Celtic Dancing Demonstrations

at the

Highland Dancing
 

Introduction
 

Scottish Highland dancing is one of the oldest forms of folk dance, and both modern ballet and square dancing can trace their roots back to the Highlands. Dating back to the 11th or 12th century, the Highland Dances of Scotland tended to be highly athletic male celebratory dances of triumph or joy, or warrior dances performed over swords and spiked shield. According to tradition, the old kings and chiefs of Scotland used the Highland Games as a way of choosing the best men for their retinue and men at arms. Highland dancing was one of the various ways men were tested for strength, stamina, accuracy, and agility. At one time, Scottish military regiments used Highland dancing as a form of training to develop stamina and agility, but this has become less common these days. Competitive Highland dancing started during the Highland revival of Victorian Britain, and was for men only. Ladies began competing only at the turn of the century. Over the centuries the dancing style has become more refined and now shares many elements from classical ballet. Although historically Highland dancing was restricted to men, today it is mostly performed by females.  No matter who dances them, Highland dances require both athletic and artistic skill.

Traditionally, Highland dancing is done to the accompaniment of bagpipes. The music itself consists of the melody, which is played on the chanter, backed up by continuous and unvarying tones from the three drone pipes.

The Highland Dances
 

The Highland Fling
 

This is the oldest of the traditional dances of Scotland and is a dance of joy performed at the end of a victorious battle. It was danced by male warriors over a small round shield, called a Targe, that the warriors carried into battle. Most Targes had a sharp spike of steel projecting from the centre, so dancers learned early to move with great skill and dexterity. The Highland Fling is danced on the spot, and is said to be based on the antics of a stag on a hillside; the grouped fingers and upheld arms representing the antlers.

The Sword Dance (Gillie Challum)
 

It is probable that the tune, Gillie Callum, dates back to the days of Malcolm Canmore (Shakespeare's MacBeth). The earliest references to the "dance" are from the 19th century, and it is unlikely that it is very much older.
 

One story is that this was a dance of victory, as the King danced over his bloody claymore (the two-handed broadsword of Scotland) and the even bloodier head of his enemy. Some say that no severed head was used and that the King danced over his own sword crossed over the sword of his enemy. Another story is that the Sword Dance was danced prior to a battle. To kick the swords was considered a bad omen for the impending battle, and the soldier would expect to be wounded. If many of the soldiers kicked their swords the chieftain of the clan would expect to lose the battle.
 

The Seann Triubhas
 

Pronounced "shawn trews", this Gaelic phrase means "old trousers". This dance is reputed to date from the rebellion of 1745 when Bonnie Prince Charlie challenged the might of England at Culloden, and lost. As a penalty, Highlanders were forbidden to wear the kilt. Seann Triubhas is a dance of celebration developed in response to the Proscription Repeal which restored to the Scots the right to wear their kilts and play the bagpipes once more. The movements of this dance clearly depict the legs defiantly shaking and shedding the hated trousers and returning to the freedom of the kilt. Some of the steps originate from hard shoe dancing.
 

It is likely that the kicking-off-of-the-trousers bit was retro-fitted to the dance much like the bloody-swords-and-head tale with the Sword Dance. The Seann Triubhas arrived at its present form in the early 20th century, and an itinerant dance teacher from the 1890s is on record as having invented the first step of the Seann Triubhas.  It does not come as a big surprise that some of the steps in the Seann Triubhas come from hard shoe dancing since that is what people would have worn for dancing in the old days.
 

Strathspey and Reel and Strathspey and Half Tulloch

The Strathspey and Reel and the Strathspey and Half Tulloch are performed by four dancers. The Strathspey is never danced on its own in competition but must be followed by the Reel. These dances illustrate the "set" and "travel" steps which are common in Scottish social dancing.
 

The Sailor's Hornpipe
 

The Sailor's Hornpipe is a caricature dance developed from the
traditional English version. It has become more popular in Scotland than in England and is regularly featured in Highland Games. The movements in this dance portray actions used in the daily work routines of a sailor's life, such as pulling ropes, climbing the rigging, and looking out to sea. A costume like a sailor's uniform is worn by both male and female dancers.
 

The Irish Jig
 

The Scottish Version of the Irish Jig is another caricature dance depicting an Irish washerwoman who is angry with her erring husband. The costume worn for this dance is either a red or emerald green skirt and bodice and a full white petticoat, with a white blouse, with a white apron. Red or green jig shoes are worn and there is much stamping and facial grimacing in this dance. In the male version, the dancer wears a red or green tailcoat with a waistcoat of the opposite colour, brown knee britches of corduroy, with a paddy hat and he carries a shillelagh, which is a club made from the forked branch of a tree.

Scottish Country Dancing

Scottish country dancing, "SCD" or "reeling" is a form of social dance involving groups of mixed couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns according to a predetermined choreography. SCD is often considered a type of folk dancing although this is not strictly true - it derives from the courtly dances of the Renaissance and, as a form of ballroom dancing, predates the more modern styles of the quadrille as well as couple dances like the waltz. Related dance forms include English country dancing, contra dancing, ceilidh dancing, Old Tyme dancing, Irish set dancing, or square dance.

The music, performed live at parties and some classes, is provided by a fiddle and piano, or by a whole band. Dance tempos vary from lively jigs, hornpipes and reels, to the elegant, slower strathspeys.

Scottish Country Dancing is demonstrated at Scottish Games & Gatherings and at many other fairs and events. Audience participation dances may be offered to give the uninitiated a chance to dance.

Irish Dancing

A Brief History/Description of Irish Step Dancing

Irish step dances are relatively modern, creations of the dancing masters prevalent in Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries. "... almost all references to Irish dances in literature, down to the beginning of the eighteenth century, deal only with Round and Long dances, and ... there is a marked absence of any indication of the existence of the dancing-master until about the same time." The intricate steps were invented by the dancing masters, who elaborated on the simple steps of Round and Long dances.

(Round and Long dances are group dances, requiring a minimum of four dancers depending on the dance. Round dances are known in step dancing as figure dances, e.g., six-hand reel, eight-hand reel, four-hand jig.) .  There are four basic Irish step dances (solos): reel, (light) jig, slip jig, and hornpipe. There are, of course, many many variations of reel, light jig, slip jig, and hornpipe steps. Each dancing school has its own versions of the steps.

For those who are musically inclined and care about the timing of these dances: the reel is in 2/4 time; the light jig is in 6/8 time; the slip jig is in the complex 9/8 time; the hornpipe is also in 2/4 time, although with a different structure than that of the reel.

An Irish dance competition, feis (pronounced fesh ), can be found somewhere in the United States every month of the year, although the spring and summer months are the busiest. Competitions are also held in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Regional competitions (Oireachtas -- pronouned uh-roc-tus ) allow the best dancers to qualify for national competitions and thus for world competition. The All World Championships are held every year at Easter-time in Ireland.

Each school has several different costumes. There is one or more costumes for kids, depending on their level; many schools have one costume for beginners and another for dancers at the intermediate level. Junior and senior dancers (teens and adults who have reached a high level in

competition) have different dresses. Adult dancers (adults who have not danced in at least five years) have yet another costume, which is more often a skirt and blouse or jacket than a dress.

When dancers reach a certain level in competition, they may receive a solo dress. The dress, usually made in Ireland or England, is velvet with satin linings and lots of colorful embroidery. The solo dress is a sign that a dancer has achieved a high-level of skill in Irish step dancing. It is worn during individual (solo) competitions; for team (figure dancing) competitions, the dancer wears the standard school costume for their level.

A commission in Ireland (An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha) provides rules and guidelines for teaching and for competition. Teachers and adjudicators must qualify for their positions and be registered with the commission.

(Historical information taken from the book: A handbook of Irish dances : with an essay on their origin and history by J.C. O'Keeffe and Art O'Brien. Dublin : O'Donochue, 1902.)