Introduction

This book investigates how contemporary approaches to traditional dance and music in Scotland have been shaped by historical developments and this chapter presents the major themes. How do contemporary Scottish traditional dancers and musicians perceive the relationship between dance and music and why? How has the history of dance in Scotland, from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present, affected contemporary attitudes to the connection between dance and music? How and why has dance and teaching changed in Scotland over the last 200 years? What were the contributory factors that led to the establishment of the regulatory societies and the disappearance of the peripatetic dancing master? This introductory chapter sets out these questions, assesses the relevant literature and explains how the following chapters will be approached.