Hogmanay on New Year’s Eve it was a delight to see Feshiebridge danced. Devised by long-time Wellington Region tutor Gary Morris, this was one of the dances we enjoyed at the special afternoon of Early Wellington Dances held in April 2023 to celebrate the Centenary of the RSCDS. Wellingtonians were in sets across the floor dancing Feshiebridge with others from across the country and around the world. Although morning classes cover the serious business of step practice, learning new formations and dancing together as a team, there are plenty of fun-filled moments. I enjoyed three mornings dancing with the Social Class where there was an intense focus on learning as much as possible about the intricacies of dancing and the music. Concentrating on dancing Black Donald, a jig devised by Derek Haynes, in the Social Class tutored by Ann Oliver with Lynne Scott on the fiddle. Ann wrote the dances of each day on a board as an aide-mémoire for us. Lo and behold … there were fine artists amongst us who drew cartoons representing each dance on the board! Resulting in lots of laughter and discussion as well as providing visual clues to help us remember the dances. Our dances on Day Four of the Social Class provided plenty of inspiration for the cartoonists! Black Donald is a Highland colloquialism for the Devil in Scottish mythology. The defining characteristic of Black Donald is his cloven feet, which betray whatever disguise he assumes. Some may consider the cartoon of Black Donald on the board above, more closely resembles a certain Donald involved in politics in the USA. Summer School often has afternoon excursions for dancers. One afternoon, we went to Mapua, a lovely village on the coast, where we walked along the wharf in the fresh sea air or had a coffee (of course!). We then could choose between going to Neudorf Vineyards for wine tasting or to Rabbit Island for a stroll along the beach. My joy of dancing is equalled by my love of our native bush and wildlife. On another afternoon, a group of us went to the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, a 690-hectare fenced haven for our unique biodiversity. How relaxing it was to stroll along the tracks through the bush and along the Brook Stream in the fresh air; recuperation for our brains which had worked so hard at classes and evening functions, and for our sore legs. Thanks to Janet from the Summer School Committee who organised this special visit for us (she’s a volunteer at the sanctuary). Strolling along the tracks of the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary—a quite different activity to Scottish Country Dancing, but still providing the many benefits of fun, fitness and friendship. Summer School ceilidhs are full of clever, entertaining items ranging from performances from musicians to recitations to singing, along with (sometimes quite wild) dancing! Superbly organised and MC’d by Ruth Budden from Tuakau, the Nelson ceilidh was no different. Ruth was also the tutor of the Teacher Training Class, but somehow she found the time to teach some other Scottish Country Dancers some Rock and Roll moves. Well done all! Ruth and Jenn, Su and Ian and Katherine and Andrew show off their fabulous costumes and rocking and rolling skills Enjoying a rather wild ceilidh dance! At the ceilidh, a group of Wellingtonians including the 2024-2025 Summer School Organiser Ann Oliver and members of the Committee, danced Catch the Wind devised by Romaine Butterfield to welcome everyone to the next Summer School in Wellington. This dance ties-in with the catch-cry of the School—You’ll be blown away by a Wellington welcome! To great acclaim from the crowd, the team tried out a number of variations of the dance; all carefully planned of course, and within the spirit of having fun! Philip, Andrew, Margaret, Ann, Peter, Michele, Lee and Jeanette dancing Catch the Wind with Helen and Loralee ensuring the Wellington Summer School banner wasn’t blown away! Photo: From RSCDS New Zealand Branch video In a nod to the ‘windy’ theme of the next Summer School in Wellington, the last dance on the Final Night was The Wind That Shakes the Barley. Watch this video from the RSCDS New Zealand Branch to see the joy of the dance. Hear the fabulous music from the band alongside musicians from the Summer School Musicians’ Class led by Lynne Scott! And hear the whoops of joy at the end! Thanks so much to Doug Mills and Lynda Aitchison and their committee for organising this Summer School in sunny Nelson, and thanks to the tutors, musicians, MCs, gophers, makers of morning teas, drivers, photographers, videographers and others who helped make this such a successful get-together. I’ve lost count of the number of New Zealand Summer Schools I’ve attended; but all had lots of fun and friendship. I do recommend coming along to the 2024-2025 Wellington Summer School, especially as there’s a commuter option for those who live nearby. Find out more and register online There’s fun to be had! See all my photos of Nelson Summer School and download if you wish At Brook Waimārama Sanctuary Loralee Hyde29 February 2024 All photos by Loralee Hyde except where noted [...] Read more...
In the end, we had almost perfect weather for this year’s summer ceilidh at Johnsonville Bowling Club on Saturday 27 January. The morning rain cleared, leaving us with sunny skies and the club house at a much more danceable temperature than it otherwise would have been. Twenty-three members and three guests registered, with a bonus guest on the day, when Kathryn and David ended up on grandparent duty. It was great to welcome seven first-timers amongst the crowd, six of whom were new club members in 2023. Bowling and chatting The only side-effect of the morning rain was a delay to the bowling club champs, the closure of one of the greens, and a little bit of a wait for rinks to free up on the green for us. Our bowlers took it in their stride, distracting themselves with socialising, then organising their own bowls, and getting themselves started with agreed rules (if not necessarily as per the rule book). Once they got going, they were reluctant to leave the green, and almost missed out on the great selection of nibbles before dancing! Quite a few of us were just as happy to stay inside chatting. It was a really nice opportunity to have those extended conversations not possible on the dance floor, and to get to know some of our newer dancers in particular. Dancing Fortified by nibbles and a drink from the bar, bowlers and chatters alike were ready to ceilidh. Rod got us moving with the Boston Two Step, an easy old time dance from the early 1900s – made progressive, so we changed partners instead of having to deal with the dreaded waltz! From there Rod took us back in time to three dances from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. First, he taught us the very old English country dance Upon a Summer’s Day, which we danced twice through (for best results). It is the first dance in the very famous ‘first’ book of country dances The Compleat Dancing Master from 1651, and is danced to the beautiful music of English folk song The Lark in the Morning. Then a Scottish Country dance The Infare, celebrating the homecoming of a bride, danced to the song tune for Will Ye go and Marry Ketty collected by Robbie Burns. Only 16 bars of Strathspey to remember, but it kept us on our toes and those cross-handed turns were a bit of a challenge and a lot of fun. That was followed by another very old dance the Morpeth Rant, published in A Companion to the Ballroom by Thomas Wilson. And finally, a modern dance to finish – Burns Night. Our summer ceilidh is always held close to Burns Night, and at two previous summer ceilidhs Rod has run a full programme of dances with connections to Robbie Burns. This year was more of a mixed bag, but we still acknowledged the immense influence of Scotland’s famous poet, dancing Burns Night, and also The Infare with one of Burns’ collected song tunes.   Past Robbie Burns themed programmes took place at the club’s 2018 Summer Ceilidh, then again at the 2021 Summer Ceilidh, when Aileen Logie delivered a dramatic Address to a Haggis. Ceilidh entertainments Our Summer Ceilidh is made special by those members who share their talents to entertain us between dances. Each year without fail, we experience the wonderful live performances they offer, and the talents they bring. This year, Malcolm and Deborah Shuker shared the first ceilidh slot. It was a delight to once again enjoy Malcolm’s solo pieces on keyboard. Malcolm has performed at almost every summer ceilidh since the inaugural ceilidh at Kristin and Rod’s place in 2014. This year he played Country Tune, by Kiwi composer Christopher Norton, and Waltz in Eb by Ludwig van Beethoven, the theme of which is from a Ländler, a traditional country dance which influenced the evolution of the Viennese waltz. Then it was on to Deborah – a very welcome last-minute volunteer, adding to the Robbie Burns theme as she recited Burns’ poem The De’ils awa wi’ the Exciseman, from an early 1900 ‘Family Song Book’. Burns served as an exciseman, and the poem reflects the common dislike of excise officers, everyone dancing as the devil takes him away. There is also a dance by that name. Maggie was next on the list, bringing us her animated reading of ‘The Gruffalo’, translated into Scots by James Robertson. Many of us will have read the English version, written by Julia Donaldson, but the Scots version adds its own humour, and Maggie brought all that fun to the fore. Our final ceilidh performer was Kate, who has shared her voice and her passion for song with us at many ceilidhs past. Accompanied by Malcolm, Kate sang I’ll Walk Beside You, a song published in 1936. Words by Edward Lockton and music by Alan Murray. Kate kindly dedicated her song to Rod and Kristin for their support for the club, and each other. By then, Elizabeth N and the supper team had been holding dinner ready downstairs for a while, so no time for more dancing, off we went. Potluck dinner to finish Club members outdid themselves this year, preparing a wonderful spread of delicious food for our potluck dinner. There was something for everyone, and more than anyone could have needed or wanted amongst the mains, salads, sides and desserts. We all relaxed, conversation flourished, food was devoured, and then it was time to clear up, pack up, and head home. Thanks to all First to Rod, for whom it was a busman’s holiday since he was on duty as MC. He prepared a great selection of different dances for us, got us through them all, and made sure we had a good time. Next to the organising team of Maureen, Christine and Kristin, plus Elizabeth N and Sarah. Maureen did a fantastic job of organising the potluck dinner offerings, with Kristin on comms, Christine in support and Elizabeth on duty in the kitchen, pretty much from go to whoa. New committee member Sarah, took on the IT side of things, adapting the registration form for 2024. Very special thanks to Deborah, Kate, Maggie and Malcolm for entertaining us with their skills and talents. Finally, thanks to everyone who attended and brought fantastic food, volunteered for setup, kitchen duties, or pack-up, and made it such a relaxed and convivial affair. Roll on next year. View more photos of the day by Kristin here Kristin Downey5 February 2024 [...] Read more...
Written by Rowena Fry Wellingtonian Deborah Shuker has been a Scottish Country Dancer for 13 years. Known as a ‘team sport’, the centuries-old dance form is widely spread around the country with close to 90 clubs, starting at Kerikeri and finishing at Invercargill. Twenty-six years ago, Deborah was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Eleven years later she had a heart attack, and it was then that she knew she needed to find a fun way to exercise regularly. Deborah didn’t want to join a gym as she saw that as a solo endeavour and knew she wouldn’t stick to it. She tried ballroom too but found it wasn’t her cup of tea either. A newspaper ad for a beginner’s course in Scottish Country Dancing at the Johnsonville Scottish Country Dance Club did catch her eye and in next to no time Deborah was a regular. ‘It’s perfect for me. It’s promoted as fun, fitness, and friendly, and it is all of that. It exercises your body and exercises your mind. And you don’t have to come with a partner. And it’s ridiculously cheap!’ Deborah with fellow Johnsonville Club Members Prisilla, Malcolm and Sono, at the club’s 50 Golden Years Celebration in 2016 Scottish Country Dancing is a fun, social activity, usually done in groups of eight. A tutor gives out instructions at the beginning, the music starts, and you all follow the sequences which inevitably become easier as you gain experience. There are different levels of difficulty, and you can choose to join in or sit out and watch. Deborah on the left dancing The Kingston Flyer with Elizabeth in 2023 at a special dance celebrating the 70th birthday of two musicians. This is an easy dance for beginners and fun for all. At the club’s Annual Dance, Deborah says there are always a couple of dances for the most experienced. That is when she enjoys sitting back and watching the mastery. ‘They’re beautiful to watch and live music gives a great atmosphere.’ Deborah dancing the strathspey Midsummer Common at the Johnsonville 2019 Annual Dance To an outsider it looks like a very bouncy dance and there might be concern about one’s joints. Deborah says it is bouncy but there are all ages (the eldest is in their 80s) coming to the classes, dances, and balls. Neither injury nor age need be a barrier. ‘I can bounce, but I can’t always get to the right places. Other people get to the right places, but they can’t bounce.’ Deborah enjoying The Australian Ladies, a reel for more experienced dancers, at the 2020 Musicians’ Tea Dance in Lower Hutt Deborah loves the social aspect of Scottish Country Dancing. There is a regular newsletter that keeps everyone in touch with each other and with nine clubs just in the Wellington area alone, you could choose to dance most nights of the week. Deborah dancing Lonely Sunday at the 2016 Wellington Region New Dancers’ Celebration, an annual event held in October each year to welcome new dancers into the Scottish Country Dancing community. Longer standing dancers from across the RSCDS Wellington region attend to support their new members at this special occasion, with live music. How has dance helped Deborah’s diabetes? ‘It’s exercise and there’s no reason to stop doing it. I think you could always do Scottish Country Dancing to some degree or another. It accommodates your body.’ Deborah dancing Fugal Fergus at Johnsonville’s July Tartan Night in 2019, an evening with live music and dancers from other clubs coming along to join in. Deborah is wearing one of Life Member Isla Norris’s kilts. It’s also good for your mental health due to both the community and the way your memory is exercised. ‘In some pieces there are 48 bars of music, and you have to remember what you’re meant to be doing in those 48 bars.  You need to remember where you’re dancing, where you need to be, who you’re dancing with, and what’s going to happen next. It’s a lot of memory stuff but it’s not necessarily Einstein material.’ Here, Deborah is taking part in the annual Johnsonville Halloween/Samhain celebration in 2023. A night of full of fun dancing to spooky, supernatural music from the accordionist and fiddler in the band! Scottish Country dancers are part of a wide-ranging community—from dancers in clubs like Johnsonville to regions across New Zealand to around the world. Wherever we go, we are welcome! This article was written by Rowena Fry about the benefits of dance for those with (and without) diabetes and how the social activity of Scottish Country Dancing can help both physical and mental health. Photos: Loralee Hyde [...] Read more...
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