Stepdance is an old Scottish percussive danceform which shares its roots with Irish hard shoe dancing (pre-competition). After the clearances it had all but vanished in Scotland until recent years when our links with Cape Breton began to be re-established.
Our Music...
is very strongly centred around the west coast traditions of gaelic song, piping and fiddle playing, with the majority of the band coming from the highlands. There's a bit of everything from our tradition on this album - from tunes and songs that are hundreds of years old, to the modern tunes being played by the young folk!
The Dance...
pieces on this album vary from traditional and modern solos, to routines with up to four dancers. All of the dancers in this group are also musicians, and/or singers, and place great importance on following the rhythms of the tunes and accompaniments - stepdance is as much percussion as it is a form of dance. The People.......
- Keri - Stepdance, Low whistle
Isle of Skye Co-founder of the Scottish Stepdance Company, Keri has taught extensively throughout Scotland as well as regularly in Norway and at Sabhal Mor Ostaig. Keri has recorded pieces for Eolas and Grampian TV, performed in various shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, and is well known for her contemporary approach to stepdance.
- Adam Sutherland - Fiddle
Loch Ness side. Adam has studied traditional music at the RSAMD for two years and has been hand picked by the Scottish Stepdance Company for his inventive, unique style, and strong sense of rhythm for dance. He has taught and performed widely throughout Scotland and has recently formed the band Croft No. 5 with fellow student John Sommerville.
- John Sikorski - Stepdance,Double bass
Isle of Skye. Co-founder of the Scottish Stepdance Company, John has performed in many and various dance projects with Maggie Moore and Frank McConnell. He has played with many Edinburgh based musicians including guesting with the Boys of the Lough, and recently studied Appalachian clogging with the American percussive dance company Footworks.
- Sandra MacKay - Gaelic Song, Whistle
Isle of Lewis. Sandra is the founder member and lead singer of the band 'Tannas'. She has performed at many festivals throughout Europe and appears frequently in Gaelic music programmes. Sandra also sang with the former band 'Sgathach'.
- Donal Brown - Stepdance, Scottish Smallpipes, Flute
Huntly. Donal studies traditional music at the RSAMD and is a talented stepdancer, piper and flute player. He has taken part in various traditional stepdance shows in Scotland, as well as being a Highland dancer. Donal is also a member of the Huntly Pipe Band, and his piping talents have taken him to several far flung corners.
- Alison MacLeod - Stepdance
Inverness. Alison has performed with Mats Melin and Evelyn Glennie at Northlands festival, as well as shows with the group. She has studied at Ceolas music school and visited Cape Breton, and is well known for her traditional dance style. She also teaches for Step 2000 project and GFW.
- Kevin Mackenzie - Guitar
Edinburgh. Kevin is an accomplished guitarist, well known throughout both the jazz and folk scenes in Scotland. Having studied in both London and New York, he is at present also playing with Liz Doherty, Keep it Up, the Simon Thoumire Three, and has his own band, the Kevin MacKenzie Quartet. |
