highland dance

Kilt-swirling folk step

Highland dance is a style of solo dancing from Scotland, characterized by precise footwork, high leaps, and controlled arm positions.

Performed to bagpipe music, it developed from traditional Scottish folk dances into a competitive athletic art form.

The most recognizable is the Highland Fling, danced over crossed swords: She's been doing highland dance since she was five.

Scottish

kilt

Wrapped Highland garment

ghillies · reel · ceilidh · sporran · pipers · drummers · Scotland · clan · Celtic · thistle

folk

jig

Spirited folk dance

  • reelWinding cylinder or dance
  • ceilidhScottish social dance gathering
  • fiddleAdjust restlessly; folk violin

accordion · tradition · folklore · stepdance · medley · formation · partner · group · caller · social

Categories
Opposites
dance style/tradition

highland danceballroom dance

Formal coupled movement style

ballet · Latin dance · salsa · tango · waltz

cultural/geographic origin

highland dancehula

Gestural Polynesian dance

African dance · samba · flamenco · Bollywood dance · capoeira

dance style formality and context

highland danceballroom dance

Formal coupled movement style

ballet · waltz · foxtrot · Viennese waltz · tango

Family

highland, dance, high, land, highlands, highness, higher, highest, highly

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Positive · Rated G