Differences Between River Dance and Scottish Step Dancing
- Scottish highland dancing dates to the 11th and 12th centuries when men would dance to celebrate military battles. According to tradition, kings and military leaders used highland dancing to train and test men for strength, stamina and agility. Irish dance likely has roots in the religious dances of the pre-Christian druids and began as early as the fifth century. While men and women have always participated in Irish dancing, women only began regularly performing Scottish highland dances around the turn of the 20th century.
- One of the most noticeable aesthetic differences between Irish step dancing and Scottish highland dancing is the placement of the arms. Irish step dancers hold their arms down firmly against the sides of their bodies, as they dance, with few exceptions. In contrast, Scottish highland dancers keep their hands on their hips or in the air as they dance. Scottish highland technique is similar to Irish step dance but bears closer resemblance to classical ballet, with athletic jumps and large movements, than its Irish counterpart. Irish dance also includes percussive foot rhythms similar to tap dancing, unlike Scottish highland dance.
- Both Scottish highland dancers and Irish step dancers wear ghillies, soft black shoes with laces. However, Irish dancers also wear hard shoes for the percussive, rhythmic dances, such as those featured in "Riverdance." For competition and performance, female Irish dancers wear uniform short dresses indicating their dance school affiliation. Men wear black slacks and a collared shirt. Advanced female dancers purchase customized "solo dresses" that often include elaborate designs, sequins and other ornamentation. Scottish highland dancers wear vests, shirts and kilts or plaid skirts that may fall below the knee. Unlike Irish dancers, they do not buy customized costumes when they reach an advanced level.
- Competitions are a central component of both Irish step and Scottish highland dance. Dancers in both kinds of competitions compete with others in their age range and ability level. Irish dance competitions take place as part of Feiseanna, Irish cultural festivals, while Scottish dance competitions are often held as part of highland games athletic contests. At both kinds of competitions, dancers are evaluated based on timing, technique, carriage and presentation. While Irish dancers must execute certain steps to specific kinds of music at competitions, teachers create their own unique combinations for steps. Scottish highland dancers execute uniform dances and perform steps according to a syllabus.
- Irish dance consists of different types of dances named for the kind of Irish music each one was created to accompany, such as reels, jigs, slip jigs and hornpipes. While specific movements traditionally accompany each kind of dance with a specific number of hops or steps on each leg, teachers choreograph and pass on their own "steps" or variations on each kind of dance. Scottish highland dance takes a different approach, with dances classified in two broad categories -- highland dances and national or character dances. Highland dances, such as the sword dance, have militaristic origins and have set choreography that varies minimally from dancer to dancer. Character and national dances tell stories or portray characters, such as the Village Maid, and were created in the 19th century to showcase women who were not allowed to perform highland dances.