With a nod to Burns night on Saturday, P.Ramakrishnan kicks up his heels and learns a thing or two about Scottish dancing.
AT FIRST GLANCE, the four row of eight couples poised to begin the beginner’s class of Scottish country dancing at the Hong Kong Cricket Club reminds me of a dance session at Ernakulam, in Southern India.
Nearly two decades ago, I saw a dancer begin a recital with her amateur troupe for Bharatnatyam, one of the oldest forms of classical south Indian dance. In similar rows, boys and girls stood in rigid anticipation as their guru rhythmically tapped a wooden stick on a circular, wooden pan. Every pupil’s blunder was met with a harsh, khol-laden glare and major flaw was met with the stick, the trainer would fold the tail of her sair into her waist, march to the offender and give the aberrant limb a bone-crunching whack.
I snap back to the reality of Wong Nai Chung Gap Road by the accordion music, guffaws and spontaneous claps of the eclectic group of enthusiasts in an eight step dance programme. The “Kingston Flyer”, the “Chase”, the “Wheelie” and other arcane terms rang around the room and with relative ease, the novices fell into place as instructed.
Without the obvious sophistication of the waltz, the hint of eroticism of the tango or the near impossibility of the Irish river dance, Scottish country dancing doesn’t attract much press or praise. Picture lads in kilts and jackets, their feet strapped with ghillies, as legs move to and fro with their partners, women dressed in white dresses with tartan sashes. They create kindergarten-esque little bridges, which hand-held couples duck in and out of, and alternative versions of the merry-go0round are played out. A series of coordinated steps look undemanding, but miss a beat and the whole collective body-in-motion goes out of sync. As with any performing art, it’s never as easy as it looks.
With a nod to Burns Night on Saturday, which commemorates Scotland’s finest poet, Robert Burns, and in celebration of all things Scottish, I jump in at the deep end of the discipline with my effervescent fellow neophytes. After a two-hour session, I am told I have the “right flair” for it and am asked if I’ve done it before. Brushing aside all merit and flattery, I meet the instructors after class.
Jean Young, champion of this art in Hong Kong, never loses her smile or temper throughout her sessions. Her feet clad in flat, dancing pumps – similar to ballet shoes but with a full sole – she displays unflagging grace. Sneakers squeak on the hardwood floor, sock or stocking-clad feet repeatedly slip, and late-starters encounter misdirected bodies, but nothing can spoil the air of mischief, music and movement.
“it was introduced in Hong Kong about 50 years ago, when Scottish dancing lessons were held at the old union Church – mainly to keep the soldiers out of trouble,” says co-instructor Annette Stabb. “To provide good, wholesome entertainment and to meet people, that was the goal. It was always held on Monday night and its’ just been that way ever since.”
The dancing may be Scottish in origin, but I has spread to the unlikeliest of places. There are lessons available in Grenoble, in south-eastern France, in San Francisco, Germany’s University of Dortmund, Jakarta and Singapore. “it isn’t as simple as some of the folk dances that come out of the United Kingdom and I think that’s the main attract,” says Young. “There’s more to do, a pattern to follow. And, of course, anyone can do it at any age. An eight-year-old can partner an 80-year – it’s something for everyone.”
Scottish country dancing is not to be confused with Highland dancing, a more complicated affair seen iat fairs and festivals. “The original Highland dancing is strictly a competition sport now, mostly for young girls,” Young Says. “There are no qualified instructors in Hong Kong and there are some here who know bits and pieces, but not enough to teach complete lessons. Scottish country dancing is a more social affair performed at weddings, parties and get-togethers.”
For most students, these lessons don’t culminate in public performances or on stage but the exceptional few are invited to join the advanced class, where people do dance on occasions.
“We were asked to perform at the launch of a new whiskey in Hong Kong and at school fairs. The Racial Harmony Fair and folk festivals have welcomed us,” says Young. “Oh and there was that one performance at Seibu. It was a strange experience to be country dancing in the middle of a supermarket but if asked, I’m sure we’d go just about anywhere.”
The Hong Kong Highlanders Reel Club holds courses in Scottish country dancing at the Hong Kong Cricket club, 137 Wong Nai Chung Gap Road, Happy Valley.
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