Highland Dancing at the Fergus Scottish Festival in 2007

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. The Scottish military regiments used to use 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.

In cooperation with the Highland Dancers Association of Ontario, dancers compete in one of nine groups: Primary (under 7 years old), Beginners, Novice, Intermediate,Championship, Highland Premier A & B and National Premier A & B. There are age classifications in each group, so each dancer will be competing not only in their age group but also against dancers of a similar standard.  Dancers are judged on three basic areas: timing, technique and general deportment. Timing is the ability to follow the rhythm of the music in the dance. Technique is primarily the footwork, and co-ordination with head, arm and hand movements. The positioning of the feet is of great importance as however graceful or agile the dancer, it is the neatness and accuracy of the foot positions that give the dances their essential character. The interpretation and the ability to capture the spirit of the dance are also important as are balance, general appearance and bearing, as well as carriage of the head, arms, body and hands. Although the dances are very strenuous, they must be danced gracefully with apparent ease. Music at competitions is usually played by a piper but may be played on the accordion.

Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games Dancing Competitions:

Fergus Scottish Festival Championship:
Championships are special competitions for Premier dancers and are sanctioned by the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing. The Fergus Scottish Festival Championship was created in 2006 in celebration of the Festival’s 60th Anniversary. Separate Championships are awarded by age group up to a maximum of 6. Dancers perform The Highland Fling, The Sword Dance, The Seann Triubhas and  The Strathspey & Highland Reel. Overall Trophies are awarded to three places with cash award to Champion, First Runner-Up and Second Runner-Up.

Pre-Premier Highland Competition:
This competition is for primary to intermediate dancers and includes the Highland Fling, Pas de Bas, Sword Dance, Seann Triubbas, and The Strathspey & Reel of Tulloch. Primary dancers receive an encouragement award and participation gifts while Beginners to Intermediates receive winner and runner-up trophies and monetary scholarships.

Premier Highland Competition:
The Highland Fling, Pas de Bas, Sword Dance, Seann Triubbas, and The Strathspey & Reel of Tulloch are included in this competition for Premier dancers A & B. Trophies and cash prizes are awarded.

National Competitions:
Open to Beginners through Premier dancers, dances include the Strathspey & Highland Reel, The Barracks, The Village Maid, The Flora MacDonald and the Scottish Lilt. Trophies and cash prizes are awarded.

Entry Forms
Entry forms for the 2007 Highland Dance Competitions at the Fergus Scottish Festival will be available in late March by visiting the Highland Dancer’s Association of Ontario (www.hdaontario.com) website and clicking under “HDA Forms”. The registration closing date will announced.

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. 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.

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

The National Dances
Scottish National dances are of a more modern origin and have been colleected from old dance masters. In North America, National dances were not danced  in competition until the 1960s. The attire worn by female dancers is called the Aboyne dress, named after the Aboyne Highland Games of Scotland where up to this day, the wearing of the kilt is strictly forbidden to women. The National dances are very similar to Highland dances, but the style is more flowing and balletic. They require a lot of skill to execute correctly, and spectators will note that often the rhythms are more complicated than in conventional Highland dancing.

Flora McDonald's Fancy
This is said to be the last dance Flora McDonald danced for Bonnie Prince Charlie before he fled overseas, but is more likely to be a dance named in her honour. Flora McDonald helped the prince escape from North Uist to Skye disguised as her maid. She emigrated to America but returned home to Skye later in life.

Scottish Lilt
The original tunes for the Lilt are 'Drops of Brandy' and 'Brose and Butter”. The Scottish Lilt is claimed by both the Hebrides and Perthshire.

Barracks
"Wilt thou go to the barracks, Johnny?" is a recruiting song and "the barracks" is probably a corruption of "Berwick", although there was a barracks there.