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About Highland Dance
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The Highland Dances, the Highland Fling, Gillie Callum (Sword Dance, the Seann Truibhas (Gaelic for "old trousers") and the Strathspey and Reel are the oldest dances. The beginnings of the Fling and Sword Dance date back into the 12th and 13th centuries.
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 Postcard I received from a friend in Scotland. Mr. Beasley is extremely funny and has several illustrated books about life in Scotland.
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The Highland Fling is sybolic of Scotland. Not just militarily, but in the way of life of the Highlands. The position of the hands (in almost all dances) is intended to represent the Red Stag (male deer) of Scotland, the national mammal, if you will. The dancer places his or her thumbnail in the first joint of the middle finger and stretches out the fingers with arms raised in a graceful position over the head.
There are over 10 recognized steps and alternate steps to the Fling alone. Many of the steps show things such as the antics of the Stag as he does his deer things in the forest, the Scot's love of freedom in the kilt, preparing for war and the like. The Shedding, which is a basic movement in many steps, not just in the Fling,is one that shows the deer playing the field, as it were...
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 This is a friend of mine, Krista, from Kansas City, doing "High Cuts" in the Sword Dance at a competition in September 1996.
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Gillie Callum 'Calum's Boy' or The Sword Dance in its more modern form is said to have first been danced by Malcom Canmore in 1054 (by some accounts 1057) after he defeated one of MacBeth's chief's. He placed his sword over the defeated cheif's sword and danced around and through the swords. Traditionally, this dance was performed on the eve of a battle. If the dancer was able to execute the dance without touching the swords (or cutting anything off - remember these were swords going into battle the next day - they were sharp!), victory was predicted. If not, well... you get the idea.
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 This is me and a friend, Warring, at the Texas Scottish Festival in June 1997. This is the second step of the Seann Truibhas.
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The Seann Truibhas (pronounced sheen tr-oos) is a dance of celebration. The wearing of any tartan, and particularly kilts, had been forbidden in 1746 after the Battle of Culloden. Some 20 years later, King George made an appearance in Edinburgh wearing a kilt (and pink tights! He thought this would make the Scots accept him better!) and so had to repeal the proscription. The Seann Truibhas has two tempos. The slower, beginning tempo shows how the Scots feel in the tight English trousers and the movements of kicking off the trousers (the second step shown in the photo above). The second, faster tempo shows the freedom the Scots feel once back in their kilts.
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 This is part of a piece of Scottish wrapping paper. The bunnies just happen to be doing the Strathspey and Reel!
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The Strathspey and Highland Reel (other variants include the Hullachan, Reel of Tulloch, and Half Tulloch) is said to have been "invented" by parishoners waiting to get into church on cold, Scottish mornings. This dance is unlike the other three in that it is not a solo dance. The Strathspey and Reel requires four dancers. This dance is closest to a modern Country Dance of any of the other dances.
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The second type of solo dances are the National Dances. These include the Scottish Lilt, Flora MacDonald's Fancy, Highland Laddie, Wilt Thou Go To The Barracks Johnny, The Irish Jig (Scottish style!), The Twa'Some (if danced as a couple, the Scotch Measure, if danced solo), the Sailor's Hornpipe and some 45 other recognised National Dances. These dances are characterised by the more graceful and feminine movements.
With the exception of the Highland Laddie, Irish Jig, and Hornpipe, National dances are danced in the Aboyne Dress.
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 This is me and a friend, Meredith, at the MacPherson, KS Highland Games in Semptember 1997. This photo shows the two acceptable Aboyne dresses.
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This is a tartan skirt and plaid with white blouse and petticoat and velvet bodice (there is an alternative which is a white dress over a petticoat with a tartan sash). In the late 40's/early 50's, the Aboyne Highland Games Comittee had noticed how the women competitors had "gotten out of hand". They were wearing bonnets and sporrans and many of the medals. Consequesntly, the Aboyne Council decreed that no female dancer would compete in kilt and jacket. Women would dance in the Aboyne Costume, men in kilts.
This decision held true for just a few years, then the SOBHD decided that the kilt would be worn for the Highland Dances only, with no sporran or bonnet for the ladies, and the Aboyne for all National Dances. Although, at the Highland Games in Aboyne, to this day, all women are only allowed to wear the Aboyne Costume.
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 This is me dancing the Scottish Lilt at the Houston Highland Games in May 1997.
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One of the most popular (at least in the South) and beautiful National dances is the Scottish Lilt. The dance is very flowing and graceful. Intended to be the best qualities of a Scottish Female??? It is a very flirtatious little dance - a faviourite of husbands and boyfriends alike. While being more graceful in appearance, these dances still require all the control and technique of the more athletic Highland Dances.
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 Prince Charlie bids Farewell to Flora - this is from the painting by S. Joy. It can be found on Walker's Shorbread tins all over the world.
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Probably the most "romantic" and feminine of all the National dances is Flora MacDonald's Fancy. It commemorates Flora's bravery in helping the defeated Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to France. It is said she dressed him as her maid and left almost right under the English noses!
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 This is a portrait of Flora from the Scottish National Portrait Gallery painted by Allan Ramsey. In this painting she is wearing the MacDonald of Sleat tartan, probably because this is where her husband was from.
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What many people don't know about Flora MacDonald's efforts is that she was later imprisoned in the Tower of London for these deeds. After she was released, she returned home to Skye. She married Allan MacDonald of Kinsburgh. They emigrated to the British Colonies of America in 1774. They settled in North Carolina, but their peace didn't last as they were caught up in the American War of Independence. Allan was inprisoned for the last 18 months of the War. After the War, Allan and Flora returned to England, via New York and Halifax. They finally returned to Flora's beloved Skye where she passed away in 1790.
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 This is going to be a picture of someone doing the Jig - I just haven't found a good one yet.
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The Irish Jig may seem to be a bit of an oxymoron on a Scottish Dance page, but it is actually a light-hearted salute to our Irish cousins. One version tells that an Irish wife is scolding her drunk/disorderly/lazy husband for being a drunk slob who never helps her out around the house. Another version tells of a Scottish Washerwoman who is attacking Poor Irish Paddy who has complained that she shrunk his trousers. How dare he question her abilites??? And we all know how Scots feel about trousers!
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 This is going to be a picture of me doing the Barracks Johnny at the Harlingen Burns Supper in January 1998 (as soon as it happens and I can get my film developed!)
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Wilt Thou Go To The Barracks Johnny? was a recruiting dance for the Scottish Regiments of the British Army. The recruiters Would take a lass along to perform and thus entice the young lads into enlisting. I guess it was something like,"ye' ken what's waitin' for ye, if ye join up?..." At any rate, the dance uses a step which, at the time was a popular dance hall step, so you can figure what they were really trying to pull!
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The Sailor's Hornpipe is a nautically-themed dance referring back to the days of the Old Navy. The steps describe various activities on board one of the old sailing ships. These included carrying the duffle, lookout, rowing ashore, and hauling in the anchor. It is an extremely attractive dance and fun to watch!
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History of the SOBHD
The Scottish Official Board of Highland Dance was formed in 1950 to standardize the steps and set rules governing competition. The sport ahd grown so much that the old, traditional steps were disappearing. Something had to be done before they were lost. Today, there are strict guidelines about the levels of achievement, teachers' levels, and judges levels. There are exams on every step of the way. Only certified instructors are allowed to teach. There is a comittee devoted strictly to maintaining the Highland dance style, so that dancers don't become to athletic or balletic. Highland dance has a style all to its own, that is both athletic and graceful.
In competition, there are four levels:
- Beginner, until the dancer has placed 1,2,or 3 in 6 separate competitions
- Novice, until the dancer has placed 1,2,or 3 in and additional 6 separate competitions
- Intermediate, one calendar year from the date of the last Novice competition
- Premier,upon completion of the Intermediate year
Each year there are championship Competitions that eventually lead up to World Championship in Dunoon, Scotland. I will try to keep the championship dates posted on the Competitions and Other Events page. The dancers who qualify to dance in these competitions are the best of their region/area/state/country! They are really fantastic to watch, whether you're a dancer,Highland, or not!
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