History

 

The Reid Scottish Dancers were founded in 1952 by Mrs S L Reid who came to live in Welwyn Garden City from Scotland.

 

She started teaching pupils in her home, but very soon the numbers grew and she moved the classes to halls in the Town.  At that time there were many Scots living in Welwyn Garden City, ‘The White Heather Club” was a popular television programme and she was inundated with people wanting to learn Highland and Scottish Country Dancing.

 

The dancers started entering competitions and were very successful, winning many medals and trophies.  The School was soon in demand to show off their talents and as the years passed the most amazing opportunities were within reach of the dancers

 

Dancing at Home

Dancers from the School entertained at local schools and functions, and they also performed cabarets in top venues in London and around the country including the Royal Albert Hall.

 

Dancing Abroad

The dancers’ first trips abroad were in 1964 and 1966 when they travelled to Sweden to perform in the numerous parks and open air theatres in and around Stockholm.  When Mrs Reid’s daughter, Patricia became an adult dancer she was invited to join other dancers and musicians to perform professionally.  She travelled all over the world and her contacts provided the opportunity for other senior members of the School to become involved.  Engagements followed not only all over Europe, but to Japan on several occasions, USA (Knoxville World Fair, Dallas, Forth Worth), South America (Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela), and Mexico.

 

And on Television

The Reid Scottish Dancers have made many TV appearances, on The Disney Channel, ‘The Generation Game’, QVC.  They took part in the World Show Jumping Championships at Olympia and ‘All the Queen’s Horses’ which was filmed for TV in Windsor Great Park.  They even met the Queen on one occasion when they were forming a guard of honour and she stopped and spoke to the dancers!  Their most recent TV appearance was on this year’s Alan Titchmarsh Christmas Show – see our News page!  

REID SCOTTISH DANCERS