Scottish Country Dancing is all the rage at the Chemainus 55+ Activity Centre.
The new session began a week ago Thursday, with 16 men and women coming out to give it a try under the direction of instructor John Duffus. The numbers broke down perfectly since a set is composed of eight dancers, Duffus explained.
The sessions run from 2-4 p.m. every Thursday and anyone older than 55 is invited to come out and enjoy the activity.
“Attendance is going to be better in the daylight in the winter,” Duffus indicated.
People can join at any time, he added. There’s no particular continuity from one session to the next.
“We don’t require people to start from the beginning,” Duffus stressed.
The instructor, naturally, is of Scottish descent and came to these parts in 1967.
“Actually, I didn’t do any Scottish country dancing till I retired,” Duffus indicated.
“It’s good balance. It’s fairly active. A number of people also do line dancing.”
It does require some work to learn the proper steps. “It’s not as easy as some think,” Duffus concurred.
There are at least eight clubs on the Island that offer Scottish Country Dancing, he added.
Those willing to give it a shot don’t need to bring anything to the sessions, other than low-heeled soft shoes and a good sense of humour to get through some of the trials and tribulations.