December 30, 2021
Happy New Year! We are working with Appalachian State, and at this time we are planning to hold the Blue Ridge Scottish Dance School from July 3-10, 2022. However, as I write this the Omicron variant is in all the news and the pandemic is not over. We encourage all of you to follow your trusted news and medical advisors and take precautions to stay safe, healthy, and to do all you can to help our medical and science community fight the pandemic. The Blue Ridge Scottish Dance School will continue to follow all NIH, CDC, and local and national requirements on addressing the Coronavirus Pandemic as we proceed with our plans.
A lot has happened on the campus of Appalachian State University in the past couple of years. Three brand new dorms have opened that will be used exclusively for summer camps and conferences. One of the three, we don’t know which one yet, will be for adults only. All of them are set up in a suite style with two bedrooms sharing one bath. There may be a few single rooms as well.
The University sent me a link to a virtual tour of these residence halls. The apartment style rooms are not available for summer.
Laurel Creek Hall Laurel Creek Hall (appstate.edu)
Raven Rocks Raven Rocks Hall (appstate.edu)
Thunder Hill Thunder Hill Hall (appstate.edu)
Perhaps even more exciting is the brand new North End Zone facility at the Kidd Brewer Stadium. We are hopeful to dance on its gorgeous Grandview Ballroom overlooking the football stadium. Kidd Brewer Stadium — North End Zone | Building Physical Infrastructure | Appalachian's Future (appstate.edu) One of our dancers in Boone was able to tour this fantastic space and we are now negotiating with the university to reserve the space for our week of morning classes and night dances.
If you’ve visited our website - blueridgescd.org or our social media pages you’ve seen our musicians are lined up. We will welcome Terry Traub on accordion, Liz Donaldson on keyboard, and Mara Shea on fiddle. The talent of these three musicians is enormous and I cannot wait to dance to their arrangements to some of our favorite reels, jigs, and strathspeys.
We will welcome Linda Henderson and William Williamson as our teachers. Two of the best Scottish Country Dance teachers promise to provide us with instruction that is both professional and fun. We will all become better dancers under their tutelage.
Please save the dates and plan to attend BRSDS for our third attempt at our inaugural school! We will hold a welcome dance on Sunday July 3. Our regular schedule of morning classes and evening dancing will begin Monday morning and end Friday after the ball, taking Thursday afternoon and evening off for an opportunity to attend the calling of the clans at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, enjoy some of the dining and shopping in Boone, or to just relax on campus. Many dancers will want to stay for the weekend as the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games will be in full swing. We have further dancing opportunities on the platform at the games on Saturday or you may sightsee in and around Boone. Check out will be Sunday morning on July 10. At this time, we do not know what tuition will be, but trust that we are working hard to keep the cost affordable.
There are a couple of ways financially that you can help. Donate to Blue Ridge Scottish Dance School’s general fund to help defray some of the costs of running the camp or donate to the Elizabeth and Duard Barnes Scholarship Fund established to aid dancers wishing to attend BRSDS. Any amount $5, $25, $50 or more would be so helpful and very much appreciated. You can easily donate on our website or by mailing your donation to BRSDS, P. O. Box 1941, Marietta, GA 30061-1941. Blue Ridge Scottish Dance School, Inc. is a 501c3 tax exempt nonprofit so your gift will be tax deductible.
I wish everyone a blessed, prosperous new year, but I especially wish to see you on the dancing floor in 2022!
Susan Tumlin
Interim President
Blue Ridge Scottish Dance School, Inc.