Helen Thompson was asked to give a talk on Scottish Country Dancing to the Cheltenham Scottish Society at their Heritage Evening in March 2001.  It was so well presented and received that I asked her for a copy of the script so that I could edit out the personal references and publish the factual content.  

I was unable to edit it successfully because of the skillful way it was constructed originally so I decided it was best to publish it verbatim, what follows is the script which I hope you will enjoy and learn from:

Scottish Country Dancing and its place in Scotland’s Heritage.

The definition of the word heritage in my dictionary states:

1 Property that is or may be inherited;

2 Valued things that have been passed down from previous generations; and

3 Relating to things of historic or cultural value that is worthy of preservation.

After reading this I felt happier and thought what apt descriptions of Scottish Country Dancing, which fits nicely into all three definitions.

Mind you, it would also fit into the description of a Glasgow drunk, from being truculent and aggressive one minute and changing in the next instance to melodious sentimentality.

How many of us, when making conversation with a stranger, have said one of our interests is Scottish Country Dancing, to be greeted with the reply, Oh! I can do that. I went to a wedding once, we danced Gay Gordons, Strip the Willow, Dashing White Sergeant etc. You try to explain that that is what is known as Ceilidh dancing to which they sometimes reply, well that is the same thing! Little do they appreciate the history that is attached to Scottish Country Dancing?

The reason we know Scottish Country Dancing as it is today has to thank four main happenings in Scotland.

The first is as far back as 1070.

Up until that time primitive man just danced to celebrate everything and anything the coming of rain (by tapping his foot), to stopping the rain (by the movement of his arms), the coming of spring, the reaping of the harvest. He danced to cure illness, before a hunt (as in eightsome reel where a circle is danced around its quarry), and so on. Up until about 1070, the form of dancing was rough but when King Malcolm Canmore married Margaret, an English Princess, she brought with her to Scotland not only beautifully decorated manuscripts and prayer books and the tapestries for covering bare walls, she also imported music and instruments of a fine sort. Maybe Malcolm was the first king to have lessons in courtly dancing - and so dancing took on a more patterned softer form.

Mary Queen of Scots, who had spent her childhood in France, came to Scotland with a considerable French army who brought with them, among other things, their songs and dances.

Life in the French Courts had developed Queen Mary’s love of dancing and she introduced more stately dances to the Courts — but Scotland is a small country with not much distance, physical or social, between the Courts and the ordinary classes, so it was not long before the two forms of dancing, the courtly and the native, became intertwined.

French movements were introduced — the Poussette as a form of progression and the Allemande, the Tournee, the Rondel and the Knot.

The Scottish music did not alter and although dances took on a more formal form, they had to conform to the amount of bars in a tune and they had to be as long/short as the tunes.

Just as Mary Queen of Scots brought the French influence to Scottish Dancing, so in 1603 James VIth of Scotland’s wife Queen Anne of Denmark took the Scottish influence to English Dancing. It is not known whether dancing in longways sets was first introduced in England or Scotland, but this form of dancing did emphasise the difference between the two — in that Scottish Country Dancing had the mode for strong rhythmic music and set dance steps, whereas English Dancing had comparatively little intricate footwork so the concentration was more on elegant running steps and gracious manners — as in Playford dancing.

We have Mary Queen of Scots to thank for us having dancing today as during her reign she was under much pressure from John Knox, of the Church and various areas, to have dancing banned, but she continued to dance behind closed doors and she ensured her entourage also danced — to time and in goodly fashion. It was about this time that "set" dancing was introduced whereas previously the dancing had been either in twos or fours, and shortly after this dances were written down and some of those early dances are still danced to-day, for example The Gates of Edinburgh, the Gates being the "streets" which followed the route at the foot of the castle slopes hence the unusual reels in the dance. Although little dance music was published before 1750 it is a known fact that up to about then the pipes played for all forms of highland and country dancing.

When the Act of Proscription was passed, aimed at eliminating Highland Culture, it in fact opened the door to the fiddle to become the national instrument of Scotland. While no one would deny the excellence of the pipes with some of the great dances such as Bonnie Anne, equally no one would deny that the fiddle is the ideal musical instrument for indoor country dancing and so the popularity of the fiddle for dancing grew.

Dancing in those days required stamina from fiddlers and dancers alike. Sets were not limited in numbers and there is one known occasion when Scott Skinner played non-stop for 20 couples to complete The Merry Lads of Ayr.

Today there is a custom which has crept into dances — we thought was new — whereby the gentlemen book their partners for various dances before the evening begins. In the 18 hundreds, ladies used to put their fan in a box, the gentlemen would pick a fan (having a good idea whose it was) and that was his partner for the evening, which was a pity as one of the aims of country dancing is to mix socially.

There is not a nation in the world without some sort of dance tradition and what distinguishes one nation from another is the manner and form of that expression. What distinguishes Scottish Country Dancing from any other national is that it is danced in castles, crofts and farm kitchen alike.

Dances were stories without words depicting life as it was:

1. The Golden Pheasant, which was introduced to the Atholl Estate in 1870;

2. The White Cockade, to represent the emblem of the Jacobites as opposed to the

Black Rose of the Hanovarians;

3. Machine Without Horses. One story is that it commemorates the introduction of the tractor to replace the horse and plough, but as the dance goes back to 1772 it is more likely to depict the introduction of the Sedan Chair in Edinburgh and Glasgow;

4. Peat Fire Flame, depicting the fuel dug in the bogs and used as fuel — not so much today;

5. Whistlin’ in the Kitchen. Cooks employed in big houses and ships had to be able to whistle - the reason being that while they were whistling they could not be eating the fare! Nice story.

6. The Phantom Piper, as we all know every castle has a ghost.

My introduction to Scottish Country Dancing was at school and guides where we learned the Petronella and the Glasgow Highlanders and more Ceilidh dancing. It was not until I married and came down to England and followed the exile’s common practice to join a Scottish Society that the international appeal was brought home to me.

I danced in Gloucester on a Tuesday evening and eventually in the intermediate then advanced classes in Cheltenham and set about correcting my footwork. Learning the technique getting to know the steps, setting, travelling, highland schottische and common schottische, and the apparently hundreds of movements, down the middle and up; cast off; cast up; — where was up? — set to corners; — where are they and there are four of them. Various reels, right shoulder; left shoulder; reels of three; four; figure of 8; double figure of 8. All danced in reel time, jig time or strathspey — and this is just to mention a few formations. I also learned some of the 7500 recorded dances. When beginners say, "We cannot remember all these dances". My answer is, "learn the formations and timings properly then you will be able to dance any dance."

It is a true saying that the better you know your subject the more you can enjoy it, so when I felt I knew everything I started the children’s class in Gloucester. I think I can say that that was one of my happiest involvements with Scottish Country Dancing. The Children really did put everything in to it, they listened and did not talk. Then the Committee suggested I should take my Teacher’s Certificate with the ROYAL SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE SOCIETY (RSCDS).

Like a lamb to the slaughter I agreed, thinking I knew everything. After all I had attended Cheltenham Classes for several years and danced at Gloucester. How wrong! There was more to come. I took my Preliminary examination in Bristol, this involved ten weekends and a final examination, which fortunately I passed. Although I had been teaching the children for about five years I had to take a Class for a further two years before I could take the Teachers Certificate. This I did and decided to take it at St Andrews, which involved two weeks intensive teaching as opposed to ten weeks in Bristol.

I am so glad I decided to go to St Andrews as this introduced me to the last, and I think, the most dramatic happening which was in 1923.

Up until the 1920 dance instructions were still being passed on by word of mouth or cryptic instructions on little pieces of paper with no uniformity of steps or how to execute the various formations. So when I went to St Andrews I really began to appreciate all the hard work that Mrs Stewart of Fasnaclough and Miss Jean Milligan a PE Teacher at Jordanhill, Glasgow, had done in forming the SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING SOCIETY (SCDS) in 1923 with three main objects:

1. To practice and preserve Country Dances in Scotland

3. To collect old books and pictures illustrative of Scottish Dances.

3. To publish from time to time descriptions of Country Dances, with diagram and music in simple form, at a moderate price.

The Society thus formed in Glasgow soon spread. Edinburgh, Perth then town after town. Perhaps the timing of this was fortunate as it was just after the Great War and people were longing to return to a social life full of gaiety and friendliness. Soon England became interested and Branches were formed all over the Country. The SCDS did a wonderful service for Scotland not only in preserving its dances but also its wonderful music.

In 1924 when Mrs Stuart and Miss Milligan had their first book of 10 dances published it was kept alive mainly by the music of the master himself, Jim Shand and his accordions, but I am sure they little thought that by the year 2000 there would be over 7500 dances written down in detail and published, and they are all kept alive by various top bands in Scotland and England, like Ian Powrie mainly a fiddle band, and Colin Dewar predominantly accordian..

To form a definite centre of knowledge a Summer School was held at St Andrews in 1927. It was for one week and was attended by about 100 Scots. Now it lasts for four weeks and is attended each week by nearly 300 dancers and musicians from all over the world.

In recognition of all the hard work done by many people in building the SCDS, shortly before his death in 1951, King George VI bestowed the title of Royal on the Society and the Queen, who was Princess Elizabeth then, became its Patron and still takes a keen interest in the work of the RSCDS.

Halfway through my Course there was a concert in the Usher Hall in Edinburgh called Edinburgh Fancy. Peter and I managed to get tickets and off we set early to ensure we got a good seat. Coach loads of supporters came from all over Scotland and Northern England and what a night — and what an atmosphere. In the midst of all this culture — when the interval arrived out came all their sandwiches and coffee and everybody enjoyed an "indoor picnic"including us.

The dancing was out of this world. Demonstrations were danced from the start of dancing in the hay fields in bare feet (we reckon this was the origin of the hoochin as they danced on the stubble), through to dancing in best clothes - high heels and brogues to boot. A team of 10 men in Army Uniforms danced the Reel of the 51st Division, a dance devised in a prisoner of war camp by men of the 51st Div. who were captured at St Valary

The finale, Edinburgh Fancy was demonstrated by a team of the Edinburgh Branch of the RSCDS — men in full highland outfits and ladies in white dresses, red pumps and tartan sashes. You could have heard a pin drop — and there were quite a number of damp hankies drying moist eyes at the finish. What quality of dancing — made all the more enjoyable as they danced to the music provided by the Edinburgh Strathspey and Reel Society — what a combination.

On our last night there was a most enjoyable dance in St Andrews. Everyone present dancing as they had been taught at the Classes - straight lines, mannerly handing, counting the bars inwardly to get to place on time. The Teachers of the RSCDS had choreographed a demonstration. The team consisted of 16 dancers all but two of who were Japanese. Their dancing was breathtaking, almost ballerina like, even their fingers danced. What an ending to a very exhausting two weeks and the icing was put on the cake when I successfully gained my Teachers Certificate.

Whatever the occasion, the Scots can find an excuse to get his feet tapping. As reference to the RSCDS yearbook indicates, as the Scot travelled so he took his dances with him. He has danced in prisoner of war camps, in castles and cottage kitchens, in night schools, day schools, in defeat and in victory, and in almost every country in the world.

There is completeness about a Scottish Country Dance programme that produces a feeling of achievement as well as satisfaction. It changes from the fast movement of the reel or the more moderately phased jig to the stately strathspey. There is an appeal to both sexes; the men can be masculine and the ladies feminine. It is easy to start country dancing as there are a few basic steps, but just as the competent golfer gets drugged to lowering his handicap, so does the country dancer get hooked on learning more movements and progressions, not to mention more dances.

The strathspey has as emotional attachment and its distinctive music encourages a desire to give all. It is all about good manners, graciousness, precision and elegance moulded on to some of the most beautiful tunes every written by James Scott Skinner of Banchory, such as Monymusk and the Glasgow Highlanders.

The reels and jigs provide the opportunity to let your hair down dance to the music by Neil Gow of Inver another great Fiddler. In fact John Drewry, a modern day composer, used his tunes to dance the Duchess Tree and the Bonnie Lass of Bon Accord.

Lastly, just a quick mention of Dress. As in most species of animal, the male boasts more colourful, and here is no exception.

The kilt, in the tartan of his clan or the Royal Stewart, pure white shirt and bow tie, and black jacket. His dress sporran, kilt pin and skean dhu. Light fawn (not white) socks or diced socks of his tartan and black ghillies making sure his laces are tied at the side and not in a neat bow at the front. What a handsome figure!

The ladies, for demonstration purposes, generally wear a white dress with full skirt, black or red pumps as dictated by the team, and a sash in her clan tartan, all worn uniformly, but at a Ball the way a sash is worn tells a lot about the lady concerned.

At a Ball, dresses are generally plain coloured to show up the tartan of her sash, or white blouse and skirt, and the way in which she wears her sash is of great help to the opposite sex.

1. The Tartan tells the Clan to which she belongs (so a MacDonald may avoid asking a Campbell to dance).

2. If it is worn over her left shoulder she is either Royalty or the wife of a Clan Chief.

3. If it worn over her right shoulder, and fixed to her waist in a bow, she is a married lady and husbands s permission must be granted before he can dance with her. If the sash falls freely over her right shoulder then she is a fair single maiden and may be approached with decorum.

I for one am so pleased that Peter and I took up SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING. Through it, as was meant, we have made a host of friends and acquaintances, we have enjoyed dancing holidays all over the British Isles and aboard - in Stein-am-Rhine, Austria, Switzerland, Aunges in France, New Zealand and just recently in Cyprus. I remember the last night of a 10 day holiday in Denmark, when we had danced nearly every evening to the music of Frank Reid, the MC asked the Coach Drivers who had spectated most evenings, what was their lasting impression of Scottish Country Dancing. After much thought we expected to hear remarks like agility, covering, straight lines, mannerlyness etc, we were somewhat taken aback with their reply. "After each dance, the dancers crept back to their seats, sat down with much relief as if they did not have an ounce of energy left. Two minutes later, the next dance was announced and they were instantly on their feet and making up sets again." It was explained to them, and I feel it sums up SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING, that enjoyment demanded that, at the end of a nights dancing, all energy be drained from the body even though the spirit remained exhilarated.

Helen Thompson 2001

This page was created by George Steward, AISTD(Dip) Webmaster

Created 12^th June 2001 from material supplied by Helen Thompson