Tawa SCD Club is one of 11 clubs in the Wellington Region, including Waikanae and Carterton.

We are a friendly club, consisting of about 50 members and regular visitors. We have a wide range of experience amongst our members: some have been dancing for less than a year, others have been dancing for decades. There is great camaraderie, and the more experienced help and support the less experienced.

Club nights are every Thursday, at 7:30 to 9:30 pm, from March to November, at the Tawa Bowling Club, 13 Davies Street, Tawa. The venue is a large hall, with a good wooden floor, perfect for dancing.

Membership (optional) costs $25/annum. The nightly door charge for classes is $5. We also offer our members an 11-trip ticket which costs $50 (similar to café cards - buy ten, get one free!).

Fun, Fitness and Friendship

Scottish country dancing is a modern form of the traditional country dancing of Scotland. It is all about music, fun, friendship and teamwork. It is an excellent way of keeping fit, both physically and mentally. As an activity, it has been proven to be good for memory and self esteem.

Scottish country dancing is social and cooperative. Not to be confused with Highland dancing, which is competitive and performed by individuals with high energy.

Scottish country dancing is danced in sets of six or eight dancers, and can de done at most levels of fitness and energy. It is suitable for people from teens (and even younger children) to well beyond retirement age. You do not need a regular partner, as it is customary to dance with a different partner for each dance.

Club nights

The club meets every Thursday, from 7:30 - 9:30 pm, from March to November. It is recommended that dancers arrive by 7:20 pm (to change shoes and chat). The door is usually open by 7 pm.

The night normally starts with a simple walking warm-up dance. This is followed by stretching exercises for various parts of the body. Most dances on a club night are taught, so will be walked through beforehand. The night ends with some warm-down music. Periodically we have Tartan and Theme nights.

Regional activities

Around the middle of the year, the Wellington Region offers classes at three different levels – Basics, Intermediate and Advanced. These are an opportunity to meet dancers from other clubs and to learn with others at the same level.

Spread through the year, each club in the region runs an Annual Dance, to which other clubs are invited, and usually feature a live band. A new year is often welcomed with a Hogmanay Dance.

The Tawa Scottish Country Dance Club entity operates under the auspices of the nation-wide umbrella group the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society New Zealand Branch Incorporated ( https://dancescottish.org.nz/branch- constitution-policies-and-guidelines/ ).

Tawa SCD Club Constitution

Maureen Robson was the tutor of the Tawa Club for 38 years before retiring in November 2019.

Our current tutor, Catherine McCutcheon began Highland Dancing as a child, and picked up Scottish Country Dancing in 1982 after completing her Highland Dancing diploma. She taught Highland Dancing for 20 years, and is currently an adjudicator. Catherine gained her Teaching Certificate in Scottish Country Dancing at the beginning of 2010. She taught the Lower Hutt club for three years, and has taught regional classes at all levels.