MM: orkney dancing

Is there a place for traditions in our modern society? Can traditions fit into the pattern of everyday life today? Yes, yes! Anyone who has travelled (or lived) abroad will need no convincing. We often take so many things for granted - sense of security, fresh, clean air, for instance - that we do not appreciate them until they have disappeared.

Orkney is very special in many respects and a place where, on the whole, traditions have been nurtured. And this nurturing of oneÕs specific heritage becomes even more important as modern communications tend to make society and us in it more and more uniform. Knowledge of one's roots and traditions are stabilising factors in the fast changing world of today. That a specific cultural heritage is good for tourism as well - ceilidhs and dance evenings included - hardly needs a mention in Orkney.

The wealth of Orkney stories has been well documented in writing and recorded on tape and is brought to the fore in the Foy at the St Magnus Festival every year. Orkney's traditional music is also well established with several Strathspey and Reel Societies and the Orkney Folk Festival. The survival of the fiddle and accordion tradition seems secure — especially now with the Orkney Traditional Music Project well underway and with Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley promoting Orkney music. This is, alas, not the case with Orkney dancing. The only detailed records available in print are based on folk memories collected by the late Dr Tom Flett during a two-week-stay in the islands in 1955, resulting in descriptions of four dances along with the mention of some others. The four dances were: The Sixsome Reel (several local versions), The Eightsome Reel from Mainland and Rousay, Axum Reel from North Ronaldsay, and Hands Across from Dounby, which were first published in the Orkney Herald, 1956, and later included in his book “Traditional Dancing in Scotland”, 1964. Dr. Flett did, however, come across many dances which were never published and which are seldom seen these days at local dances. For example, many areas had specific variations of the Lancers and the Quadrilles; The Jacky Tar Schottische, The Venus Polka, Babbity Bouster and Scotch Reels were danced as well as formation and round the room dances such as Rory O'More, Queen Victoria, Circassian Circle, Petronella, Ninepins and many more. Since then, Orkney dancing has had even less of a mention in writing let alone being recorded for posterity or taught widely.

From my conversations with many Orcadians and from some community dance evenings, I now know that many more different dances exist, particularly in older people's memories, and some are still danced in some islands and districts. Now is surely the moment to secure this specific part of Orkney's heritage for future generations? If left till later, the sources of information may no longer be with us.

As part of the process of securing these memories The Orkney Traditional Dance Association (OTDA) was formed in Kirkwall in February 1998 and its aims are to preserve the Orkney dance traditions, actively promote and perform Orkney dancing, and encourage a teaching development scheme. From 1998 until the end of 2000 finances were secured from the Scottish Arts Council for a project, to collect as much as possible of the living memories of Orkney dance. Eventually the aim is to assemble the collected dance material and put it into book form. The aim of this book would be to encourage the local dance tradition and keep the Orkney dances alive for generations to come.

The project is therefore looking for those who may have memories of Orkney dance and music, living abroad and whose ancestors came from the Orkney shores. It is well-known that the Orcadians working for the HudsonÕs Bay Company in Canada left a legacy in both music and dance which is still kept alive by their descendants and by the Native Americans in the North of Canada. One such good example is the Orkney fiddle and dance traditions thriving and enjoyed by the Gwich'in Athapaskan Indians and other tribal groups in Northeast Alaska and Northwest Canada. They play tunes that are still known in Orkney as well as tunes that have only survived in name in their place of origin. The same goes for the dances. One can not help but wonder if this would not be the case in other parts of the world where Orcadians settled over the years. So if you know anything about Orkney music, dance or wedding traditions we would be delighted to hear about it. This may be in the form of personal recollections, photos, recordings, references in books, newspaper articles etc. The Orkney Traditional Dance Association can be contacted through Mats Melin.

Due to a shortfall in financial assistance, only parts of the projects aims were accomplished and much still needs to be done. Research is till ongoing, but only sporadically when time allows.

Mats Melin, May 2003.