50th Anniversary Workshop and Ball

General Information

The RSCDS San Diego Branch 50th Anniversary Weekend and Ball is on Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30, 2025!

  • Workshop Sessions are Saturday afternoon.
  • Brunch is at 11:00am Sunday, with the Ball starting at 2:00pm.
  • Workshops led by Linda Henderson.
  • Music by Terpsichore (Elke Baker, Ralph Gordon, Liz Donaldson).
  • Update 11/7/2024: Caroline McCaskey will join Terpsichore for our Sunday Ball!

Registration Information

Registration is online through our Registration Page. Once submitted, you will be emailed a confirmation and invoice, generally within a week (OK, we may be out-of-town for the holidays!) Payment is through check, PayPal or Venmo. Payment information and additional event details will be included in the confirmation email.

You may register up to two people at a time. Submit additional forms to add more people.

Registration deadline is March 15, 2025.

Pricing

Pricing for the event is as follows. Note: There is a 20% discount for individuals 35 and under!

  • Saturday only: Workshop – $40
  • Sunday only: Brunch and Ball – $100
  • Both days: Workshop, Brunch and Ball – $130
  • Sunday only: Brunch and Spectator at Ball – $75

Hotel and Area Information

The events will be held on Historic Point Loma, San Diego. Being a huge tourist destination, there are many hotels around San Diego, with several in the Point Loma area. Note that the event is being held near Liberty Station, which has many shops, restaurants and activities.

We have reserved a block of discounted rooms at the Homewood Suites on Point Loma. Group registration information for the hotel will be provided in the registration invoice we email to you upon your completed event registration. We will have a hospitality suite here on Saturday, if you'd like to join us.

Workshop Information

Our Workshop Sessions will be held on Saturday afternoon, with two levels:

  • Advanced Class (1:00 to 3:00pm - 2 hours) - This class aims to expand the repertoire of advanced formations and dances while polishing individual technique with emphasis on teamwork, phrasing, and covering.
  • Intermediate Class (4:00 to 5:30pm - 1.5 hours) - This class aims to enhance the dancer’s appreciation of the social aspects of SCD with a concentration on improving the basic steps and formations as well as learning and improving the intermediate steps and formations.

Class sizes are limited. We may request that some dancers move to a different session to balance attendance.

Workshop Sessions are designed for individuals with a year or more Scottish Country Dance experience.

Workshop Location

The Dancehouse is located at 2180 Chatsworth Blvd, San Diego, CA 92107. This is about 1.5 miles from the Homewood Suites on Point Loma. Parking is limited and geography makes this a challenging walk. Carpool, taxi and rideshare options should be considered.

Workshops led by Linda Henderson

Linda Henderson in East LothianOriginally from North Berwick, near Edinburgh, Linda now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She began Country Dancing at Primary School, and she is also a former competitive Highland dancer. Linda is married, has 3 grown-up children and works part-time in Elementary School.

Linda has taught all levels of dancing in the San Francisco Branch, and workshops in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. She is also an experienced ceilidh caller.

Linda grew up in a musical household; her dad plays accordion, and she played piano in his band. It gives Linda great pleasure to share the joys of Scottish dancing, its history and its music with dancers all over the world.

Brunch and Ball Information

The Brunch and Ball will be held at the beautiful Portuguese Hall on Point Loma (about 2 miles from the hotel - 2818 Avenida De Portugal, San Diego, CA 92106). It is part of the United Portuguese S.E.S of San Diego facility.

  • Brunch starts at 11:00am.
  • The Ball starts at 2:00pm.

The Ball program is listed below. Detailed information on the dances, such as videos, diagrams, cribs, are available at the Strathspey Server - 50th Anniversary Program Page. (The Strathspey Server program number is 52458.)

Ball Program

50th Anniversary Ball Program

Complete program information is at the Strathspey Server - 50th Anniversary Program Page. (The Strathspey Server program number is 52458.)

Music by Terpsichore

Terpsichore Band MembersTerpsichore is Elke Baker, Ralph Gordon, Liz Donaldson. Fiddler Elke Baker, pianist Liz Donaldson, and bassist Ralph Gordon have played together as Terpsichore since 1992. Named for the Greek muse of Dance, Terpsichore has performed for enthusiastic listeners and dancers all over the U.S. and abroad. Their recording Terpsichore: Scottish Dance Music was one of the first SCD recordings issued on CD and is a mainstay of many SCD teachers' collections. In addition to being a premier SCD band, Terpsichore also plays regularly for English, contra, and other dances and concerts.

Update 11/7/2024: We are delighted to announce that Caroline McCaskey will join Terpsichore for our Sunday Ball! Caroline has fiddled for dances since she was a teen; she now plays with String Fire, Tartan Suite and Reel of Seven. Winner of the U.S. Scottish Fiddle competition and the International Musical Saw contest (twice), she is also a popular teacher, and author of the AltStrings Fiddle Method. Caroline also performed with Andy Imbrie on our Salute to San Diego Music CD.