What is the name of the Scottish dance “sword”, which is performed in kilts and under a bagpipe? Its historical name is Sword Dance, in the traditional form it is still performed on swords. However, another name is often mentioned - “Highland”, and swords are not always present in the performance.
Some of the Scottish dances known today are of indigenous origin, others are borrowed from neighboring peoples and over time have changed beyond recognition. Ballroom (pair) dances of Scotland can be divided into two main groups: Kayle and country. In addition to them, there are solo dances, male and female.
Kaley
This group includes pair dances of "native" origin: waltzes, polka, hornpipes, jigs, triesteps, tustepa, quadrille. The Scots invented many of their own pas for them, and national ones, for example, strassey, were added to the “imported” tunes.
Homegrown customs also appeared: the Scottish dance “Crazy Polka” - a kind of duel between dancers and musicians: who will break faster. Most often they dance under the curtain, after which they disperse to relax. Elements of polka entered the Scottish Triestep and Tustep.
Hornaipas (pair dances) can be widespread. This includes polka, quadrille, waltzes.
Scottish dance Cape Breton - a national version of the tap dance, performed in tight boots. Cape Breton is already 250 years old, together with immigrants, he moved to Canada, thanks to which it has survived to the present day. In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, it was again brought to Scotland, where by that time it had been safely forgotten.
Country (Scottish Country Dancing)
This is also a pair of dances, but performed a little differently: male and female lines are opposite each other. Sometimes four pairs are enough, but in some dances the number of pairs reaches sixteen. The partners converge and diverge, the lines intersect, the drawing can be quite complex (something similar is also present among the Slavs - Russians, Ukrainians).
Highland
An old Scottish dance that came from the eleventh century, "Dance of the Swords." It was originally distributed among the highlanders, later went down to the valleys. According to legend, King Malcolm danced first on his crossed swords (his and his opponent), celebrating the victory. Since then, Highland has been the main decoration of all the military holidays of Scotland. Traditionally, this is a male dance, the emphasis is on athleticism and sharpness of movements. Currently, it is also performed by girls too: bright and sporty, it fits perfectly into the dance culture of different countries. The Highland Scottish dance is performed to the accompaniment of the bagpipes, the uniform is necessarily a kilt.
In the old days, dance was part of the ritual before the battle. A belief is associated with him: if a warrior, while performing Highland, injures his leg, he will receive a wound in battle.
Ladis Step
Came from ancient female solo dances. In contrast to the energetic Highland, Ladis Step is soft and graceful. At the heart of all women's Scottish dances are grace and plastic.
The revival of dance culture
The Scottish dance owes its worldwide popularity today to its unique flavor, but not only. At the beginning of the twentieth century, thanks to the efforts of two enthusiasts, Isabel Stewart and Gene Milligan, a movement began to preserve the national dance culture. A group of associates gathered a huge database - drawings, melodies, handwritten notes. This was the beginning of the Society of Ballroom Dancing of Scotland, which in the mid-twentieth century was awarded the status of Royal.