Ceilidh Caller

I am an experienced ceilidh & folk dance caller and an Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) qualified Scottish Country Dance Teacher who can provide friendly, fun calling for all levels of dancers to make your dance event go with a swing!

ceilidh dancers

 

About Me


nicola scott, ceilidh caller Scottish Country Dancing has been part of my life since university. Since then I have been hooked and have become deeply involved in the folk dance scene in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

I have called at local folk dance clubs where the dancers enjoy my unique mix of Scottish, English and contra dances, as well as fun ceilidhs for birthdays, wedding and other celebrations.

I teach a weekly Scottish Country Dancing beginners class in Kings Heath in Birmingham, where dancers have the opportunity to improve their technique and learn some more challenging formations.

I have also written some Scottish dances, two of which have been published by the RSCDS (Royal Scottish Country Dance Society) in Book 50 (2016) and Book 52 (2018).

 

What is a Ceilidh?


ceilidh

Ceilidh

It's a fun, active way to spend an evening, dancing and socialising!

In every dance, you have a partner (you can choose someone new for each dance!) and are in a set with at least 4 or 6 other people – You can't get much more sociable than that!

highland

Not Highland Dancing

It's not quite such hard work as highland dancing - we have some steps to get the hang of, but it's more social than technical or competitive.

Contrary to expectations, we don't often dance to bagpipes (thankfully!) – music is usually provided by accordion and fiddle.

fun

But Fun!

The dances I select for each event are specially chosen to be right for the people there on the night – whether straightforward crowd-pleasing dances for a birthday party or more intricate, challenging dances for experienced folk dancers. For me, the key criteria is that the dances are always fun!

Music


ceilidh musicians

I have a large collection of Scottish, Contra and Ceilidh music and my own sound system that I can bring along to events and folk clubs.

But it’s much nicer to have live music – it really adds to the atmosphere!

I have worked with many different local musicians and bands. I can help you to find the right music for your event – live music really adds to the atmosphere.

I am lucky to have shared a stage with many talented musicians. Bands and musicians I have worked with include: John Dudley, Stradivarious, Meg Winters, Cole Valley Ceilidh Band, Brian McMinn, Chris and Julie Dewhurst, Narrow Escape, Cat’s Whiskers, Mad Moll, The Falconers, Nozzy, Vertical Expression, Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer, the Burdock Ceilidh Band, The Ceilidh Band, Phill Jones, Ian Robertson, Iain Carmichael, WillPower, Dampiers Round.

Please do be aware that some musicians have bookings more than a year in advance so to avoid disappointment, please get in touch early.

 

Future Gigs


  • Bentley Village Community Barn Dance with Meg, Mike & Bill playing (12 October 2024)
  • Avoncroft Folk Dance Club (24 October 2024)
  • Ruff Ceilidh - CONTRA - with Will Allen and Gareth Kiddier (26 October 2024)
  • Sytchampton Folk Dance Club (30 October 2024)
  • Private event (2 November 2024)
  • UoB CathSoc ceilidh (10 November 2024)
  • Witcombe Folk Dance Club (13 November 2024)
  • Private event (23 November 2024)
  • Cannock Folk Dance Club with John Dudley (7 December 2024)
  • Christmas Ceilidh at The Locker, Walsall (21 December 2024)
  • Private event (11 January 2025)
  • Private event (18 January 2025)
  • Private event (1 February 2025)
  • Sytchampton Saturday Dance (22 March 2025)
  • Alcester Contra (4 April 2025)
  • May Heydays (May Day Bank Holiday weekend 2025)
  • Avoncroft Dance (17 May 2025)
  • Private event (31 May 2025)
  • White Horse Festival (16 August 2025)
  • London Barn Dance with Contrasaurus (13 December 2025)
  • Ashford contra (14 December 2025)
  • Solihull Second Saturday Dance (11 April 2026)
  • Bromyard dance (May 2026)

 

Previous events

Here are a few examples of my recent gigs:

  • Ceilidhs and barn dances for birthdays, hen parties, fundraisers and just for fun!  Across the West Midlands and sometimes in Wales!
  • Contra dances and workshops - at clubs and festivals across the UK, including Alcester contra, Ashford contra and Edinburgh contra.
  • Burns Night Suppers across the West Midlands with traditional Scottish Ceilidh Dancing to help the haggis down!
  • Local folk dance clubs including Sytchampton, Friday Folk, Avoncroft, Friendly Folk, Rubery where I call a mixture of Scottish, English and Contra dances, both to live music and recorded music.
  • Workshops at folk festivals including Chippenham Folk Festival, Eastbourne International Folk Festival, Lichfield Folk Festival, May Heydays, Whitby Folk Week and Great Alne Long Weekend.
  • RSCDS Scottish dance workshops, where I take a more in-depth look at Scottish Country Dance technique and formations, including the RSCDS Birmingham Annual Workshop, RSCDS Bristol Residential weekend in 2018 and 2020, Glaramara Scottish Dance holiday in 2022 and 2023, RSCDS Cornwall weekend in 2022 and Weymouth Scottish Dance Weekend in 2023.
  • Relaxed, gentle dancing for all ages, including seated dances, as in a recent session in Kings Heath.
  • New Year’s Eve parties at black tie events at Pembroke College in Cambridge, with ceilidh dancing up until midnight (and beyond!)
  • Scottish Country Dance classes around the West Midlands, where I teach dances, formations and steps, including Stourbridge Scottish Country Dance Club, Knowle Scottish Dance Club and the RSCDS Birmingham beginners and general classes.

 

Testimonials