Eachdraidh & Ath-Bheòthachadh
Step Dance History & Revival

What is step dance? Find out more...

What is Step Dance?

Step dance is a form of percussive dance, with origins in Scotland, which has had a strong tradition in Cape Breton where Scottish emigrant communities settled. Whether as part of social dance or solo performance, step dance is about retaining the close links between music and rhythm. The last two decades have seen step dance reinstated within the folk music scene in Scotland through workshops and fèisean including summer schools at Ceòlas and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and brought to the fore with with groups such as The Scottish Stepdance Company and Dannsa. Led by dancer Sophie Stephenson, Sophabulous Steps follows in the steps of this revival and is dedicated to promoting and sharing the tradition
through performances and workshops.  

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Useful Web Sources on the Origin, Evolution and Stylistic Development of Step Dancing

Close to the Floor: Cape Breton Stepdancing by Harvey Beaton
By Harvey Beaton and published on the The Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia - Comhairle na Gáidhlig website.
http://www.gaelic.ca/dance.html

Scottish Step Dancing 
By Maggie Moore, published by the Scottish Arts Council, 1995.
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/languages/gaelic/ssd.txt

"STEP-DANCING: WHY WE MUST LEARN FROM PAST MISTAKES"
An insightful article by Margaret Bennett, published in the West Highland Free Press, 1994. Well worth a read!
http://www.margaretbennett.co.uk/folklore-resources/dance

"Whether it is a solo performance on a concert stage or an intricate part of a set dance at a local hall, stepdancing is an artistic expression older than our highland ancestors themselves who introduced the tradition to the new world in the eighteenth century. Although stepdancing has evolved somewhat, it has withstood the test of time and is a popular form on Cape Breton Island and indeed many parts of the mainland of Nova Scotia [...] While there are steps which are common to all dancers, and steps which are unique to particular dancers, dancing styles are as individual as the dancer. In concert situations few dancers have a set routine, and those who do are often in a synchronized performance with one or more people. Most dancing is individual and the performers are more likely to dance ‘off the cuff,’ often allowing the music of the fiddler to determine the steps. [...] As the lively strathspeys, jigs and reels echo throughout the village halls and concert stages, one can be sure to relish in the delightful steps of the stepdancers whose feet speak loudly of the appreciation of their heritage". 


From: Close to the Floor: Cape Breton Stepdancing by Harvey Beaton