Teachers’ Association (Canada) Summer School 2009 by Deirdre MacCuish Bark
The line-up of of teachers and musicians Shawnigan Lake School, Vancouver Island, British Columbia was the location of this year's TAC Summer School organised by Evelyn Nixon and her local committee, who had been working hard over the previous year to organise this week long event. Over 200 dancers came from far afield to attend the school: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the UK and Europe, with the vast majority from North America. The weather was beautiful, although very hot, reaching 38C /100F on at least one afternoon. The New Gym was the only air-conditioned facility, the others depending on fans and the airflow between open doors. Each morning there were five class levels taught expertly by teachers Graham Donald, Bill Zobel, Elaine Brunken , Ruth Jappy and Rebecca Blackhall-Peters. We danced to the music of Muriel Johnstone, Jim Lindsay, Lisa Scott, Mary Ross, Deby Grosjean and Julie Smith. Partway through the week we gathered class by class for photos and a rousing chorus of: Ibuprofen, Ibuprofen Tylenol, Tylenol Aspirin & Advil, Aspirin & Advil Try them all, try them all. courtesy of Elaine Brunken and to the tune of Frere Jacques. Try it to soothe sore feet! In the afternoons, those dancers who did not make straight for the lake to try and cool down had a choice of several elective classes, including Highland, Ladies Step, personal technique, formation clinics, Kiwi favourites, music and fiddle. TAC Sound and TAC Books did good business throughout the week with
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An evening social at the Summer School. both teachers and dancers alike browsing through their wares. There were activities every evening. The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics was the theme for the costume evening. Ruth Jappy led an evening of Old Time Dancing and on the Friday we had a ceilidh night. A choir led by Davina Lindsay, a Gaelic song by a Spaniard, Polish dances in national costume by a group of Japanese dancers and other contributions made up a varied programme. A dance devised by Francis Walduck (Australia) to celebrate Graham Donald's
RSCDS Chairman, Alex Gray, presents Pat Coyle with the Society's Scroll of Honour.
50th birthday was demonstrated to music composed and played by Muriel Johnstone. After every evening dance there was a party open to everyone in the room above the dining hall and of course there were parties in all of the residences going far into the night. TAC takes the social side of SCD very seriously. News of a bear-sighting made most of us cautious about being alone in the grounds at night and if you were too late returning to your residence you had to run the gauntlet of four water sprinklers. On the other hand as it was so hot during the day a cold shower could be quite welcome. Alex Gray (RSCDS Chair) and Ruth Beattie (Chair-Elect) attended the school and held a Regional RSCDS conference over a couple of evenings. They made a presentation, which was followed by questions and a lively discussion. Those of us who live outside the UK are very interested in the direction in which the RSCDS is going. The week culminated with a banquet and Ball on the Saturday evening. Alex Gray presented the RSCDS Scroll of Honour to Pat Coyle, a long-time member of TAC. A piper led the dancers from the Dining Hall to the thankfully air-conditioned New Gym, where our feet flew to the music of Muriel Johnstone and Jim Lindsay. This was a fitting end to a week of fun and friendship in the Spirit of the Dance. On Sunday we said goodbye to old and new friends, many planning to meet again next year at TAC Summer School in Waterloo, Ontario(August 8 to 15 2010). Come and join us there!
