Interview with Raphaëlle Orgeret Raphaëlle Orgeret is a primary school teacher from Lyon and teaches in the Lyon Branch. She has taught at Summer School for three years. Her classes are proof that young dancers attract more young dancers. Jimmie Hill interviewed her this summer at the end of her teaching in Week 1.
Raphaëlle Orgeret
I hear Lyon Branch is going to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. Ah, no, it is the 30th anniversary of the Lyon group – the Branch was only formed 6 years ago, but the original group was a small international folk dance group. Scottish country dancing was only a part of what they did, but gradually it became a larger part of the group’s activities. Originally, there was a Scottish class once a month. It then became fortnightly, then weekly, and eventually the Scottish group became independent of the folk dancers.
I started here at Summer School when I was 15. My mother danced, but when I was a young teenager, I didn’t want to do any dancing at all! I had a pen friend in Edinburgh and when my mother came to St Andrews, I went to stay with her. I think 1998 was my first year. I had done a bit of dancing before, but my mother insisted I went into the elementary class. For the next three years my mother insisted I stayed in the intermediate class – to get a good grounding in technique.
How many of your branch are here this summer?
Why did Scottish dancing become so popular in Lyon?
Most of them, actually! There are only two branches in France, Paris and Lyon, so we have members from the southern part of the country, and even from Geneva. There are about 30 here at Summer School this year. We meet on Friday evenings with an average attendance of about 24, spread through the different levels. I also teach a children’s class in the school I work in. I am going to start a new class for those who leave primary school. Otherwise, they will just stop dancing.
It was very gradual. I think it was helpful that I was young and was able to attract other young people. We all became friends. I think that the more young people you have, the easier it is for even more to come. We don’t just dance – I organise parties, even holidays together, and have always tried to give them the idea that this is not just a zumba class where you turn up and that is that – this is something else, something more social. Some are more interested in the social aspect than in the
Members from France at Summer School 2015
12
When did you start Scottish country dancing?
www.rscds.org
dancing. They all keep coming because we do fun things. I give them challenges. One of the best is the Newcastle Festival – preparing for it really motivates young people. They like meeting other young dancers from different areas and preparing for a festival definitely improves people’s dancing.
Aren’t there dangers in creating a demonstration group within a relatively small branch? Yes, there are two sides to it. I am very aware of having a group of committed, young, strong dancers who practise outside the branch classes, but I also do my best to make sure we get on very well with everyone else in the branch – that is important. Everybody understands why we do it and they all accept it. I am sure some of my young dancers would have stopped dancing if they did not have the motivation of the demonstration team. I think they like the fact that I am quite a demanding teacher.
You said you didn’t want to dance when you were a teenager. Well, it was more that – like any other teenager – I didn’t want to do what my mother was doing. I wanted my own friends. I used to play volleyball and enjoyed competing. I am a very competitive person. I like winning and to start with I felt that Scottish country dancing couldn’t offer me that.
So, what are your impressions of Summer School now? I don’t know anyone who has not enjoyed it. It’s like a summer camp for adults. In some ways, it is a very peculiar place – as if it is out of time! There could be a war outside, but you wouldn’t know about it! All you think about is having fun, dancing, and meeting new people. I used to be very shy and coming here gave me confidence. Everybody told me how well I was doing,
