Highland Dance Boston is a performing company that specializes in the traditional and contemporary dances of Scotland. The company includes competitive highland dancers, teachers of Scottish dance, and musicians. Our repertoire includes many exciting choreographies of traditional highland and step dances, as well as some more recently devised pieces.

The group was formed in Spring 2002, in time for performances at the New England Folk Festival (NEFFA) in April and Gaelic Roots in June. Highland Dance Boston became incorporated as a nonprofit organization in Fall 2003.

Our source for Bonnie Dundee is the SDTA's Scottish National Dances. This dance was once popular on the competition boards, but is no longer seen there today. Like the Sword Dance and the Seann Triubhas, the dance ends with a quick step, after the dancer claps to signal the musicians to speed up.

Jack McConachie transcribed this dance from the teaching of Mr. Anderson, who called it "Hielan' Laddie". As there is another dance with that name and this dance was to be used at competitions, McConachie set it to another tune, a popular pipe jig and song, Bonnie Dundee.

The Bonnie Dundee of the song was John Graham, Earl of Claverhouse, Viscount of Dundee, who died fighting with the Jacobite cause at the Battle of Killiekrankie. It's believed that Sir Walter Scott established Claverhouse's nickname with the following words, which go with the tune:

Come fill up my cup, come fill up my can,
Come saddle my horses and call up my men,
Unhook the west port and let us gang free,
For it's up wi' the bonnets of Bonnie Dundee!
    --Scots Minstrelsie.

However, the choreographer, Mr. Anderson, was "the well known Dancing Master of Dundee," so the title also seems to be an appropriate homage to him.

This dance was devised by HDB co-director, Robert McOwen, in 1999. It is a ladies' dance set to the tune, Bonny Jean O'Aberdeen, that was published by Adam Craig in 1727. The tune was recorded by Bonnie Rideout on her Kindred Spirits album, and is an especially nice arrangement for the dance. The dance directions are available in PDF.

This dance was devised by HDB co-director, Robert McOwen, in 1991 (and revised in 2005). It is a step dance for two couples that uses a combination of movements from Scottish country and highland dance. It has four parts of 32 bars each, and derives its name from the musical arrangement that was composed and recorded by Muriel Johnstone on Dancing Fingers vol 1, which is available at Scotscores. The dance directions are available in PDF.

This dance was devised by HDB co-director, Robert McOwen, and Pat MacPerson in 1989. It is a creative pas de deux that combines Scottish and classical dance movements, including substantial partnering and lifts. It derives its name from the lovely tune that was composed and recorded by Muriel Johnstone on Dancing Fingers vol 1, which is available at Scotscores.

The First of August is one of the dances in which the transition from hard shoe percussive dancing to the more gymnastic soft-soled dancing slipper style is apparent. In this dance you can see the old Gaelic percussive steps given the styling many Scottish dance masters brought back after undertaking ballet training in France. The balletic style is now prevalent in classical Highland dances, and today at competitions you will see only one dance done in hard soled shoes. Jack McConachie, who published directions for The First of August, states that the dance may be done with the arms left at the sides, swinging loosely, but not exaggeratedly, with the movement of the body, a style of arms seen in the percussive Cape Breton stepdancing tradition today.

The dance does have similarities to others popular in the current repertoire at Highland games - the playful inverted toe positions of the Sailor's Hornpipe and the shuffling trebles the Earl of Erroll - but is unique in its use of a "Half Break" - a motif that recurs halfway through each step. Breaks are movement motifs commonly repeated at the ends of steps within a dance.

Mr. McConachie suggested that the First of August be danced in a fisherman's trousers, jersey, and a tam, though he also devised arm positions similar to ones used in classical Highland dancing to suit performing the dance in a kilt. In Highland Dance Boston, we usually keep the outfit more simple - black trousers with short or long sleeved shirts, and wear soft-soled dancing slippers known commonly as ghillies. The dance is still taught today as a hard shoe percussive dance by Mats Melin and Ron Wallace.

Tunes commonly used to accompany this dance are Fisher's Hornpipe and The White Cockade, although we use The Man from Skye. The name of the dance refers to August 1, 1714, the date of the death of Queen Anne, which marked the succession of the protestant King George 1. But August 1st also happens to be HDB member Jen Schoonover's birthday.

The Sword Dance that is performed at SOBHD competitions around the world is also known by its tune, Gille Callum (or other English spellings of the original Gaelic). It consists of at least two (and as many as four) slow steps, followed by one or two quicker steps, all danced around and over two crossed swords laid upon the ground.

There is much speculation and controversy about the age and origins of the dance. Certainly, dancing with swords or dirks was an ancient tradition of the highlanders, and some believe that this dance represents a jubilant warrior dancing with his own sword and that of his vanquished foe. Some authors (cf. MacLennan) claim that the dance originated with Malcolm Canmore celebrating in the above manner after defeating one of MacBeath's chiefs in 1054. However, while Malcolm's skill as a swordsman is documented, there is little evidence that he ever danced over crossed swords. Nevertheless, it is thought that at least the tune refers to Malcolm; some of the words of a Gaelic song that uses the tune seem to ridicule the king for introducing a contemptibly small coin, the "bodle", that was worth two pennies.

The tune was used for country dances in the middle of the 18th C (cf. Bremner), and Elizabeth Grant mentions doing a presumably well-known solo dance, Gille Callum, as a young girl in 1804 (although it is not clear that it was a sword dance). However, throughout the 19th C, there are numerous references and clear descriptions of Gille Callum as a solo dance over crossed swords, including competition programmes, paintings, and even the journals of Queen Victoria!

The Highland Fling is performed at SOBHD competitions around the world. It is generally considered the most basic of the highland dances, being danced solo and without lateral movement. Older versions of the dance consist of eight steps, although the current norm is six steps, and this is sometimes abbreviated to four steps in performance or pre-championship competitions.

Like most of the older highland dances, the origin of the Highland Fling is somewhat vague and speculative. One legend claims that it was originally danced by highland warriors on their targes (shields), and thus was confined to one spot; but there is little credible evidence for this story. In fact, according to J.F. and T.M. Flett, the word "fling" has appeared in Scottish literature to describe a vigorous movement in dancing at least since the 16th C, but the phrase "highland fling" did not appear in print until 1794 with the publication of the tune, "The Marquis of Huntley's Highland Fling"; moreover, a clear reference to a specific solo dance called the "Hielan Fling" first appeared in 1824, and the first set of instructions for the dance were published in 1841.

It should be noted that the Highland Fling is simply a compilation of setting steps in strathspey time that could be used in a Reel, such as the Foursome Reel, which was popular throughout Scotland in the 18th and 19th C. A likely explanation, therefore, is that the dance evolved in the late 18th C as an exhibition of the dancer's favorite setting steps, performed as a solo dance.

While some dances in the Scottish tradition are named for outstanding dancers (such as Tribute to J.L.MacKenzie), this dance took its name from the music often played for it, a reel known as Miss Forbes's Farewell to Banff. In fact, a dance to this tune was devised for someone named Miss Robertson sometime before 1795, when the tune was published as "Miss Robertson's High Dance or Miss Forbes's Farewell (J.F. and T.M. Flett). The name has caused some confusion and dancers have been wondering who the dancer Miss Forbes was, though perhaps she was a musician!

According to Comhlan Dannsa nan Eileanach, the dance was originally popular in Aberdeenshire, but sometime at the end of the 19th century it travelled to the Hebrides, where it is still danced today. MacLennan lists it as a Herbridean "girls' dance", and as such does not include arm movements: the dancer is expected to hold her skirt in her hands, perhaps originally to reveal footwork that would otherwise be concealed by the long skirts of the period.

HDB uses a version of Miss Forbes that likely originates from the mainland of Scotland, without distinctive Hebridean accents like inverted foot positions. Moreover, following a more recent convention, we perform the dance to the tune "Wee Man at the Loom", which suits our version of the dance very well.

This dance was devised by HDB co-director, Robert McOwen, during the mid 1990's. It is a solo or duet dance in highland style, but is mainly distinguished by its 5/4 meter. In fact, it is performed to the tune "Pipes Awa'", composed by Barbara McOwen. The dance directions are available in PDF.

Robert Bremner, A Second Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances, London, 1768.

Comhlan Dannsa nan Eileanach, Dannsa nan Eileanach, Acair, Ltd, 1995.

George S. Emmerson, Handbook of Traditional Scottish Dance, Galt House Publications, 1995.

J.F. and T.M. Flett, Traditional Step-Dancing in Scotland, Scottish Cultural Press, 1996.

E. Grant, Memoirs of a Highland Lady, London, 1950.

J. Grieg, Scots Minstrelsie, vol. 4, Grange Publishing Works, 1893.

D.R. MacKenzie, The National Dances of Scotland, MacLaren, 1910. (Reprinted, 1939.)

D.G. MacLennan, Highland and Traditional Scottish Dances, T. & A. Constable, Ltd., 1952.

J. McConachie, Hebridean Solo Dances, Caber Feidh, 1972.

Scottish Dance Teachers Association (SDTA), Scottish National Dances, 7th ed., SDTA, 1987.

Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (SOBHD), Highland Dancing, 6th ed., SOBHD, 1993.

Ron Wallace, pamphlets distributed at dance classes.

Mats Melin, http://www.matsmelin.com/index.htm