strathspey@strathspey.org:52697

Ian Brockbank

RE: No more sword dances?

June 5, 2008, 10:11 a.m. (Message 52697, in reply to message 52683)

Hi Dick,

> I view Sword Dancing like other Highland Dancing.... An 
> extremely skillful competitive form of dance, not designed 
> for spectator entertainment. 

I have never danced competitively, but whenever we include a bit of
Highland in a performance (in particular a sword dance) it always gets a
VERY good reception.  It's different, it's showy, it's got the bagpipes.

I recently performed the sword dance at my daughter's school (they had a
week of celebrating diversity, and the teacher in charge of the week
dances in the same SCD class as me and managed to twist my arm so that
they could celebrate the local culture as well), and the kids were
delighted.  They were particularly interested in the prop (which had an
edge that had never been sharpened).  My daughter was later sent home
with a thank you card which included a couple of portraits of me by
pupils.

So, competitive Highland I cannot speak about, but my experience is that
audiences always like a bit of Highland in a dem.

Cheers,

Ian Brockbank
Edinburgh, Scotland
xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
http://www.scottishdance.net/
  


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