I took up Historical Dance about fifteen years ago, and when I was introduced to the 18^th Century dancing I found that a 20^th Century man had a great difficulty in getting Baroque Dance to feel anything but mighty peculiar.  However, over time it has become something that feels perfectly natural and logical, even when, or especially when one is doing it in the full Monty of wig, long coat and britches for a demonstration.  I had “got into the mind-set” of an 18^th Century dancer at last!

I had been painting for a while when I thought to myself, “What would a dancing master of the 18^th Century think of modern society if he were to be time travelled into the present day?”  I found that the answer to that was not by any means complimentary to the 20^th or 21^st Centuries.

The idea proved to be one that remained in my thoughts for quite a while, popping up quite often when nothing else was going on.

Then I was teaching handing to my class of Scottish Country Dancers, and the 18^th Century dancing master was there, looking at them and giving advice.  He would have looked at their general deportment when not dancing to start with and been appalled.  We don’t do refinement or elegance these days, though I have to admit that I was impressed by Lady Dedlock in Bleak House over the Christmas period.

However, my 18^th Century dancing master was very helpful on the theory of handing, requiring the arms to be in perfect curves at all times.  I decide that I liked ladies with perfect curves, too. 

I also realised why I so dislike the way the RSCDS teaches turning these days.  It was not always thus, and the teaching was in harmony with the 18^th Century viewpoint, but it has changed, and for an inelegant, awkward and most unsatisfactory version – single arm turns, that is.

The theory of curves starts with the arms in first position, which is hanging by the sides in a slight curve.  If the arms are raised without altering their position in any other way, the result is a slightly narrow version of that used in Highland Dancing.  I could add, in theory, but not always in practice!

If the arms are raised from first position towards the level by bringing them forwards, and very slightly outwards, then the position for a two-handed turn is arrived at.  Viewed from above, the dancers make a perfect circle with their bodies and arms.

Expanding the arms and chest, the dancers of a circle of four also make the perfect circle, likewise of six, and of eight, but note how, in this last case, the shoulder blades feel as though they are touching behind the spine by now.

For a single arm turn, a perfect S is made, starting at the spine of one dancer and ending at the spine of the other.  This is fine for strathspey, even including rights and lefts, turning the figure into a series of perfect curves on the floor pattern as well as the arms.

But for the quicker time dances there are problems.  The RSCDS teaches putting the arms into a W shape, all angles and bent elbows.  I do not know where that came from.  I have observed it being done by very experienced dancers, and can only say that the theory and the practice are far apart.

“Auntie Jean”, now Dr Milligan, taught a forearms together cleekit turn, saying, as one of her pupils from the early days once reminded me, that if anyone were trying to do the W turn she would use the other arm to deliver what is now known as a karate chop to bring the offending dancer’s arm to compliance!  She also taught that the elbow grip, as in Highland with a single arm, was more appropriate for social dancing.  Looking through the eyes of an old 18^th Century dancie, I totally agree with her.

I find that looking through the 18^th Century dancie’s eyes is quite addictive, but it is particularly helpful in looking at SCD technique – even though SCD was not invented then!