Highland Fling
The Highland Fling is a Scottish solo dance. It is one of the highland dancing dances that are mostly danced competitively or as a show dance today. Outside of Scotland, especially in Ireland, the music used (the Strathspey ) is also known as "Highland Fling" or "Fling" for short.
shape
The dance mainly involves athletic footwork, jumps in place, and a few different arm positions. Today, a series of four, six or eight different steps of 8 bars each is danced in competitions. The dance always begins with the first step ( shedding ) and ends with the last shedding . The steps in between can be varied or are given in competitions that change from year to year. The following steps are common today:
- First step: shedding
- Second step: first back stepping
- Third step: toe and heel
- Fourth step: rocking
- Fifth step: Second back stepping
- Sixth step: cross-over
- Seventh Step: Shake and Turn
- Eighth Step: Last Shedding
There is dancing to Strathspeys , which are usually played live by a bagpiper . The speed recommended by the SOBHD today is 112–124 bpm .
history
According to legend, the Highland Fling was once danced by the Highland warriors after a victorious battle on a small round shield (English targe ). Since these shields often had a sharp metal point in the middle, this custom would have required a great deal of courage and skill.
In fact, the Highland Fling did not emerge as an independent dance until the early 19th century. It was first mentioned as a separate dance in 1824, and the Highland Fling was first danced around 1840 at dance competitions that have been held in Scotland since 1783. Before that, “Highland Fling” was not a separate dance, but rather certain reel steps that were danced on the spot ( “setting” ) and alternated with running figures ( “traveling” ).
literature
- Highland dancing . The textbook of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing. 6th ed. 1993, ISBN 1-8981-6901-2
- George S. Emmerson: A Social History of Scottish Dance. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1972. ISBN 0-7735-0087-1
Individual evidence
- ↑ SOBHD Recommended Tempos ( Memento of the original from September 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on September 14, 2012)
- ↑ Emmerson 1972, pp. 181ff.
