DVD Review: Scottish Step Dancing with Dannsa

One of the things I enjoy most about receiving the newsletters from Music Scotland and Foot Stomping Celtic Music is that they pitch products I'd never think to look for, but might be of interest to me.

Recently this happened when one of them advertised a new DVD, Learn to Scottish Step Dance with Dannsa. The name itself piqued my curiosity, so I ordered it and eagerly awaited its arrival.

In summer 2003, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival featured Scotland, and one of the acts - the Mitchellson Brothers, discussed the various forms of Scottish dance. What struck me was their claim that there were still a few exponents of old Scottish step-dancing left in Scotland, independent of Cape Breton, and they demonstrated the ever so subtle differences between the two. I wondered, in ordering this DVD, if this might be the almost-lost Scottish form, or if the differences would be discussed.

Alas, that was not the case. This was straight-up Cape Breton style step dancing, just as taught by Scottish dancers and instructors Caroline Reagh & Sandra Robertson, accompanied by Fin Moore (son of the pipe-maker Hamish) on the reel pipes, who make up the ensemble Dannsa. But don't let that deter you! In the extras section, we are told precisely why they consider this dance form to be Scottish, perhaps preserved in Cape Breton, but still authentically Scottish. And whatever its ultimate provenance, it looked like a lot of fun to dance!



The DVD starts with a section on warmups, and then goes independently through the various steps for Strathspey, reel, and jig dancing. The most basic step is shown first, and then variants are discussed. Demonstrations begin with Fin playing for the dancer at tempo, and we see the dancer from the front, going through all the steps in the section in succession. Then each individual step is broken down at slower tempos, first from a frontal close-up view of the feet, then rear and side views, while verbal instruction is offered in the form of a voice-over. Eventually the tempo increases and we see the dance at full tempo again, still zoomed in on the feet.

Now I have to say, I have two left feet. Prior to taking a few Scottish Country Dance classes this fall, the only dance I could do was the Breton An Dro (and that's a pretty simple one!). But this DVD is perfect for the beginner with little coordination - one can watch the step over and over, repeat as necessary, until one gets it. I'm still mastering the basic reel and jig steps, but I'm not daunted by the difficulty, since the DVD successfully portrayed the step in a manner I can understand and, if imperfectly and slowly, repeat. I figure if I do 10,000 more steps, I'll get the hang of it!

One thing you have to remember when practicing is to wear the right shoes. Dress shoes with a low square heel are necessary - hiking boots and tennis shoes just aren't the right shape! In my case, I pulled out some 18th century style buckle shoes I use when I do living history, and they were perfect for the job.

All in all, if one is interested in learning Scottish/Cape Breton step, and doesn't have an instructor handy, I can't recommend this DVD more highly. It might even be worth it for Fin's piping alone. And, given some time, some effort and some floor, one might soon have a few steps of one's own to put to it.