“Putting the dirt back in” an investigation of step dancing in Scotland

Since about 1990 Cape Breton musicians and step dancers have been invited to Scotland to share, through workshops and concerts, their style of music and dance. A relatively small number of the traditional dancing and music community in Scotland has taken a great interest in this style. The historical links between Scotland and Cape Breton have been researched and a small ‘revival’ of step dancing has taken place. This investigation looks at several issues in this process by placing it in a revival framework. I set the scene by identifying what Cape Breton and Scottish styles of traditional dancing included in 1990, comparing general aesthetics and how they exist contextually. The interest or ‘revival’ group in Scotland generally feel this style of music and dance is ‘Scottish’ and that is has a place on the traditional dance scene of Scotland. I examine the catalyst for this interest, and outline some examples of the historical references that back up this ‘claim’ of Scottishness. With the help of a case study of Cape Breton step dancer Harvey Beaton, I seek to illustrate; one, the Cape Breton dance context in this process; two, the relationship between and difference in context of step dancing in Cape Breton and Scotland; and three, that within the Scottish ‘revival’ certain aspects of the Cape Breton tradition are emphasised, while others are paid less attention. The Cape Breton music and dance is understood here as being inter-connected, so even if the study is primarily focused on the dance aspect, music is always taken into account. The theoretical framework is based on Livingston’s (1999) model for Music Revival Theory, and concepts of transformation of tradition as outlined, for example, by Spalding and Woodside (1995), Atkinson (2004), Feintuch (1993) and Rosenberg (1993).