How to get started in highland dancing

Highland dancing began in the 11th or 12th century. It is one of the oldest folk dances and was originally danced only by men. The dance was a celebratory, marking victory or happiness. As it requires strength, stamina and agility, tradition states that kings and chiefs would choose their warriors depending on how well the men danced. The Scottish military used the dance to train their soldiers. Highland dancing is fun to learn and can be practised by both men and women. In this article, learn more on highland dancing.

Look for lessons

To begin learning highland dancing, you will need to find a course. The dance studios may also offer classes for children, which could be fun for the entire family. At these dance studios, you will be able to learn the basics of the dance. You can find dance classes through sites like Scottish Dance Net or in the phone book. Through them, you will be able to find our what dancers shoes and dancing supplies you will need.

Practice

Attend regular lessons Join the class and attend regular lessons. The lessons will be like building blocks, helping to teach you about the position of your body, your heel and toe, and the position of your legs. As you get better and better, you will be able to take part in gatherings and in ceilidh dancing. Sword dance As you take the lessons, you may find that you wish to take part in other highland dancing such as the sword dance. You may have to buy your own swords, or borrow some provided by the studio. At this point, you will be required to buy the clothing that dancers in competition wear: the kilt, jacket, proper shoes and more.

Perform

Dancing competitions Once you have reached a level that is high enough, you will be able to take part in dancing competitions. These can be city-wide, country-wide or even world-wide, where dancers from all the round the world come together to compete. You will be able to preform at Scottish Fair, participate in performance held by the studio, and more. As you become even better, you may decide that you wish to pass on what you have learned by helping to teach new students who come to the studio.