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John Bkila Editor jbkila@oakvillebeaver.com Celebrating 60 years by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff Artscene 21 | Friday, May 27, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" Strong friendships at core of Oakville Scottish Country Dance Group Couples interested in Scottish country dancing were invited to join regular sessions held in the couple's recreation room. Eventually, the Oakville Scottish Country Dance Group was formed and affiliated itself directly with the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society in Scotland. Early meetings of the group were held in Victoria Hall at the site of the current Oakville Curling Club parking lot, as well as at various church halls, YMCAs and schools in town until eventually finding its current home at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre. It's no small feat for a dance group to reach its 60th anniversary. For the Oakville Scottish Country Dance Group, teacher Anne Harrison says it has very much to do with the strong friendships and bonds that are formed. "There's a strong sense of camaraderie.... We did a little survey with some of our past members and the thing that comes over so strong is it's the friendship and the fun that they had dancing with the group," said Harrison, who has been a with the local dance troupe since 1970. "It's a very sociable group, people tend to do things outside of the dancing... it seems to be that comes out strong, is that they enjoy the fellowship." To renew some of those friendships, the Oakville Scottish dance group is putting on an afternoon Dance and Tea at the Sir John Colborne Recreation Centre for Seniors Saturday (May 28) for its current and past members. "Quite often, a lot of groups will celebrate an anniversary with a formal ball, we chose not to do that because it's a little exclusive, you're only going to get the dancers," explained Harrison. "But this group was built upon other people who are still around, who, mainly for health reasons, cannot dance anymore, so we wanted to be able to involve those people too. "We're up to 30 of past members who are no longer dancing who will be there," she continued. A chance to reconnect Harrison said while the afternoon event will be a celebration of the dance troupe, it will also be an opportunity for dancers to reconnect. "A lot of the people are going to come and renew friendships. When you get to be in your 80s and 90s, your circle of friends dwindles. I know some people who are very excited that they will meet some of their friends from the past," Harrison said, noting there will be dancers coming in from Wasaga Beach, Bracebridge and Brantford. The Oakville Scottish Country Dance Group has certainly grown from its original 10-12 members, enjoying at one point a peak of 90 dancers -- it now has around 60 members. "It's feels pretty exciting," Harrison said of celebrating the group's 60th anniversary this year. On March 24, 1955, a notice appeared in The Oakville Trafalgar Journal from recently arrived immigrants John and Sheila White. It feels pretty exciting (to celebrate 60 years)... We did a little survey with some of our past members and the thing that comes over so strong is it's the friendship and fun that they had dancing with the group. Oakville Scottish Country Dance Group teacher Anne Harrison While there have been many changes to the group over its 60-year span, Harrison said one of the biggest has been the backgrounds of its members. Originally with the majority of members coming from a Scottish-immigrant culture, over the years, there has been a strong nonScottish contingent, said Harrison. Currently, there are dancers from Iceland, Finland, Denmark and Sweden, while in its existence, the group has seen dancers from China, Japan, South Africa, France, Germany, Holland, India, Jamaica and Australia -- in addition to French- and English-speaking Canadians. "I think people hear the music and like it first and foremost," Harrison said of why the group has become so popular in attracting new members. "The thing about it is it's a little bit more structured than other forms of dancing. We have certain steps you have to do and there are ways of phrasing the dancing and making it look controlled and disciplined," she continued. "It definitely attracts a lot of people who have a desire to do something precisely." Harrison said the Oakville Scottish Country At top, Sheila and Tom Miller (forming the arch with their hands up) Dance Group is always on the lookout for new and Anne and Neil Harrison (coming through the arch) -- members of the Oakville Scottish Country Dance Group (also seen above) members and anyone interested in joining are -- take in a practice at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and invited to contact her by email at aharrison11@ Cultural Centre. The group is celebrating its 60th anniversary this cogeco.ca. year. | photos by Riziero Vertolli ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on To learn more about the local dance troupe, Twitter @halton_photog) visit www.oscdg.ca. Two Award-Winning Comedies! twojuliets.com XOXO: THE RELATIONSHIP SHOW & LAUGH WITH LEILA laughwithleila.com "Hilarious! Must See!" June 4 | 7:30pm June 5 | 2:00 & 7:30pm $25 To order tickets visit > the-west.ca