ABSTRACT
Competitive Highland dancing, performed by dancers dressed in tartan, is internationally recognised as being of Scottish origin. Competitions attract entrants from all over the world. In order to attract international competitors, Highland dancing had first to become standardized. How and why did this happen? This chapter traces the history of the standardization and globalization of Highland dance from the early nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. It examines how and why regulatory dance societies were formed in response to a demand from the dancing profession, a demand which was to increase in intensity during the 1890s and 1900s along with the need amongst teachers for professional recognition of their craft. It considers the change in approach from the improvisatory and musical style of dance practised by dancers from the Highlands of Scotland as described by the Aberdeen dancing master, Francis Peacock in 1805, to a choreographed and technically demanding repetition of a small number of dances. The chapter includes contributions from nineteenth and twentieth century Scottish dancing masters and evaluates the effect that professionalization had on dancing as a social practice.
