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Saturday, July 12, 2008

Ithaca Scottish Games & Celtic Festival 

All Highland Dancing Events

Dating back to the 11th century, the Highland dances of Scotland tended to be highly athletic male dances of triumph, joy, or some other reflection of everyday life. Competitive Highland dancing, for men only, started during the Highland revival of Victorian Britain. Ladies began competing at the turn of this century. No matter who dances them, Highland dances require both athletic and artistic skill.

Dancers are judged on three basic areas:

Timing: is the dancer's ability to follow the rhythm of the music with his or her body.

Technique: is the dancer's footwork and coordination with head, arm and hand movements. Good dancing requires proper positioning of the feet. No matter how graceful or agile the dancer, the dance loses its attractiveness if the foot positions are wrong.
General Deportment: the dancer's interpretation and ability to capture the spirit and motif of the dance, includes balance, general appearance and carriage of the head, arms, body and hands. Upright posture is essential. Dancers must show pleasure. Although the dances are very athletic, they must be danced with apparent ease with no signs of strain and be free of elaborate showiness.

Dancers belongs to one of five levels: Primary under 7 years old; Beginner until winning 6 different competitions; Novice until winning 6 more competitions; Intermediate for one year from date of last Novice competition; and the big leagues Premier. Each level divides into age categories.

Highland Fling

The Highland Fling is the oldest Scottish traditional dance - a dance of victory after battle. Traditionally warriors danced the Highland Fling over a small round shield called a Targe. Most Targes had a sharp steel spike projecting from the center, so dancers learned early to move with great skill and dexterity.

Sword Dance(Gillie Calum)

The Sword Dance dates back to the 11th century, the days of King Malcolm Canmore (of Shakespeare's MacBeth). The traditional dance originates from the victory of Calum a Chinn Mor (Malcolm Canmore) over one of MacBeth's chiefs at the battle near Dunsinane in 1054. The King took his sword and crossed it over the sword of his enemy and danced over them in exultation.
 

Seann Triubhas

Pronounced "shawn trews", this Gaelic phrase means "old trousers". The dance dates to the rebellion of 1745 when Bonnie Prince Charlie challenged the might of England and lost. As a penalty, Highlanders were forbidden to wear the kilt and had to wear trousers. On hearing the news that the ban on wearing the kilt was lifted, they tore off their trews and this dance was born. The motions of this dance defiantly depict a man taking off his "breeks" (britches) and returning to the freedom of the kilt.
 

Strathspey & Half Tullock

Cold parishioners waiting for their tardy preacher on a cold Sunday morning are credited with creating this dance. In colonial America, Scottish reels evolved into the Virginia Reel. Although a group of four dance, dancers are judged individually.
 

Scottish Lilt

The Scottish Lilt, a gently flowing National Dance, was invented for female competitors at the Aboyne Highland Games, which prohibits female competitors from wearing the kilt. The Aboyne dress is a shortened version of a popular 17th century plaid Highland dress.

Today dancers are judged by standards set by the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (SOBHD) formed in 1949. SOBHD judges are qualified teachers of highland dancing who have passed a rigorous series of tests.