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Scottish Country dancing in Dauphiné, France "Le Chardon du Dauphiné" came into existence in in 1977 thanks to Elizabeth Monfort who had caught the bug on visits to Scotland. Due to ill health, she was unable to maintain the activity, but I was invited to give weekend schools in Grenoble from time to time to help keep the flame alive, and some of the local dancers traveled to Valence, Geneva or St Andrews to stay in touch. For these reasons, when I finally came to live in Grenoble, there was a kernel of enthusiasts ready and waiting for Scottish country dancing to take off again as a regular activity, and the groups, dances, and ceilidhs soon began to multiply. Classes were run under the aegis of gymnastics clubs or town councils, and the members were affiliated with the RSCDS under the name "Club de Danse Ecossaise de Grenoble." When we acquired our own dance hall, however, the group became totally independent and could meet whenever we felt like it. With Elizabeth's blessing, we adopted the old name "Le Chardon du Dauphiné" , which is now an officially registered association. The thistle, or "chardon", symbol of Scotland, is now firmly planted in the southeastern region of France, known as "le Dauphiné" (once the fief of the eldest son of the royal family). As St André is patron saint of Grenoble and Scotland, we named the hall St Andrews Hall (salle St André), and enjoyed many good evenings and days of dancing (and eating!)
Scottish country dancing is not our only activity. The haggis holds our attention from time to time.
to contact le Chardon : <chardon_du_dauphine@yahoo.fr >
To contact me, mail to:
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(freedom from fear & superstition)
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Mise a jour le 5 – 08 - 09 |
