Dance is common to all cultures. Most of the true Highland dances are connected with ancient Scottish folk customs. The present form evolved through the centuries as refinement in the general form of dance occurred, but the original basic steps and the themes were passed on through the years.
The two main types of Scottish dance, Country Dance and Highland Dance, differ considerably in style and purpose. Country Dances have the character of ballroom or social dancing, while Highland Dances are quite different. The Highlands are performed solo. They have precise, difficult movements and require much stamina and coordination. Highland Dances were originally danced by men only, but now they're performed by far more females than males. Dance steps are standardized by the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (SOBHD) and competitions are held world-wide. In the United States, six geographic regions hold a qualifying competition each spring from which the top three finalists from each region are selected to compete at the United States Inter-Regional Highland Dancing Championships.
Judges evaluate a dancer on three major crtiteria: timing, technique and deportment.
TIMING refers to the ability of the dancer to follow the rhythm of the music. Dancers must place feet, arms and head in very precise position simultaneously with the music. TECHNIQUE means the correct execution of footwork in coordination with head, arm and hand movements. 'Elevation,' or the ability to spring vigorously above the dance platform, counts heavily. But: regardless of how showy a movement may appear, it can never really be a winner if performed out of position. GENERAL DEPORTMENT covers the interpretation the dancer displays in performing the dance. Balance and general appearance are very important. And, it's important that no matter how difficult the dance really is, the dancer must display supple movement with effortlessness, pleasure, freedom from elaborate showiness, and an unhurried attitude.
Traditionally, Highland Dancing and Scottish National Dancing competitions are done to bagpipes. The version pipers play today dates back to the 16th Century, when the MacCrimmon family, pipers for McLeod of Harris, worked out not only the form of the bagpipes, but also the intricate fingering on the chanter. 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.
