I DANCE THEREFORE I AM - a memoir of Scotland, America and dancing

Robin Edward Poulton, MA (Hons) 1969

This is an hilarious book about Scotland and Dancing.

“I DANCE, THEREFORE I AM” challenges René Descartes’ idea “I think, therefore I am.”

Dr Poulton champions the philosophy of the Scottish Enlightenment: it is PASSION and not reason that determines human action. His passion is dancing. He urges his grandchildren to dance, to laugh and love people, and to promote a philosophy of life that delivers “the greatest happiness of the greatest number.”

This book written for grand children (his and everyone’s grand kids) is filled with wit and humor, limericks and poems, interspersing dances with personal and family stories, jokes and home-spun lessons from life – enlivened with beautiful word pictures of Scotland, of kilts and of haggis. Dr Robin Edward Poulton had two Scottish grandparents and two dancing parents. After graduating from St Andrews University, he went on to study rural economics and development anthropology at Balliol College, Oxford and Paris (France).

Following an overseas career in humanitarian and peace work, Dr Poulton now divides his time between dancing and teaching in Richmond, Virginia, or dancing and writing in Brittany where his wife and children were born. Robin is passionate about Scotland and St Andrews – the most beautiful city in the world – and about Scotland’s dancing heritage.

He is a proud Life Member of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS), one of the world’s great international friendship networks. He is also passionate about beautiful, intelligent women and promoting equal opportunities for women’s education and careers. Each chapter of this book recognizes one or more brilliant women and their gifts to dancing.

The two chapters on the Younger Hall in the 1960s and 1990s are unbelievably funny. His book visits many types of dance (American Contra, English, German, French, Flamenco, Waltzing, Renaissance ….) but focuses especially on Scottish Country Dancing and on the cultural importance of dancing for mental, physical and spiritual health. He explains to his grand children why every child should learn some form of dance.

The final message of this entertaining book is : I dance, therefore I am …. fit and healthy at the age of 70 : which is a valuable message for everyone, and inspires his BLOG : https://dancefitandhealthyat70.blogspot.com/ 

ISBN: 9781729316009