Sophie Stephenson
© Ruth O' Sullivan
Sophie Stephenson is a traditional musician and step dancer from Fort Augustus, in the Scottish Highlands. Introduced to step dance by Harvey Beaton at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye, Sophie continued to build on her repertoire of steps, learning from dancers including Donal Brown, Frank McConnell, Deirdre Graham, Jane MacNeil and Margie Beaton.
Stemming from an upbringing in Highland culture, Sophie has a passion for traditional music and dance which she has pursued through academic study. Research into performance contexts and the traditions of the Taigh Cèilidh in Scotland and Canada formed part of her honours degree in Scottish Literature and Scottish Ethnology, with the School of Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh. In 2013 Sophie was awarded the Lisa Ullmann Dance Scholarship which allowed her to follow her interest in emigrant traditions across to the Canadian Maritimes. She travelled to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia to meet with dancers and explore Cape Breton and Acadian dance traditions within their community context.
Sophie is particularly interested in the rhythmical relationships between language, music, song and dance. She is the founding member of trad group Huradal in which dance is an integral part of performance both as a percussive response to the music and also a rhythmical impetus behind the musical arrangements. Sophie has also developed TradBeats, a project which brings together the core elements of voice and movement through rhythm, with Gaelic mouth music, beatboxing, step dance and body percussion.
Sophie is dedicated to promoting and passing on the tradition of step dance and set up Sophabulous Steps to teach step dance whilst living on Isle of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland where she studied traditional music at Colaiste Bheinn na Faoghla. Since then Sophie has collaborated on a number of projects which have led her to teach and perform throughout Scotland and internationally at camps and festivals including Celtic Connections (Glasgow); Ceòlas (South Uist); Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (Isle of Skye), Belladrum Festival (Inverness); Blas Festival (Scotland); Best of the West Festival (Inveraray); TradFest (Edinburgh); The Fringe (Edinburgh); Festival Interceltique de Lorient (Brittany), Womad (England); Highland Blast (Germany); Champlain Valley Percussive Dance (Burlington, Vermont); Rollobay Fiddle Festival (Prince Edward Island, Canada); P.E.I Fiddle Camp (Charlottetown, Canada); Re-Jigged Festival (Nova Scotia, Canada) and UKM Arctic Art Impulse (Troms, Norway).
Sophie is currently involved in various creative projects including THREADS, TradBeats and Huradal and is also a regular tutor with Fèisean nan Gàidheal.
Stemming from an upbringing in Highland culture, Sophie has a passion for traditional music and dance which she has pursued through academic study. Research into performance contexts and the traditions of the Taigh Cèilidh in Scotland and Canada formed part of her honours degree in Scottish Literature and Scottish Ethnology, with the School of Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh. In 2013 Sophie was awarded the Lisa Ullmann Dance Scholarship which allowed her to follow her interest in emigrant traditions across to the Canadian Maritimes. She travelled to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia to meet with dancers and explore Cape Breton and Acadian dance traditions within their community context.
Sophie is particularly interested in the rhythmical relationships between language, music, song and dance. She is the founding member of trad group Huradal in which dance is an integral part of performance both as a percussive response to the music and also a rhythmical impetus behind the musical arrangements. Sophie has also developed TradBeats, a project which brings together the core elements of voice and movement through rhythm, with Gaelic mouth music, beatboxing, step dance and body percussion.
Sophie is dedicated to promoting and passing on the tradition of step dance and set up Sophabulous Steps to teach step dance whilst living on Isle of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland where she studied traditional music at Colaiste Bheinn na Faoghla. Since then Sophie has collaborated on a number of projects which have led her to teach and perform throughout Scotland and internationally at camps and festivals including Celtic Connections (Glasgow); Ceòlas (South Uist); Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (Isle of Skye), Belladrum Festival (Inverness); Blas Festival (Scotland); Best of the West Festival (Inveraray); TradFest (Edinburgh); The Fringe (Edinburgh); Festival Interceltique de Lorient (Brittany), Womad (England); Highland Blast (Germany); Champlain Valley Percussive Dance (Burlington, Vermont); Rollobay Fiddle Festival (Prince Edward Island, Canada); P.E.I Fiddle Camp (Charlottetown, Canada); Re-Jigged Festival (Nova Scotia, Canada) and UKM Arctic Art Impulse (Troms, Norway).
Sophie is currently involved in various creative projects including THREADS, TradBeats and Huradal and is also a regular tutor with Fèisean nan Gàidheal.
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'S ann à Cille Chuimein, air taobh a deas Loch Nis, a tha Sophie Nic Steaphain. Fhuair i an cothrom dannsa ceum fheuchainn an toiseach aig fèisean ionadail agus aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig le Harvey Peutan à Cape Breatainn. Ann an 2013 fhuair i an cothrom dol a-null a dh'Alba Nuadh agus a dh'Eilean a' Phrionsa a bhith am-measg dannsairean Cape Breatannach agus Acadianach.
Tha i fhèin a-nis air dannsa is teagasg a dhèanamh air feadh Alba agus gu eadar nàiseanta aig fèisean ann an Èirinn, sa Fhraing, Nirribhidh, an Spàin, Canada agus sna Stàitean còmhla ri ceòladairean a' leithid Carlos Nunez, Anxo Lorenzo, Xabi Aburruzaga, Donald Shaw, Charlie McKerron, Còig agus The East Pointers. Tha Sophie air tòrr obair a dhèanamh a' brosnachadh dannsa ceum ann an Alba: tro bùithtean obrach; air an àrd-ùrlar; ann an dràma agus fiolm. Ann an 2016 chuir i seachad sia seachdainean ann an Dùthaich nam Basgach far an robh i na neach-ealain Ghàidhlig mar phàirt den phròiseact Tosta le 'Donostia San Sebastian Eurpoean Capital of Culture 2016'. Le sin rinn i fiolm goirid le puirt-à-beul, dannsa ceum agus rap Basgais a chaidh a shealltainn ann an iomadh dhùthaich. A bharrachd air a sin tha i na pàirt den chòmhlan-ciùil Huradal agus tha i air a bhith a' leasachadh 'TradBeats', pròiseact òigridh ùr aice fhèin.
Tha i fhèin a-nis air dannsa is teagasg a dhèanamh air feadh Alba agus gu eadar nàiseanta aig fèisean ann an Èirinn, sa Fhraing, Nirribhidh, an Spàin, Canada agus sna Stàitean còmhla ri ceòladairean a' leithid Carlos Nunez, Anxo Lorenzo, Xabi Aburruzaga, Donald Shaw, Charlie McKerron, Còig agus The East Pointers. Tha Sophie air tòrr obair a dhèanamh a' brosnachadh dannsa ceum ann an Alba: tro bùithtean obrach; air an àrd-ùrlar; ann an dràma agus fiolm. Ann an 2016 chuir i seachad sia seachdainean ann an Dùthaich nam Basgach far an robh i na neach-ealain Ghàidhlig mar phàirt den phròiseact Tosta le 'Donostia San Sebastian Eurpoean Capital of Culture 2016'. Le sin rinn i fiolm goirid le puirt-à-beul, dannsa ceum agus rap Basgais a chaidh a shealltainn ann an iomadh dhùthaich. A bharrachd air a sin tha i na pàirt den chòmhlan-ciùil Huradal agus tha i air a bhith a' leasachadh 'TradBeats', pròiseact òigridh ùr aice fhèin.
"Sophie Stephenson may be a traditional step dancer, but there’s nothing old-fashioned about the way she spreads her love of the art." (Celtic Life International Magazine, Jan 2015).
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"Whilst her steps are rooted in a uniquely Scottish or Cape Breton style, Sophie is international in her outlook and endeavours to make connections with other percussive dance styles and music and dance cultures. "
(The Scotsman, 2017)
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"Hospitality goes hand in hand with the traditions themselves; forming the bonds of community and commonality between people brought together in music and dance."
(Lisa Ullmann Dance Scholarship Report 2013).
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Email: [email protected]
