Scottish Country Dance
Scottish Country Dancing (short "SCD") is a Scottish ballroom dancing , the groups of usually six to eight people to peppy Scottish music (mainly Reels , Jigs and Strathspeys ) is danced.
General
Going back to counter dances , Scottish Country Dance is danced in sets of two to eight couples; dances with three or four couples are common. The usual setup is in the alley, the so-called Longwise Set . There are also set-ups in a square ( Square Set ) such as in the Quadrille or in Square Dance or triangular sets ( Triangular Set ). Larger formations are, for example, circle dances as well as "round-the-room" dances in which many two- or three-pair sets form a large circle.
The dances themselves consist of figures lined up in a row, which are coordinated with the phrases of the music used. The figures are usually 2, 4 or 8 bars long. Such a sequence is usually 32 bars long, but other lengths such as 24, 40, 48 or 64 bars can also be used. This sequence is danced one or more times by each couple. A so-called progression usually takes place in the sequence , so that a couple moves from the beginning to the end of the set over the course of the dance. After one or two rounds, the second couple starts at the position of the original first pair, so that after three to eight rounds each pair has danced the sequence of figures from each position. The length of the dance results from the number of passes and the length of the sequence of figures; often a length of 8x32 bars, that is about four to five minutes for a reel or jig or eight minutes for a Strathspey. Besides progressive dances, there are set dances without progression, in which only one passage is danced; in this case the sequence of figures is much longer, usually 96 to 128 bars. However, these form a relatively small part of the repertoire.
More unusual progressions and figure sequences are also used in newer dances, for example a progression in which each round is danced with a new partner ("Caddam Wood" by John Mitchell), dances with palindrome - or with canon - or fugue structure ("Rob Roy “By Hugh Foss).
In contrast to square dance, there is no caller , so the dancers have to remember the sequence of figures. On the other hand, there are over 10,000 individual dances today, so that no dancer knows all of the dances by heart. It is also not necessary to know dances by heart, since with balls a "recap", a short reminder of the sequence of figures, is usually performed immediately before each dance, while detailed explanations and exercises precede the actual dance in class. SCD teaching aims to ensure that participants master the basic figures and can connect them, not to rehearse certain dances.
Scottish Country Dance should not be confused with Highland Dancing , which today is more of a competitive sport and essentially consists of solo dances. Both dance forms have common roots, and some steps of highland dancing are also used in Scottish country dance.
technology
steps
In contrast to Ceilidh dances or other counter dances such as the English Country Dance , which are often danced with normal walking steps, in the Scottish Country Dance special steps are used that look very impressive when performed correctly, but also require practice and a certain physical fitness. Soft leather shoes, ghillies are mostly worn.
The steps are divided into traveling steps for locomotion and setting steps , which are (mostly) carried out on the spot.
| Reel and Jig | Strathspey | |
|---|---|---|
| Traveling Steps |
|
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| Setting steps |
|
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With five of these steps one can dance the majority of all dances. The running step , a simple running step , occurs only in a few simple dances. Some dances contain the Highland Scottish Setting Step , and very rarely there are other steps ( rocking step , high cuts, etc.) that come from Highland Dancing. Dances with such special setting steps are e.g. B. "Glasgow Highlanders", "Schiehallion", or the "Garry Strathspey".
Teamwork
The spatial and temporal cooperation of the dancers is more important than the correct step technique. The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society , RSCDS, lists a number of essential points that are characteristic of Scottish Country Dancing:
Anticipation (looking ahead): In order to ensure a continuous flow of the dance, every dancer, whether dancing or waiting for his start, must already have the coming figure in mind.
Management of the Set : The size of the line-up (the set) depends on the characters. Some dances require wider or longer sets than others. The dancers have to keep the shape of the set as much as possible during the dance, but at the same time adapt to the space requirements of certain figures and at the same time take into account the neighboring sets that are sometimes present.
Covering : If several couples or dancers dance the same (or mirror image) figures, then these figures should be congruent. Each dancer should observe the others and dance slower or faster, closer or further, in order to achieve a picture that is as uniform as possible.
Phrasing (phrasing): For each figure includes a well-defined phrase of music. Each figure should begin with the first beat of the musical phrase and end with the exact last. The steps must also match the music; this means that you have to plan the figures in advance and choose larger or smaller steps from the beginning, depending on the route. If the phrasing is good, the figures flow into one another without any pauses.
The value placed on these technical elements differs from group to group. SCD is a pastime that is primarily designed to be fun. In some SCD groups there are demonstration teams that strive for perfect technology for public appearances.
characters
The figures ( formations ) in Scottish Country Dance range from a simple swap to very complex figures in which all pairs in a set are in motion at the same time. The RSCDS differentiates between the following groups of figures, which in turn usually comprise several standardized figures:
- Advance and Retire
- Allemande
- Back to back
- Balance in line
- Casting
- Chain formations
- Corner formations
- Cross over
- Crown triangles
- Double triangles
- En rond
- Figure of eight
- Hands across
- Hands Round
- The knot
- Lead Down the Middle and Up
- Petronella turn
- Poussette
- promenade
- Reels of Four
- Reels of Three
- Rights and Lefts
- The Rondel
- Set and link
- Setting in line
- Set and rotate
- The spiral
- The spoke
- The Spurtle
- Stepping up / down
- The swirl
- The Targe
- The tourbillon
- The tour
music
The individual dances are referred to as reels , jigs and strathspeys according to the music used . The first two types ( quick-time dances ) are fast and lively, the third is slower and elegant. There are also a few hornpipes, polkas, 9/8 jigs, minuets or waltzes (e.g. “Waltz Country Dance” and “Tweedside”), but they only make up a negligible part of the dance repertoire.
Reels are fast dances in a straight beat. The melodies played are not only reels in the actual sense, but also rants , scots measures , hornpipes , marches, songs or polkas . What they have in common is a simple measure with two beats: 2/2 or 2/4. Often reels are notated in 4/4 time, but the usual time and tempo indications for the dances refer to half notes in 2/2 time. A beat then comprises four eighth notes .
Jigs are just as fast as the reels, but are in a compound bar (6/8). Jigs also have two beats per measure, here each beat comprises three eighth notes. In addition to jigs in the narrower sense, other pieces are also played in 6/8 time: marches (especially Scottish pipe marches ), songs and, since the 20th century, two-steps .
The distinction between jig and reel music is not easy even for some dancers. The typical rhythm of a reel corresponds to that of the words "animated alligator" , that of the jig corresponds to the words "jiggety jig" .
Musically, Strathspeys were originally a variant of the reel and were played much faster than today. They probably originated in the middle of the 18th century, so they are a little younger than country dancing , which came to Scotland at the beginning of the century. Today, Strathspeys in Scottish Country Dance are not only danced to actual Strathspeys with their characteristic rhythm, but also to slow airs and songs in 4/4 time. What they have in common is a simple measure with four beats. Here, too, there are different notations (2/4 or 2/2 time), which can be confusing when counting steps and specifying tempo.
The tempo of the music is around 112 bpm (56 TPM ) for jigs and reels, and 120 bpm (30 TPM) for Strathspeys. Depending on the requirements of the individual dances, the dancers and also the pieces of music, the tempo can vary considerably.
history
Country dancing ( counter dance ) was the predominant form of ballroom dancing in 17th century England. From there the dances made their way to Scotland in the 18th century, initially to the larger cities such as Edinburgh , from where they gradually spread across the country. The English country dances came into contact with older Scottish dances such as the reel , so that little by little an own Scottish form of country dancing developed. In the 18th century it was customary to name dances after the pieces of music they belonged to, and so (in England and later Scotland) those dances that were based on Scottish (or sounding Scottish, or given a Scottish title) were initially considered "Scottish" Pieces of music were choreographed. It was not until the second half of the 18th century that figures inspired by the Scottish reel were adopted in country dances in Scotland.
The historical starting point for the spread of country dance in Scotland may have been the Union of Parliaments in 1707, the legal union of England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain . Even if this union was not welcomed in Scotland, it ultimately brought significant economic détente. At the same time, the move of the Scottish MPs from Edinburgh to London resulted in a much greater cultural exchange between England and Scotland.
Initially, people danced in private and public dance assemblies . This meant both the dance halls and the dance events that were usually held there on a weekly basis. The first assembly in Scotland was likely the West Bow Assembly, founded in 1710. In 1723 a public assembly was established. An advertisement in the Caledonian Mercury of November 4, 1723 announced: “The Edinburgh Assembly is to begin Thursday next, the 7th inst., In the great hall in Patrick Steil's Close and tickets are given at Mr. Robertson's, Bookseller, opposite to the Cross. ” The“ public ”assemblies, like the English clubs , were only accessible to the upper class (“ ladies and gentlemen ”). The income from the entrance fees was usually used for charitable purposes.
The dance events began with a minuet and ended with country dances. By 1786 the minuets disappeared and only country dances were danced.
These formal assemblies spread from Edinburgh to other cities. By 1770 there were assemblies in Glasgow and Aberdeen , then in Leith (1777), Haddington (1788) and Dundee . Country dancing also mingled with the older folk dances of the Highlands. It took a long time to spread: Country dance was unknown in the Hebrides until the late 19th century. During this time, when country dance had already been replaced by waltzes and quadrilles in the larger cities, the old Reels, Strathspeys and the Reel of Tulloch were still danced in the Highlands , as well as country dances such as "Flowers of Edinburgh" and "Triumph." "Or" Petronella ", Polka and Highland Scottish. The spread of the dances in rural areas was carried out by traveling dance teachers ( itinerant dancing masters , such as James Scott Skinner ), who each stayed in one place for a few weeks and performed social and solo dances ( highland dancing ) in a barn or a meeting hall. taught.
The Dancing Masters of the 18th and 19th centuries were also the ones who introduced the elements of ballet (such as the designation of the five foot positions ), which are completely absent in the older English Country Dance, but are so typical of Scottish Country Dance to this day. Some of these dance teachers and professional dancers were French, and many others had received classical dance training in France. The old alliance between Scotland and France, the Auld Alliance , certainly plays a role in this exchange .
Dance descriptions have been handed down since the 18th century. William Walsh published a collection of Caledonian Country Dances in 1731 , but the Scottish nature of these dances is justified in doubt. A first source of clearly Scottish country dances is the 1749 Menzies Manuscript. It contains the names and descriptions of eighteen dances. Some of the names ( "O'er the Watter to Charly" or "You'r Wellcome Charly Stuart" ) refer to Charles Edward Stuart and the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745/46 - the dances must have been brand new and topical at the time! (Mind you, the Menzies manuscript is a private collection of notes; five years after the Jacobite Rising, dances with such names could not have been published without being considered rebels.)
Some of the dances from the Menzies Manuscript are danced practically unchanged today, and the vocabulary of the dance descriptions is (somewhat) understandable for today's dancers. An example is "General Stuart's Reel or the New Way of Gil Don" :
"1st man sets to the 2d woman & casts off, then the 1st woman does the same, then the 1st man turns the 3d woman by the right hand & goes half round his partner, who was turning the 2d man by the right hand then the 1st man turns the 2d woman by the left hand, while the 1st woman turns the 3d man by the left hand; then the 1st pair setts cross, & then to each other, & reels att the side. "
However, in the 18th century there was still no standardized terminology for the description of country dances, which makes it difficult to reconstruct choreographies using old manuscripts, as, for example, the same character has different names in different sources or the same name can stand for different characters in different epochs. Nor do the manuscripts usually provide any information about the steps to be used.
In the second half of the 18th century, numerous collections of "Reels or Country Dances" were published in England (1761 by Neil Stewart, 1768 by Robert Bremner, 1780 by Robert Ross and others). The first surviving dance collection published in Scotland, A collection of strathspey reels and country dances by John Bowie at Perth , appeared in 1789. Country dances in Scotland initially found it difficult to assert themselves against the traditional reel; In 1775 the English major Edward Topham wrote:
“The stamina the Scottish ladies show in these reels is no less surprising than their preference for all the other [dances]. You sit completely motionless to the liveliest sounds of an English country dance, but as soon as one of these pieces is played [...] they jump up, revitalized, and you might think they were bitten by a tarantula. "
When country dancing became an integral part of social life in Scotland at the beginning of the 19th century, it almost went out of fashion in England under the influence of French dances such as quadrille and cotillion and later the waltz . This development came later in Scotland, and a handful of country dances continued into the 20th century.
In 1923 the newly founded Scottish Country Dance Society (since 1951 Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, RSCDS) dedicated itself to the revival of "Country Dances as danced in Scotland". Without much consideration for contemporary dance practice, the dance form was radically standardized and attempts were made to bring technique and etiquette closer to a romanticizing ideal. The aim was not the historically correct reconstruction of the dances of the 18th and 19th centuries, but a reinterpretation of them for the 20th century. As an umbrella organization, the RSCDS has since promoted the dissemination and development of Scottish Country Dance through courses for dancers and dance teachers and the publication of dance books and other media, such as records with dance music.
The current repertoire of Scottish Country Dances consists of old traditional dances from the 17th and 18th centuries (e.g. from the books by Playford , Bremner, Walsh, Wilson and others) as well as new creations from the present day, such as by John Drewry, Hugh Foss, Roy Goldring and numerous other inventors. New dances are constantly being released. During the early heyday of Scottish Country Dance in the 18th century, many new dances were developed, but were forgotten again with the advent of the waltz and quadrille. A goal in founding the RSCDS was to collect and publish these ancient dances. Of the approximately 13,000 dances cataloged today, hardly 10% are “traditional” dances.
literature
- George S. Emmerson: Rantin 'pipe and tremblin' string. A history of Scottish dance music. London: Dent, 1971. ISBN 0-460-03891-5
- George S. Emmerson: A Social History of Scottish Dance. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1972. ISBN 0-7735-0087-1
- JF and TM Flett: Traditional Dancing in Scotland. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1964. ISBN 0-7102-0731-X
- Peter Knight, RSCDS (Ed.): Scottish Country Dancing. Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers, 2000. ISBN 0-00-472500-X
- RSCDS (Ed.): The Manual of Scottish Country Dancing. 2005 (1st ed. 1992). ISBN 0-902997-03-3
- Hugh Thurston: Scotland's Dances. London: G. Bell and Sons; reprinted Kitchener, Ontario: Teachers' Association (Canada) 1984.
Individual evidence
- ^ Hugh Foss: The Waverley Fugues: Twelve-Scottish Country Dances for Demonstrations. 1963. ISBN 0904102084
- ↑ RSCDS Manual 2005, p. 28
- ^ Hugh Foss: Notes On Evolution in Scottish Country Dancing. Dumfries 1973, p. 12
- ↑ Emmerson 1972, p. 86
- ^ William Maitland (1693? –1757): The history of Edinburgh, from its foundation to the present time. Edinburgh 1753
- ↑ Emmerson 1971, p. 38
- ↑ Emmerson 1972, p. 105
- ↑ Emmerson 1972, p. 143
- ↑ Emmerson 1972, p. 143
- ↑ Thurston, p. 81
- ↑ http://www.strathspey.org/history/menzies.html ( Memento from April 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ practically identical to "General Stuart's Reel" in the Scottish Country Dance Book - Book 10 of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (undated; reprinted 1994)
- ↑ Thurston, p. 94
- ↑ Flett, p. 6ff.
- ^ Foss 1973, p. 23
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated June 30, 2009 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.
Web links
- The Strathspey Server - a website about SCD and SCD music
- The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society website
- The website of the Scottish Dancing Central Germany eV RSCDS Branch
- Celtic-Circle - Site of the European Scottish Country Dance groups (excluding UK)
- Take the Floor - a BBC radio program dedicated to Scottish dance music
- Comprehensive collection of short dance descriptions (minicribs) from RSCDS Leeds
Videos on YouTube ( Flash required ):
- Example: Jig (visited on April 13, 2009)
- Example: Reel (visited on April 13, 2009)
- Example: Strathspey (visited April 13, 2009)