Highland Dance

I’m a Scottish Highland Dancer with the Red Hackle Pipe Band in Fairbanks. Highland Dancing is more of a athletic dancing and physically demanding. It’s also solo and competitive.
I know 4 1/2 dances, the Highland Fling, the Lilt, the Flora, the Sword Dance, and the Seann Triubhas, (I only know half of the Flora).
I’ve been dancing for five years. There is a Highland Games in Palmer, Alaska each year, and you can compete in it for Highland Dancing. When I first went I danced the Highland Fling and the Lilt,  I’m not sure what place I got. I also dance at the Tanana Valley State Fair in Fairbanks but not for competition.
In July before I went to the UK I went to Vernon,  Canada where there is a school/camp thing called Piping Hot Summer Drummer Highland Dance, it was intense and I got super sore, but everyone there said I improved a ton.
When we went to Scotland I was excited because I thought Highland Dancing would be like a big thing there. . . It wasn’t as big as I thought it would be. My parents found a class for me to take, it was a bit awkward there because I knew different steps then everyone else,  but it ended up okay.

The outfit for Highland Dancing is a kilt, hose, a white blouse, a jacket, leather dance shoes that are called ghillies, for the national dances you have to wear a white blouse, a circle skirt that has a tartan on it, a plaid which is a fabric that hangs over your shoulder which is the same color of the skirt, ghillies, white ankle or knee socks, and a vest. The outfits are weirdly expensive.

The music in Highland Dancing is usually bagpipes, I’m not exactly sure what the names for the dance songs are but the Sword Dance’s song is called Ghillie Callum.
I can’t wait to I get back because I’ll be able to practice a lot more.

One Response

  1. Grandma Kay

    Can’t wait to see you dance again this summer!
    Enjoy the rest of your trip 🙂

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