There are certain events in the Exeter calendar which you know not to miss. When Itchy Feet comes rolling into town you snap up a ticket, you get naked in midwinter, every midwinter, for SSB and you’re signed up for the Ski trip months before the booking goes live. If you’re recalling your drunk self at all of these events at various stages in your Exeter career, you need to be adding the Exeter Caledonian Ball to your calendar.
Described as a social dance involving groups of couples dancing particular patterns of choreography, Reeling is Scottish country dancing. “I’m not Scottish” and “I don’t know the dances” are the main reasons given for not buying a ticket. But being neither Scottish, nor having a clue what I would be doing, I’m the best person to trust that you should stop finding excuses, buy a ticket and dress up in black tie and tartan for a top night.
Handed a dance card on arrival to fill with the names of your partner for each dance, it’s impossible to describe what you do in those dances until you’re there doing them. As the Caledonian Society had run a couple of practices to explain the basic moves of the dances, some people were more clued in than others as to what steps to do when. Obviously the Scots down South knew the dances perfectly. But as with Itchy Feet, once you have the basic “spin round”, “step here”, “clap” motions understood you’re good to go and as the live band ran through how the dance went, it was easy to pick up the dance moves.
Friends who Reel regularly in Scotland know the proper events there are taken seriously; you need to know what you’re doing and you can’t put a step wrong. We do things differently in Exeter. The Caledonian Ball is meant to be a laugh, spinning around a lot to a live band playing Scottish music. Imagine Itchy Feet but with particular dance moves you’re supposed to do to the music. Not everyone can do them to start but by about halfway through the steps make sense and being swung round faster than you would be on a bucking Bronco doesn’t make you feel ill anymore. Reeling is like that but with Highland music and smatterings of Scottish friends who actually know the dance moves, it’s easier to pick up and more fun when everyone has.
With time in between each dance to recover and help yourself to the open bar, the Cal Soc Ball is potentially one of the best nights in Exeter. Even if you don’t love dancing, it provides a necessary opportunity to you girls to dress up and do your hair, check out boys in kilts when they’re not spinning you round on repeat, and help tartan make a comeback. If you’re still in doubt about whether to go to the summer ball, look up the videos on YouTube. Strip the Willow should change your mind.
Photocredits: bbc.co.uk