Originating in Scotland, Highland Dancing is a challenging dance art that requires strength, coordination and discipline. It was originally used as fitness training for Scottish soldiers and was exclusively for men.
The exact roots of the different dancers are not known, but there are various stories and legends about them, for example the Sword Dance, which was allegedly danced before going to war. The men would cross their sharp swords on the ground before dancing over them. It was a bad omen if the dancer touched the sword, signifying an injury on the battlefield, or even death.
Highland Dancing is normally danced by an individual, however, nowadays one can see many different choreographies performed by groups of dancers. This dance art can be seen in many Tattoos around the world, such as the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Basel Tattoo.
The benefits of Highland Dancing include a good level of fitness, improved spacial awareness, better coordination and of course fun! The social side of Highland Dancing is also important. Dancing spend lots of time with each other – in training, travelling to competitions, practising for shows – and many great friendships have started with Highland Dancing.