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A Dance Called America
Ian Brockbank
Dec. 4, 2006, 12:30 p.m. (Message 47263)
Hi All,
I've just had this email.
===========
Hello I wonder if you could help me,
A friend and l have found that the Runrig song A dance called
America was
an actual dance supposedly danced on the Isle of Skye during
the times of
the clearances.
we would be greatful if you would be able to help us, we would
like to know
the steps to this dance but have so far be unsuccessful in
tracing them.
lf you or someone you may know of have knowledge of these
steps, then
we would be greatful to have them .
===========
Now I suspect this is an urban myth, but I don't know for certain.
Can anyone answer categorically?
Thanks,
Ian Brockbank
Edinburgh, Scotland
xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
http://www.scottishdance.net/
Ian Brockbank wrote: > Now I suspect this is an urban myth, but I don't know for certain. > Can anyone answer categorically? To get to the bottom of this you have to refer to James Boswell's _Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides_ (where he went in 1773 with the famous Dr Johnson). This was published in 1785, and says in the entry for Saturday, the 2nd of October, 1773: | In the evening the company danced as usual. We performed, with much | activity, a dance which, I suppose, the emigration from Sky has occasioned. | They call it ‘America’. Each of the couples, after the common involutions | and evolutions, successively whirls round in a circle, till all are in | motion; and the dance seems intended to shew how emigration catches, till a | whole neighbourhood is set afloat. This occurred when Boswell and Dr Johnson stayed in the house of one Sir Alexander MacDonald in Armadale (in the south of the Isle of Skye). There is a very nice web-based edition of Boswell's _Journal_ available from http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/b/boswell/james/b74t/ . _Traditional Dancing in Scotland_, by Flett and Flett, mentions this and cites (on p.155) an apparently more extensive version of the _Journal_ explaining the dance like this: | A brisk reel is played. The first couple begin, and each sets to one--then | each to another--then as they set to the next couple, the second and third | couples are setting; and so it goes on till al are set a-going, setting | and wheeling round each other, while each is making the tour of all in the | dance. >From the modern point of view Boswell's description is evidently somewhat lacking in detail, but I think that it is really the spirit of the dance that counts, and so in true RSCDS tradition one should make up the movements such that they suit the spirit, whatever the historical precedent :^) Anselm -- Anselm Lingnau, Frankfurt, Germany ..................... xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -- Ann Landers
I've just phoned Rory Macdonald of Runrig, who wrote "Dance called America" and he confirmed what I already knew, that the idea for the song came from the written description of the dance to be found in Johnson and Boswell's account of their trip to the Hebrides in 1773. A further description of the dance (but no actual steps) can be found in Fletts' book on page 155: "We made out five country squares without sitting down: and then we performed with much alacrity a dance which I suppose the emigration from Skye has occasioned. They call it 'America'. A brisk reel is played. The first couple begin, and each sets to one - then each to another - then as they set to the next couple, the second and third couples are setting; and so it goes on till all are set a-going, setting and wheeling round each other, while each is making the tour of all in the dance. It shows how emigration catches till all are set afloat...' As Rory says, the dance as seen would have been performed by the "toffs" in Armadale. He's interested to know if anyone ever finds the actual steps - but advises you strongly never to attempt to dance it amongst the common people of the Hebrides! Best wishes, Karin Ingram (Editor "Dance On!") Scottish Borders