The Highland Fling

Product Information

Together with the Sword Dance, the Highland Fling is probably the most famous of the Scottish Highland Dances. Tullochgorm was the earliest form of Highland Fling, but towards the end of the 18th century it had undergone changes and improvements. It is thought to have evolved about 1790, when legend has it that a shepherd boy on a hillside watched stags rearing and wheeling. The boy tried to copy the stag’s antics and hence we have the graceful curve of the hands and arms depicting the stag’s antlers. Runners are not allowed external support at any time. No support runners/pacers. Spectators may bewelcome at specific locations (this will be confirmed at a later date) Flett, JF and TM (1996). Traditional Step-Dancing in Scotland. Scottish Cultural Press. p. 29. ISBN 1898218455. James, a Scottish peasant, is about to marry a peasant girl named Effie. A Sylphide (a mythical winged sprite as difficult to hold as a dream) falls in love with James on his wedding day. She makes herself visible to him, and he falls in love with her and leaves his bride-to-be, relatives and wedding guests to escape with the Sylphide. James, a simple mortal, realizes that it is impossible to keep her at his side. Madge, the witch, sees James’ conundrum and offers him a magic scarf which he must tie around the Sylphide’s waist. This however will make her wings drop off leaving her unable to fly. James’ hope of the Sylphide being his forever is shattered as she falls to the ground dead. Not your regular happy ending, La Sylphide is the calling card of The Romantics, a bold and influential generation that forever changed the face of dance, with the creation of bold and beautiful illusions.

These following steps are included in the SOBHD text book. [5] The required tempo is 114* beats per minute (bpm): Fling steps illustrated by C. MacIntyre North in the Book of the Club of True Highlanders, London, 1880 Said to reflect the Highlanders contempt at having to wear trousers when the kilt was prohibited after the 1745 rebellion. The Act of Proscription in 1746 banned the wearing of Highland dress, the carrying of arms and the playing of bagpipes. In other words, the dance originated as a political protest. The slow tempo shows the dancers attempt to shake off the offending garment and the fast tempo shows the pleasure at the rescinding of the ban in 1782. Many of the movements are balletic and are influenced by French style of embellishments such as pirouettes. 3. Strathspey & Highland Reel The 2024 race takes place on Saturday 27th April and is a point-to-point trail ultramarathon along the southern 53 miles (85km) of Scotland’s iconic West Highland Way trail through the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park from Milngavie to Tyndrum.The Sylphide’s friends, the Sylphs, appear and gather round her and as she dies in their arms the sorrowful James watches. The Sylphs lift her into the air and carry her away. In the distance James sees Effie, now married to another. Madge enters and confronts the angry James. He attempts to kill her but Madge strikes him down with a cursed blow and kills him. Madge rejoices in her victory and the ballet comes to an end. Emmerson, George S. (1995). A Handbook of Traditional Scottish Dance. Galt House Publications. p. 50. ISBN 0969065361. Flett, JF and TM (1996). Traditional Step-Dancing in Scotland. Scottish Cultural Press. pp. 109–125. ISBN 1898218455.

This dance is now performed at dance competitions and events around the world. One goal of dancers today is to stay in the same spot throughout the dance. The Highland Fling is danced at almost all competition levels, from primary to premier. It is also performed for Highland and theory examinations. Dancers wear a kilt to perform the dance, which is in 4 This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( March 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) The Highland Fling has been chosen to host the 2024 Scottish Athletics National Ultra Trail Championships. More info here.

Word History

Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (2008). Highland Dancing, 7th edition. Lindsay Publications. pp. 31–34. ISBN 978-1898169369.

The Highland Fling is a solo Highland dance that gained popularity in the early 19th century. The word 'Fling' means literally a movement in dancing. [1] In John Jamieson's 1808 Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, the Highland Fling was defined as 'one species of movement' in dancing, not as one particular movement. [2] There is some speculation that the first solo Highland Fling dances simply showed off steps that individual dancers preferred in the Strathspey Reel, a social dance. [3] A dancer performing a Highland Fling at the 2005 Pacific Northwest Highland Games We are fully committed to upholding all principles of the Scottish LGBT Sports Charterand aim tobe as inclusive as possible. The organisers have a zero tolerance policy to any form of discrimination. ​ There are many more steps in existence, some of which have been recorded in publications, for example, Traditional Step-Dancing in Scotland [6] while some exist only in the memories of senior dancers. In 2008 the SOBHD recommended a tempo of 112-124 bpm for the Highland Fling on 2008 is 112-124 bpm. This has slowed considerably over the years – from 192 bpm one hundred years ago, 152 bpm in the 1960s and then 134 bpm in the 1980s. [ citation needed] In popular culture edit

Long fell/hill races and very long distance walking events may be accepted at our discretion. Please note that GPS data such as Strava/Garmin/Suunto logs from training runs are not accepted. Musical accompaniment is usually provide by the bagpipes), playing "Monymusk" or any other suitable Strathspey tune. La Sylphide was the first ballet to successfully express the Romantic philosophy: a hero on the brink of complacency, who suddenly throws it all away in a search for true happiness – a search that in the end proves fruitless. Eight-step dance: very rarely at Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (SOBHD) competitions, although it is still danced at some traditional Highland Games.