Highland Dancing

Most Highland dances are done solo, an exception being the Foursome Reel or Highland Reel. But even in competitions, the Highland Reel dancers are judged individually

Highland dancing is a style of athletic solo dancing which developed in the Gaelic Highlands - Scotland. Highland dancing is considered a sport and forms part of the various Highland games, which take place each year, many of them outside of the UK.

Historically the Swords Dance was performed by warriors in many parts of Europe in the prehistoric period.

Forms of sword dancing are also recorded in the late Medieval period.

Ritual and combat dances that imitated epic deeds / martial skills were a familiar feature in Scottish tradition and folklore.

The earliest reference to these dances in Scotland is mentioned in the Scotichronicon which was compiled in Scotland by Walter Bower in the 1440s. The passage regards Alexander III and his second marriage to the French noblewoman Yolande de Dreux at Jedburgh on 14 October 1285.

"At the head of this procession were the skilled musicians with many sorts of pipe music including the music of bagpipes, and behind them others splendidly performing a war-dance with intricate weaving in and out. Bringing up the rear was a figure regarding whom it was difficult to decide whether it was a man or an apparition. It seemed to glide like a ghost rather than walk on feet. When it looked as if he was disappearing from everyone's sight, the whole frenzied procession halted, the song died away, the music faded, and the dancing contingent froze suddenly and unexpectantly."


Read the full article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_highland_dance

Swords: at a function

for those of us live in a part of the country that only has bagpipe playing and highland dancing....

The dances for the competition on Saturday

1 Highland Fling
2 Sword Dance
3 Sean Truibhas
4 Half Tulloch (Reel)
5 Flora MacDonalds Fancy
6 Scottish Lilt

HIGHLAND FLING

SWORD DANCE







SEAN TRUIBHAS



This is  a different version of the sean truibhas.

The difference is that the dancer does one circle on the right foot, then instead of doing a circle on the left foot she starts doing Pas De Basques??

After that she does a whole lot of stuff that I don't understand., so I need to clear this up with my dancing teacher at my lesson today.

HALF TULLOCH (REEL)



FLORA MACDONALD



SCOTTISH LILT

A new dancing outfit: Aboyne

I was very lucky to get a new dancing outfit today for dancing the Lilt and Flora. Its called the Aboyne. I will post a photo of it shortly. It has and underskirt and a scalloped waistcoat and a plaid and tartan matching skirt that is not a kilt. My sister and I will be dancing in a competition on Saturday, so we are going to be practicing a bit extra.

We also have our exams coming up and of course Paris later in the year. We have already paid our deposit for the accomodation so now we need to start fund raising. We have some ideas of some crafty things to make but need to find time between schooling and ponies to fit it in and time is just rushing by...

Here is a bit about Aboyne:

http://www.highlandreel.com/page2.html
https://www.highlanddancesupplies.com/nationals.html
http://www.highlandworld.co.uk/white-national-dress-plaid-childs-p-15.html
http://www.scotweb.co.uk/ladies-wear/socks
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=highland+dancing+outfits&_sacat=0&_dmpt=UK_Ladies_Dancewear_LE&_odkw=highland+dancing+outfits&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313
http://www.the-reel.co.uk/sections/highland/Highlandindex.html
http://www.highlandworld.co.uk/hose-garters-p-77.html
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Irish-Dance-Dancing-Knee-Length-Poodle-Socks-NEW-/390076016709?pt=UK_Ladies_Dancewear_LE&var=&hash=item99ab115d2b#ht_1370wt_905

Scottish Highland Dancing for Beginners : Arm & Head Positions in Scottish Highland Dancing

Scottish Highland Dancing for Beginners : Fling Performance in Scottish Highland Dancing

Scottish Highland Dancing for Beginners : Pa De Bas Dance in Scottish

This is one of the steps you learn as a beginner to highland dancing and for beginner exams and little ones or beginners dance these at the small ceilidhs.

Highland Dancing: Shedding in the Highland Fling

Scottish Highland Dancing for Beginners : Shedding in Scottish Highland Dancing

Now this looks complicated...

The whole dance floor is involved in this dance and lots of partner swopping. We have not seen this dance in our country,...think this in Canada. Looks like a cool dance to learn :)

Music: Moneymusk tune

Here is the tune without the dancing: 

Scottish Ceilidh Dancing: Moneymusk

Moneymusk is a place in Aberdeenshire in Scotland, where my ancestors come from.

This is quite a complicated dance but as I just started this blog and this is what we are looking at, at the moment. 

Ceilidh's are community dances with traditional music bands.  Ceilidh dancing needs a lot of energy and you have so much fun.  The music is fast and furious and gets faster and faster.  The dancing is group dancing and very lively when you get going and know the dances.  When you first learn they teach you very slowly as the steps are confusing but when you know them you got really fast and crazy.

We have an excellent band here where we live (not the youtube which is from a different country!) and we have excellent ceilidhs here, which are lots of fun.  The types of ceilidh dances we know already are Strip the Willow, Gay Gordons, St Bernards Waltz, Canadian Strip the Willow, Canadian Barn Dance and a few more ......

This youtube is from a different country, with old folks dancing but the idea is just to see the dance steps and how it goes.

Here it is;