Grand Ball 2021

Join the RSCDS Twin Cities Branch for a fête champêtre to celebrate spring, the arrival of vaccines, and (we hope) the imminent return to dancing together in person! The 2021 Annual Grand Ball will be held virtually on April 17th, 2021 and will feature music for dancing and listening by Waverley Station (David Knight, fiddle and Liz Donaldson, piano).

Schedule

6:30pm Virtual Doors Open for cock/mocktails and socializing

7:00pm Grand march and dancing

8:00pm Games, music, silent auction winners

9:00pm Auld Lang Syne

It’s a garden party, so as Andi says, wear a hat! There will be prizes for the best.

Registration

Please register online to receive the Zoom link. Register any time up to the day of the ball, but all U.S.-based* participants who register by April 1 will receive a special delivery of ball swag! There will be no fee, but donations and/or the branch are requested.

*We can’t promise delivery of swag outside the U.S. but will do our best.

Program

No. Name Type Shape Publication
1 Fete Champetre J32 3/4L Thompson (18C): Whetherly 24
2 The Trysting Place S32 2/4L Boyd: RSCDS XXXV
3 The Reel of the 51st Division R32 3/4L Atkinson: RSCDS XIII
4 Zsófi's Delight J32 3/4L Queen
5 Come And Dance With Me S32 2/4L Ligtmans: Thistle Club
6 General Stuart's Reel R32 3/4L Castle Menzies (18C): RSCDS X
Strathspey SCD Database Cribs Diagrams

Silent Auction

Thank you for supporting the branch via our silent auction!

About the Band

David Knight

David Knight has been instigating dance up and down the East Coast of the United States and beyond since 1991, primarily fiddling in the Scottish, American, and English dance traditions. He also has been known to compose, perform, and record. He has been featured on four recordings — Thistle House Live! (2013), Ellen Gozion: Awake, Awake (2004), More Memories of Scottish Weekend (2003), and Waverley Station: First Stop! (2003). He has produced two collections of his original tunes — Fleeting (2000) and The Art Of… (2003) — both featuring waltzes, jigs, marches, airs, reels, and Strathspeys. In addition playing with Waverley Station for English, Scottish, and contra Dancing, David also plays with Callithump! (Glyn Collinson, guitar and voice); Andrew Marcus, accordion); Green Light Karma (Andrew Marcus, accordion; Dave Wiesler, guitar and piano); The Evil Twins (Laurie Fisher on piano, drums, and fiddle); and Thistle House (Dan Emery, flute and pipes; Dave Wiesler, piano). David has placed in regional Scottish fiddle performance and composition competitions, qualifying him to compete at the US National Scottish Fiddling Championships in 1997. In 1998, he composed and performed the score for the American premier of David Harrower’s Knives in Hens, produced by Quantum Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and selected as the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s 1998 Play of the Year. A native of South Carolina, David lives in the District of Columbia with his partner Sebastien Courret and their dog Electra. While not fiddling, he is frequently found working at the Internal Revenue Service.

Liz Donaldson

Liz Donaldson plays piano and accordion. She is known for her innovative back-up style incorporating exciting rhythms, textures, and harmony lines in her music. In addition to playing for Scottish, English and American contra dances, Liz teaches all these styles, and dances, too! She is a member of Terpsichore, Waverley Station, and The New Hip Trio. Her recordings include: A Dancer’s Best Friend (recently released), Caledonian Muse, Terpsichore, Waverley Station: First Stop!, Memories of Scottish Weekend (1998) and More Memories of Scottish Weekend (’02), as well as English Echoes: English Country Dance Favorites (2006) and now English Echoes II: More English Country Dance Favorites (2018). Liz also has compiled two books of Scottish tune medleys. She has taught and played at numerous dance weekends and led music workshops including at Scottish Weekend, Pinewoods, and Asilomar, and has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Liz is a 2017 recipient of the Royal Scottish Country Dance’s Scroll of Honor for her contributions to the dance and music of Scotland.

Past Grand Balls