Music for coming out of Confinement

This has been a remarkable time. I have been privileged because I have an income and a garden where I have done more weeding than ever before. But many people have lost incomes, have been stuck inside small apartments, have struggled to educate and entertain their children, and now they have to brave the new virus-threatened world of work and play. We think of them, and we share the sorrow of those who have lost dear ones to this terrible pandemic. Music is one of the greatest sources of solace. For calm, I recommend the Celtic Harp and the West African classical harp = the kora. But I think we need musical excitement. Mory Kanté was a great musician who just died (not from COVID-19). His world-famous hit YekeYeke will get your blood and spirits moving! Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJNiMNUSrw8

Still dancing .... but now I dance in my head

 Gil, Elisabeth, Don and Bern are all great dance friends - despite his choice of tie, Bern is a good guy and a great dancer and you can see him and me dance The Shepherd's Crook on YouTube :

www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5zYM44uwjM

and this was me last year visiting Coates Crescent in Edinburgh, the HQ of the RSCDS. If coronavirus confinement limits our physical dancing, it does not reduce our passion for dancing, nor our dreams of dancing with beautiful women in a great strathspey set. What is a "beautiful woman"? She is a great dancer. Dancing makes a woman beautiful. And a man?

The kilt makes a man beautiful.

the parents of baby Archie deserve a period of peace

Her Majesty the Queen is having a bad week, mainly because the gutter-loving British tabloid press is filled with such obscene people who write such nasty things. Prince Harry and his young wife deserve to be able to sit at home in peace and enjoy their baby. They are being hounded to Canada (lovely friendly, hospitable Canada). I hope they will enjoy their time in Canada, stop reading newspapers, cancel twitter and facebook, and live the life of young parents for a few months. I am so ashamed of the British press - all of it. Leave young people alone to live their lives!
As I say on my book, everything we do should promote "the greatest happiness of the greatest number" = a piece of Scottish wisdom for everyone to enjoy.

BREXIT is a threat to the British economy, and threat to the stability of the United Kingdom, and a threat to Peace in Europe. The final chapter of my book I DANCE THEREFORE I AM discusses peace, peace dancing, Sufi dancing and the poet Rumi, the reasons why BREXIT is a disaster waiting to happen. Let us pray that it does not happen this week. Le us pray that sensible people realise it is undoable, and therefore that we should revoke our application to leave the EU.

If BREXIT happens, the United Kingdom is doomed and I shall apply for a Scottish passport.
Meanwhile the only solution is to keep dancing, keep healthy, and SPINAROOND with the same joy that fills Janet McCrorie's picture.

Demo-level dancing on a Tuesday night: what a treat !

We had such a GREAT dance evening in Richmond this Tuesday at The Dance Space with its beautiful wood floor - we produced a set of demonstration level dances with wonderful women dancers : Moira and Tina are two of the best dancers I have ever had the joy of seeing, as well as Julie, Susan, Rochelle, Elisabeth, Carol….. and there were five demo-level men dancing: Scott Morrison, John Thoburn, Malcolm Shealey, Bern Runk and the author of that now-famous dancing memoir I DANCE THEREFORE I AM.

Which we proved to be true this evening.  

Janet McCrorie's painting called CLASP illustrates perfectly the fun we had tonight.  

Buy Janet's greetings cards! They benefit the RSCDS and they are fine cards.

We danced some fun and tricky dances including Mrs MacPherson of Inveran; The Clumsy Lover (he was not present on the dance floor this evening, but he obviously liked to set-and-link); Jean Martin of Aberdeen (a lovely Strathspey for a lovely lady); Napier’s Index with its fun reels and 4-bar turns; and others.

The RSCDS Richmond Christmas dance program looks enticing..….. especially when you think who will be dancing there. Plan to be in Richmond VA on December 7th this year !  

Another beautiful dance painting BEFORE YOUR EYES by Janet McCrorie, whose art I am privileged to show you. Like my amusing book I DANCE THEREFORE I AM, sales of Janet McCrorie's paintings and elegant greetings cards benefit the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society of which we are proud members - in my own case, a Life Member since 1967 when I was still a student at St Andrews University dancing every week with the university's Celtic Society. I still send occasional donations to the Celtic Society, to encourage the art and practice and joy of DANCING among young people! I have a lifetime of pleasure on the dance floor.  My own children Catherine Leila and Edward can be seen dancing on the cover of my book: the perfect gift for a dance friend.

Dancing Scottish with a famous Ballerina

Diane Cavero is a star of the Martha Graham Ballet Company in New York, and she has just returned to her family in Europe. A qualified Graham Teacher, a choreographer and Renaissance dance and sword-fighting specialist, Diane came to discover Scottish Dance with us in Brittany. Naturally, she picked up the steps at once. She hears the music so perfectly! If Diane came to St Andrews, she would be in the Demonstration Team after one week: in 2020 perhaps. It is a joy to dance with such talent. After all, I Dance Therefore I Am, and so does Diane Cavero.

More beautiful Janet McCrorie dance pictures

"On your toes" and

and "Pink Mist" - sweet dance movements with whirl and swirl: thank you, Janet

I DANCE THEREFORE I AM -  it keeps me healthy and happy !

I am going to a family wedding tomorrow. Mentally I am getting ready for church, long country walks (to reach the church), and lots of wine (to toast Pandora and her Max).  This witty picture that I found on the internet, perfectly represents the Three Ages of Robin attending weddings. And DANCING of course: I Dance, Therefore I Am.

Fit & Healthy Scottish Dancing on ICE !!!

Have you admired the Kerr siblings John and Sinead dancing on ice at the 2008 World Championships in Sweden?  If not, don't miss the opportunity - and this is the place to see them Scottish dancing to the music of Auld Lang Syne:

https://www.sunnyskyz.com/happy-videos/7055/Scottish-Siblings-Original-Ice-Dance-Has-Everyone-Cheering-During-The-Routine

teaching children to dance

Dance is an important part of our culture. Families and communities used to dance every week. We used to create our our entertainment with music and dance and stories. Now we consume, seated and lazy. It is the wonderful experience of dance that gets children moving and gives them the belief that they are beautiful, exciting physical people. Here we are dancing with kids in Josselin.

A second Janet McCrory dance painting

Painted for the RSCDS and reproduced here with Janet's permission.
This wonderful movement is called Birlin' Blue. It could be me and Moira.
I wish it was: Thistle School has just started and Oh! Alas!  I am not dancing!

Stong Arms, Strong Scottish Women

Stories About Strong Scottish Women

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary.
She said, "I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 160 in seconds."
I bought her a bathroom scale.
She hit me with her gift. One week later my face is still showing the bruises. 

(A friend told me this story. It was NOT my wife. My face is OK - thanks for asking) 

This painting by Janet McCrory is called STRONG ARM and I am grateful for permission to share it with you. Her cards are sold by and on behalf of the RSCDS and her paintings are for sale on her website. I am guessing, but it is probably about HIS arm and not hers. But you never know with a Scottish woman!

I have been reading words of wisdom on the website of RSCDS Cornwall Branch:
"The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) emphasises the three elements of fitness, fun and friendship that Scottish Country Dancing provides.  Research shows that dancing, and particularly Scottish country dancing, is one of the best forms of activity for keeping the body active and the mind alert. It can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and help prevent or complement the treatment of serious and chronic conditions.  The way to improve health and wellbeing could be just one step away - and what’s more it is fun!"

 It certainly is FUN !!!
These Cornish guys came to dance with us in Brittany last week and THEY HAD FUN !!!!!

Dancing is the best exercise for MIND and BODY and SPIRIT.   There is no better way to keep fit in mind and body, than dancing. The first benefit is that dancing is FUN, relaxing your body and spirit. You can be a teacher, or simply soak up the joy of dance. Research shows that dancing is the best medicine against senility and Alzheimer’s. Fusing music with movement keeps the mind and body in sync; Scottish steps and formations strengthen memory, improve balance and poise.


This link gives an example of ordinary people having a great time at a CEILIDH (fun and games):

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMQkjYxS67fRfVffQOXxizqAx5xr6xIXu6PGAHx8dnskdr7vQrM18kEmpDrCs1PVA/photo/AF1QipOuUe1CdFD4VPsIqoglV6oYwVAe5HqUovUJ4WQc?key=LWJkMmlCaXctOXVQVkZIdVdLeU0xUEo3REdmY1dn

FEET. The most beautiful part of a woman is her feet (if she is a dancer) and after her feet, I look at her eyes. If both feet and both eyes are beautiful, I WANT TO DANCE with her !!!!   The rest of her body simply joins her eyes to her feet. That is what my book is mostly about: beautiful women with elegant feet and bewitching eyes. Men can also have good dancing feet - like me!

Snow stopped the dancing tonight: a great evening of WALTZ and CONTRA spoiled (more by fear than by weather, actually: Michelle says it only takes three snowflakes to close all the schools in Virginia!). But I have happy memories of contra last time I was in the famous Glen Echo Spanish Ballroom where we had a great party with the band Hot Coffee ( they were really hot!) and with caller Kappy Laning (she was really Kappy!). My book I DANCE THEREFORE I AM contains great stories about contra dancing, and ways to make your dancing better and promote happiness. We hate NOODLES and BULLIES on the contra dance floor; and we like women who are light dancers and who do not kill our backs!  For how not to be a noodle or a bully, read my book!

I Danced in New York last night

Good dancing and good teaching at the RSCDS New York Branch Thursday: thanks for your hospitality guys! Most of my partners had good posture: since that is my obsession of the week. As I say in my book: a good posterior is nothing without good posture. Here are some artistic photos of my dance evening in Manhattan.

Mother loved a man with good posture

My Mother used to say (where have you heard that before?) that SHE LOVED MEN WITH GREAT POSTURE. So pull those shoulders back, keep your chin up and keep your butt in: just as you do when you are standing in the set lines for a Scottish dance and smiling at your elegant partner. Military training is not good for peace, but it is good for posture.

A lovely review of my dance book

I just received a lovely message - A BOOK REVIEW - from Katja, one of my former peace building assistants, a talented pianist and brilliant linguist who is now hiding away in Rome with her beautiful new baby boy (he is beautiful if he looks anything like Katja): "The book is really amazing and so sweet, and I am already sad thinking it will be over soon. You should write more of this kind, I wish every grandfather did it for their grandchildren really! Your stories of childhood and life allover the globe are super interesting and the way you describe them, it's just so much fun!! I really miss you, and miss laughing with you."
ONLY $15 for the paperback from Amazon: the perfect witty and quotable Christmas gift.  BUY NOW!