Many people have seen all sorts of dancers perform, whether the genre is ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, or even jazz. However, there is one type of dancing that many do not know about: Highland dancing.

     According to Historic UK, the first ever documented evidence of Highland dancing dates back to the year 1258, where Scottish “kings and clan chiefs used the Highland Games as a means to select their best men at arms, and the discipline required to perform the Highland dances allowed men to demonstrate their strength, stamina and agility.” According to the source, there are four main competitive dances: The Sword Dance (Gille Chaluim), The Seann Triubhas, The Highland Fling and The Reel of Tulloch.

     Although it is not a very known sport, that doesn’t mean that the dance isn’t practiced today. Juniors Liv Minichiello and Jamie Berigtold have been dancing together for a long time. Minichiello describes Highland dancing as, “a form of dance originating from Scottish tribes that represent Scottish culture. It’s usually done in a traditional outfit called a kilt.”

     Minichiello shares, “I have been dancing since I was four years old. I enjoy it because it’s a very niche type of dance, and I can get out my emotions in trying to perfect the dances.” Berigtold, on the other hand, says, “I’ve been dancing since I was two years old, and I enjoy it because it lets me get my energy out in a healthy way and get exercise in a fun way! Also, I learn about other cultures and new skills through dance.”

     There are both positive and negative things about dancing. Berigtold shares, “For me, the best parts are that it helps with my social anxiety, and it gives me a chance to show people what I’ve worked hard on.” Minichiello explains that “the best part about performance dancing is [that] things that seem impressive actually aren’t that hard. For example, dancing over a sword sounds hard, but the swords aren’t sharp; if you mess up, no one knows what the dance is supposed to look like, so they won’t know.” On the flip side, Berigtold adds that “the worst part is the anxiety that I’ll make a mistake. But then, you realize that in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter because you’ll never see most of these people again, and it’s just a chance to improve.”

     Of course, no sport goes without some sort of injury. “We had a girl pierce her foot on a sharp sword once,” Minichiello shares. “We called it Scottish acupuncture.”

     Berigtold “absolutely” recommends that people try Highland dancing. “Even if you think that it’s not for you, give it a shot because you’ll learn something new and have fun doing it. Plus, you can make a lot of friends through dance, just like any other extracurricular!”