Links to other sites on the Web
A brief history of Scottish dancing
Note that I also have a longer history of Medieval and Renaissance Scottish dancing. The earliest types of dances were ring dances. There are several references in early (15th century) literature to dancing in rings. There are also some references to carols, which in this context means dance and song combined. Dancing at feasts is mentioned as early as 1375.
The next forms of dancing that appear in the literature are "courtly" dances. These are dances which were performed in many of the courts of Europe-- pavans, galliards, rounds, and bransles, among others. There are references to these in the 16th century. There are also references to Morris dancing.
Two dances which are more usually considered Scottish appear in the 16th century. There is a reference to the Highland Fling in the 16th century. This is a solo dance, a version of which is performed at Highland Games today. The other dance which appears is the reel. The word "reel" has two meaning in dancing. One meaning is a figure-of-eight figure. The other meaning is a dance which has the reel figure as a prominent part. The threesome reel probably dates back to the end of the 16th century. Dancing competitions are mentioned as early as the late 16th century.
The mid 16th century saw the rise of the precursors to Scottish country dancing. There are lists of dance titles, unfortunately without instructions or descriptions of the dances dating from around 1550.
The 1700's saw the full formation (and instructions) for Scottish country dancing. Scottish country dancing flourished throughout the drawing rooms and ballrooms of the 1700's and the first part of the 1800's. By the middle of the 19th century, country dancing was losing popularity.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Scottish Country Dance Society (SCDS) was formed. This group "standardized" the dances, probably at some loss to regional variations and historical accuracy. The society received the Royal designation sometime later. At first, the society was dedicated to publishing older dances, but since the 1950's they have published new dances as well. In the 1950's, some field work was done to record dances, dance forms, and dance steps from before dancing was "standardized" by the SCDS.
enhance the students knowledge already gained as well as thread their insights together. The students are often embarrassed by their history and that seems an awful shame. I think the students often think their history begins with slavery which has been perceived by them to be an embarrassing part of American history that sheds a poor light on their ancestors. I have often told my students that they should not be embarrassed by the slave movement but should feel pride like the Jewish community that their race survived. By focusing on the history of Black dance from Africa to present time, students will learn that slavery was a small part of their history. They will also gain more pride and self esteem as young Black adults who must further their education and go on to contribute their abilities and strengths as Blacks in America so that our history can continue to thrive with notable acts from our community.
The proposed unit is intended to teach students to use research for choreography. Students will embark on a study of this history through paintings, books, photography, and poetry. The collected data will be used to reinterpret their findings and tell stories through dance. The culmination of these prepared stories will ultimately be presented in a video the students will prepare together.
The video format will consist of various poses or �live pictures� taken from noted photography depicting Black history. Paintings will also be used as sources for inspiring choreography. Each picture will be reenacted by students as a living still life that evolves into a story told through movement. We will take a dance from different periods of African American history: African history, The Amistad Revolt, Migration, Jazz and Harlem Renaissance, Modern dance, Ballet, and finally, Integration of Dance Styles.
This unit will initially be presented with historical information that is essential for teaching the history of Black dance. That material will be followed by lesson plans in chronological order that mirror the periods of Black dance/history covered in the unit.
To find out about Scottish classes in the UK please cut and paste this email into your email account: [email protected]
Links to other sites on the Web
Book dance classes
gift vouchers
home