It is not every day that we hear the sound of bagpipes in Chennai, but that was what filled the hall as the Scottish Country Dance Society conducted the 44th edition St. Andrew’s Ball at The Madras Club recently. It was an evening of fun, music, dance, and above all, socialising over dinner. Ladies dressed in their gowns laced with Scottish tartans and men in their formal best welcomed the British Deputy High Commissioner, Chennai, Bharat Joshi and his wife Bhakti as the ball got under way.
The Scottish Country Dance Society of Chennai has a long history. In the 1960s, a group of Scottish families who worked for Hindustan Motors enjoyed its evenings with Scottish country dance and supper in Kolkata. Some of the engineers moved to Chennai in 1969 to open the heavy vehicle factory in Thiruvallur. The group, led by founder chieftain Norman Mcleod, set up the Scottish Dance Society in Chennai.
Increasing number In a few years, those from nationalities, including Indians, Britons, Germans, got introduced to the Scottish dance. The first Indian chieftain of the society was Ramesh Lulla. K.K. Vijaykumar, former chieftain who joined the society in the late 70s recalls, “Initially, there were a lot of foreigners compared to Indians. However, over the years, the number of Indians has increased.”
For the next hour, the hall was filled with the tunes of popular bagpiper music, Petronella and Progressive Waltz, among others. Experienced dancers started the dancing, and enthusiastic first-timers joined in. Former chieftain Lakshmi Ramakrishnan guided new dancers on the order of steps and movements. For a first-timer, the country dance may feel a tad complicated as it involves a lot of geometric movements, but one gets into the flow in minutes. Niranjana Jacob, retired Montessori teacher who has been part of the society for the last one year, says, “I enjoyed learning Scottish dance during my school days. When I joined the society, I picked up the movements very soon.”
The members get together every Monday and dance. Lakshmi says, “Our 45-minute dancing session is very focussed. We start with simple sequences and gradually progresses to more advanced levels.” Like the dance itself, the criteria for joining the society is not very complicated. Current chieftain Ramakrishnan says, “One has to have a social standing and should be willing to host the weekly gathering for two days in a year.”
Keeping a tradition alive Jo Frogrook from England, who was a member for 10 years, says, “It is very admirable that the tradition has been carried on for several years. The core group and others have always been committed and consistent about this art form.”
What has kept the society alive for so many years? Vijaykumar says, “We have about 30 families who are currently active. During annual events, we invite like-minded guests and introduce them to the dance. This way we maintain the number of members.”
For details, look up >Scottish Country Dance Society
