Highland Dance History
HIGHLAND FLING: A war dance that was originally danced upon a shield called a Targe, with a spike in the middle of it. The fling is a stationary dance that shows the talent of the dancer because of the quickness of the dance and the complexity of the steps. It is danced on the ball of the foot, because of the spike. The hands and arms portray the antlers of a deer.
Of all the Highland Dances that are performed at competitions and championships throughout the world, the Highland Fling must surely be the most infamous. It is said to have been inspired by the sight of a stag cavorting around the hillside. All the movements; the arms held aloft like antlers, the feet dancing from side to side, the body turning around, suggest the stag's playing.
SWORD DANCE: The Sword Dance is the ancient dance of war of the Scottish Gael and is said to date back to King Malcolm Canmore (Shakespear’s MacBeth).
Tradition says the original Ghillie Callum was a Celtic prince who was a hero of mortal combat against one of MacBeth's Chiefs at the Battle of Dunsinane in 1054.
He is said to have crossed his own bloody claymore (the two-handed broadsword of Scotland) and crossed it over the bloodier sword of the defeated Chief and danced over them both in exultation.
Another renowned dance, which has its roots in ancient battles. It is reputed to have been created by Malcolm Canmore, King of Scotland. In 1054 he fought a battle near Dunsinane against one of Macbeth’s chiefs. The outcome was success for Malcolm, who placed his own sword and that of his enemy on the ground in the form of a cross and danced in triumph over them. It is also, however, said that the Sword Dance was danced by warriors prior to battle. To land on the swords predicted an untimely end for the dancer!
SEANN TRIUBHAS: Seann Triubhas is a dance of celebration developed in response to the repealing by the English of the Act of Proscription in 1747, which restored to the Scots the right to wear their kilts and play the bagpipes once more.
The first part of the dance comprising of graceful, flowing movements, is supposed to mock the restrictions imposed by the foreign trousers, while the movement of the second part clearly depict the legs defiantly shaking and shedding the hated trousers and returning to the freedom of the kilt. The dance then progresses from slow time to quick time as the final celebration of the rediscovered freedom.
BROADSWORDS: This is of military origins and was commonly taught to those in the Scottish regiments of the army. This dance is usually performed by four dancers around four highland broadswords placed to make a cross with their points in the centre. It is danced first to a slow Strathspey tempo and then speeds up into reel time for the last one or two steps.
REEL OF TULLOCH: The Reel of Tulloch usually follows a Strathspey, which is one of the few dances in which competitors dance with each other (although they are still being marked individually). The dance call also be performed as a dance on its own in which case it is then called the Hullachan (Gaelic for "party"). It is said to have originated in the churchyard of Tulloch Church in Deeside where on a cold winter's Sunday morning, the minister was late for his service. The parishioners tried to keep warm by stamping their feet, clapping their hands and chafing their arms until a rhythm was created.
BLUE BONNETS: This dance shows a young women trying to catch the attention and flirt with a blue bonnet. Blue Bonnet was slang for Scotsmen because they wore blue hats.
VILLAGE MAID: This dance has a ballet look and feel. This is one of four dances where the dancer steps on the flat foot. In the other of Highland and National Dances is done on the ball of the foot.
THE STRATHSPEY AND HIGHLAND REEL: Of all the Highland Dancing events in which the competitors vie, the reels are the closest approach to social dancing. Even these, however, are individual competitions. While the teams consist of four dancers, the judges mark each competitor individually. Legend has it the reel originated with well-wishers waiting for the minister to arrive at the church for a wedding on a cold day. The chilly group danced as a means of keeping warm.
THE IRISH JIG: This dance may seem to be out of place at Scottish Games, but the dance is not only an Irish tradition. The Scottish version, however, is meant to be a parody of an Irish washerwoman in an agitated frame of mind. While the steps are traditional, the arm movements are not. Arm movements are an intrinsic part of Scottish dance, and so the Scots added them to the Irish Jog as a humorous salute to their Celtic brethren across the Irish Sea.
Irish Jig is another energetic dance featuring lots of fist shaking and skirt flouncing among female competitors. It is a parody of Irish dancing and the infamous Irish temper. The story of the dance is as follows: Females dancing the Jig are acting out an angry fit of an Irishwoman who's husband has not made it home from the pub until all hours. Males dancing the Jig act out the happy-go-lucky Irishman facing his wife's tirade. It is the other National dance that has its own costume rather than the standard Highland or National outfits.
THE SAILOR'S HORNPIPE: This dance is common to many parts of the British Isles. It derived its name from the fact that usually the musical accompaniment was played on a hornpipe rather than on bagpipes. Hornpipes were common instruments in those days; they were comparable to our present-day tin whistle. In time the dance became popular among seafaring men and is now associated with sailors. The modern Hornpipe imitates many shipyard activities common in the days of wooden ships and iron men.
SCOTTISH LILT: The Lilt exemplifies National dances, as it is very graceful and heavily influenced by ballet. It is an unusual dance because it has only six beats per measure rather than the standard eight. In competition, this dance is usually done with either four steps, and is rarely danced by the most advanced dancers. The Scottish Lilt has several recognized steps that can be used in competition and exhibition.
FLORA MACDONALD'S FANCY: This is danced in honor of Flora MacDonald, who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to the Isle of Skye.
In 1746, this intrepid young Scotswoman helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to France after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden. Such heroism won her the admiration of the Scottish people who honored her in this dance.
The dance has only six steps. In competition, pre-Premier dancers usually do four steps, while the Premiers must do all six.
WILT THOU GO TO BARRACKS JOHNNY?: This is a recruiting dance. A recruiting officer would go into a village with a dancer as entertainment, or to attract people to his temporary recruiting station. Some say that each regiment had its own dance, but this is the only one widely practiced
HIGHLAND LADDIE: This dance was devised by soldiers in the First World War I and is featured often at dancing competitions. It is always danced to the famous tune of the same name. This dance is also a tribute to the Highland Laddie, Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The Hebridean version of this solo dance is from about 1850-60. The one adopted by the SOBHD is DG MacLennans whose brother emigrated to NZ. He saw a Highland Laddie in South Uist when judging the Askernish Games in about 1925 and later modified it to the version of the dance that is performed today. (From Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust).
SCOTCH MEASURE OR THE TWA SOME: When this is danced solo it is called the Scotch Measure. When it is danced with two people, one dancer taking the male role and one the female role, it is called the Twa Some. It is supposed to depict the Scottish dating ritual.
CAKE WALK: This dance originates in the Southern states of America where domestic servants would gather together in the evenings and amuse themselves by making dances that impersonated their masters' ways! The winner would receive a cake - hence, the Cake Walk! The dance is always performed by two dancers.
EARL OF ERROL: This was originally a dance performed in hard shoes, which was choreographed for the Earl of Errol. Errol is a small town in Aberdeenshire. Although it looks quite easy, it is perhaps one of the hardest National dances to perform well.
HIGHLAND FLING: A war dance that was originally danced upon a shield called a Targe, with a spike in the middle of it. The fling is a stationary dance that shows the talent of the dancer because of the quickness of the dance and the complexity of the steps. It is danced on the ball of the foot, because of the spike. The hands and arms portray the antlers of a deer.
Of all the Highland Dances that are performed at competitions and championships throughout the world, the Highland Fling must surely be the most infamous. It is said to have been inspired by the sight of a stag cavorting around the hillside. All the movements; the arms held aloft like antlers, the feet dancing from side to side, the body turning around, suggest the stag's playing.
SWORD DANCE: The Sword Dance is the ancient dance of war of the Scottish Gael and is said to date back to King Malcolm Canmore (Shakespear’s MacBeth).
Tradition says the original Ghillie Callum was a Celtic prince who was a hero of mortal combat against one of MacBeth's Chiefs at the Battle of Dunsinane in 1054.
He is said to have crossed his own bloody claymore (the two-handed broadsword of Scotland) and crossed it over the bloodier sword of the defeated Chief and danced over them both in exultation.
Another renowned dance, which has its roots in ancient battles. It is reputed to have been created by Malcolm Canmore, King of Scotland. In 1054 he fought a battle near Dunsinane against one of Macbeth’s chiefs. The outcome was success for Malcolm, who placed his own sword and that of his enemy on the ground in the form of a cross and danced in triumph over them. It is also, however, said that the Sword Dance was danced by warriors prior to battle. To land on the swords predicted an untimely end for the dancer!
SEANN TRIUBHAS: Seann Triubhas is a dance of celebration developed in response to the repealing by the English of the Act of Proscription in 1747, which restored to the Scots the right to wear their kilts and play the bagpipes once more.
The first part of the dance comprising of graceful, flowing movements, is supposed to mock the restrictions imposed by the foreign trousers, while the movement of the second part clearly depict the legs defiantly shaking and shedding the hated trousers and returning to the freedom of the kilt. The dance then progresses from slow time to quick time as the final celebration of the rediscovered freedom.
BROADSWORDS: This is of military origins and was commonly taught to those in the Scottish regiments of the army. This dance is usually performed by four dancers around four highland broadswords placed to make a cross with their points in the centre. It is danced first to a slow Strathspey tempo and then speeds up into reel time for the last one or two steps.
REEL OF TULLOCH: The Reel of Tulloch usually follows a Strathspey, which is one of the few dances in which competitors dance with each other (although they are still being marked individually). The dance call also be performed as a dance on its own in which case it is then called the Hullachan (Gaelic for "party"). It is said to have originated in the churchyard of Tulloch Church in Deeside where on a cold winter's Sunday morning, the minister was late for his service. The parishioners tried to keep warm by stamping their feet, clapping their hands and chafing their arms until a rhythm was created.
BLUE BONNETS: This dance shows a young women trying to catch the attention and flirt with a blue bonnet. Blue Bonnet was slang for Scotsmen because they wore blue hats.
VILLAGE MAID: This dance has a ballet look and feel. This is one of four dances where the dancer steps on the flat foot. In the other of Highland and National Dances is done on the ball of the foot.
THE STRATHSPEY AND HIGHLAND REEL: Of all the Highland Dancing events in which the competitors vie, the reels are the closest approach to social dancing. Even these, however, are individual competitions. While the teams consist of four dancers, the judges mark each competitor individually. Legend has it the reel originated with well-wishers waiting for the minister to arrive at the church for a wedding on a cold day. The chilly group danced as a means of keeping warm.
THE IRISH JIG: This dance may seem to be out of place at Scottish Games, but the dance is not only an Irish tradition. The Scottish version, however, is meant to be a parody of an Irish washerwoman in an agitated frame of mind. While the steps are traditional, the arm movements are not. Arm movements are an intrinsic part of Scottish dance, and so the Scots added them to the Irish Jog as a humorous salute to their Celtic brethren across the Irish Sea.
Irish Jig is another energetic dance featuring lots of fist shaking and skirt flouncing among female competitors. It is a parody of Irish dancing and the infamous Irish temper. The story of the dance is as follows: Females dancing the Jig are acting out an angry fit of an Irishwoman who's husband has not made it home from the pub until all hours. Males dancing the Jig act out the happy-go-lucky Irishman facing his wife's tirade. It is the other National dance that has its own costume rather than the standard Highland or National outfits.
THE SAILOR'S HORNPIPE: This dance is common to many parts of the British Isles. It derived its name from the fact that usually the musical accompaniment was played on a hornpipe rather than on bagpipes. Hornpipes were common instruments in those days; they were comparable to our present-day tin whistle. In time the dance became popular among seafaring men and is now associated with sailors. The modern Hornpipe imitates many shipyard activities common in the days of wooden ships and iron men.
SCOTTISH LILT: The Lilt exemplifies National dances, as it is very graceful and heavily influenced by ballet. It is an unusual dance because it has only six beats per measure rather than the standard eight. In competition, this dance is usually done with either four steps, and is rarely danced by the most advanced dancers. The Scottish Lilt has several recognized steps that can be used in competition and exhibition.
FLORA MACDONALD'S FANCY: This is danced in honor of Flora MacDonald, who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to the Isle of Skye.
In 1746, this intrepid young Scotswoman helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to France after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden. Such heroism won her the admiration of the Scottish people who honored her in this dance.
The dance has only six steps. In competition, pre-Premier dancers usually do four steps, while the Premiers must do all six.
WILT THOU GO TO BARRACKS JOHNNY?: This is a recruiting dance. A recruiting officer would go into a village with a dancer as entertainment, or to attract people to his temporary recruiting station. Some say that each regiment had its own dance, but this is the only one widely practiced
HIGHLAND LADDIE: This dance was devised by soldiers in the First World War I and is featured often at dancing competitions. It is always danced to the famous tune of the same name. This dance is also a tribute to the Highland Laddie, Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The Hebridean version of this solo dance is from about 1850-60. The one adopted by the SOBHD is DG MacLennans whose brother emigrated to NZ. He saw a Highland Laddie in South Uist when judging the Askernish Games in about 1925 and later modified it to the version of the dance that is performed today. (From Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust).
SCOTCH MEASURE OR THE TWA SOME: When this is danced solo it is called the Scotch Measure. When it is danced with two people, one dancer taking the male role and one the female role, it is called the Twa Some. It is supposed to depict the Scottish dating ritual.
CAKE WALK: This dance originates in the Southern states of America where domestic servants would gather together in the evenings and amuse themselves by making dances that impersonated their masters' ways! The winner would receive a cake - hence, the Cake Walk! The dance is always performed by two dancers.
EARL OF ERROL: This was originally a dance performed in hard shoes, which was choreographed for the Earl of Errol. Errol is a small town in Aberdeenshire. Although it looks quite easy, it is perhaps one of the hardest National dances to perform well.