Biography

Background
Dance Training
Professional Appointments
Choreography
Publications

Mats Melin was born and brought up in Stockholm, Sweden. His dancing background began at the age of eleven, when he hung up his ice skates in favour of dancing pumps and took up Scottish Country Dancing - his interest stemming from a fascination in things Celtic - primarily Scottish and Irish music, culture, and history.

The first years concentrated on Scottish Country Dancing and Mats first performed with the RSCDS Stockholm Branch's demonstration team at the age of 12 and it was not long before he started assisting the teachers. However, Mats' interest quickly turned to solo dancing as well and he taught himself his first Highland Dances from books which he had borrowed.

In 1980 Mats joined the Stockholm Caledonian Dance Circle (SCDC), and soon ran their solo dance classes as well as becoming one of four Scottish Country Dance teachers teaching on a regular basis.

As well as a rigorous self-imposed training programme, Mats attended the RSCDS Summer School in St. Andrews where he met the late Mr Bobby Watson of Aberdeen, the Highland Dancer of world fame, who kept him on the right track and on his toes. This progressed to private tuition in Aberdeen. Mats also had classes from teachers such as the late Miss Elspeth Strathern, Mr. Charlie Mill (Dundee), Mr. Peter Daniels (New Zealand), Tui Downie, (New Zealand), and the late Mrs. Orma Smith MBE (New Zealand).

Since 1986 Mats has conducted a thorough research into the background and history of Scottish Solo Step-Dancing. The research led him to take a closer look at other European dance forms as well as North American and other related dance traditions. This work includes descriptions of all known versions of well known and lesser known solo step-dances, Hebridean dances, and Cape Breton step-dancing.

From 1985 to 1993 Mats acted as Teacher, Secretary and Treasurer of the SCDC. He organised the first Highland Games to be held in Stockholm in 1989, and he organised ten weekend workshops and courses with teachers and musicians from Scotland, England, Canada and New Zealand. Through his research, he got in touch with the Newcastle Cloggies (a group who also research various forms of Scottish Dancing) touring with them in 1991 in Nashville, USA, and in 1992 in St. Petersburg, Russia. In April 1993 Mats staged a Celtic Fire week in Stockholm with workshops and stage performances by the Newcastle Cloggies, his own team The Caledonian Dancers, Eken Morris Dancers, The Caledonian Pipe Band and The Pipes & Drums of the 1st Royal Engineers. Mats has also taught workshops in Scotland, England, Canada and New Zealand.

Since 1992 Mats has taken up Scottish/Cape Breton style Step-Dancing under the tuition of Harvey Beaton, Willie Francis Fraser, Mary-Janet MacDonald, Alexander McDonnell and Jean MacNeil among many others.

Mats became a professional dancer in 1995 when he took up the post as Traditional Dancer in Residence for Shetland together with Maria Leask. He has since worked either as freelance dancer or on projects round Scotland and beyond.

Mats garduated with Honours the MA programme in Ethnochoreology at the University of Limerick and is currently lecturing at The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at UL, Ireland.

PROFESSIONAL TRADITIONAL DANCE ARTIST - APPOINTMENTS