Why Highland Dance?

Highland dance is a unique art form, originating from the Scottish regiments. It is said that these traditional dances were once used as a means of demonstrating great strength, agility, and stamina before or after battles. Since then, highland dance has adopted various technical aspects of ballet to create a style of dance that is both graceful and powerful.

Dancers can start around the age of about 4 years old, when their balance has developed enough to be able to jump from side to side. Highland dance incorporates a lot of cross-lateral motions that make it a great activity to develop neural pathways in the brain. Its aerobic properties also make it a considerable workout, strengthening the body and improving posture. Beyond the physical benefits, highland dance also helps to build self-confidence and teaches kids about setting and achieving goals through competition.

Getting involved in highland dancing can lead to lifelong friendships, unique travel opportunities, scholarships, and more. Sign up today!

NEW CLASS – Tartan Tots

New this Spring, 2024 – we are offering FREE Primary classes, available to kids under the age of 7. There is no fee involved at all. Our main dance teacher, Marielle, will be leading the class. If your child is 6 but turning 7 soon, please feel free to register anyways and we will discuss how to move forward. Typically, kids do not start highland dance until at least the age of 4, but we may accept a younger dancer with exceptional coordination skills. Please get in touch with us if this is the case.

Why under 7? In Highland Dance competitions, Primary class is a special class for dancers under the age of 7 that features easy dances such as 16 Pas De Basques and Pas de Basques and High Cuts that are exclusive to that class, meant to help kids develop the strength and coordination to learn more difficult Highland Dances later on. If they are older, dancers begin in Beginner class and learn the Highland Fling as their first dance instead of these easier dances.

Register today below to reserve a spot in the class!

How do classes work?

Kids (ages 4-7) will typically start with the basic motions, repeating them in different patterns until they develop confidence. After that, they begin the first highland dance that all beginners learn – the Highland Fling. Dancers can expect to learn the Fling and the Sword Dance within the first year, with additional dances developing as dancers become more proficient in the beginning movements and steps.

Our main class runs from 12-1. If your dancer is age 7 or above, this is the class they would most likely join.

We offer opportunities to perform and compete throughout the year. Dancers of any age and experience are welcome.

Marielle is currently the main instructor and organizer for our Bow, NH weekly classes. She has been dancing since the age of 4 and since 2017 has been a certified Member of the Scottish Dance Teacher’s Alliance (SDTA) after passing the examination. An avid lover of dance since the beginning, she quickly rose to the top competitive group (Premier) by the age of 7 and enjoyed many years of success at competitions across the USA and Canada, placing in the regional championships several times. By the age of 9, she was awarded the trophy for Best New Hampshire Dancer at the New Hampshire Highland Games. She has performed across the United States from New York to Texas and also has extensive experience choreographing dances for stage shows, having performed with hundreds of artists, organizations, and groups over the course of her career including Alasdair Fraser, Hanneke Cassel, the Stuart Highlanders Pipe Band, Revels North, and many more at events such as NYC Tartan Day, cultural festivals throughout New England, and Burns Nights, in addition to spending 20 years donating her time as a performer at the New Hampshire Highland Games to encourage local interest in the artform.

Previously, Marielle was the Highland Dance instructor at Lyon College, where she enjoyed coordinating fellow students and kids to perform at football games and journey with the school’s pipe band to perform at various functions across the southern United States. Although she has been an officially certified teacher since 2017, she has over 10 years of experience teaching casually and assistant-teaching with our other instructors, Lezlie and Nancy. Many of her students over the years have received top prizes in competitions. She enjoys fostering a healthy environment for both kids and adults alike in her classes, pushing students to strive for excellence while developing a deep love for the art and making lifelong friends along the way.

FAQs

How much do lessons cost?

We always offer the very first lesson completely for free! After that, we charge a flat $15 per class. If you have more than one family member singing up, we lower it to $10 per person. We highly encourage siblings and families to get involved together!

Do I have to compete?

Not at all! We encourage competition as a means to meet other dancers, make friends, and better ourselves and our art, but you are not required to compete if you are taking lessons. Think about competitions as the highland dance version of studio recitals. I would highly recommend it, we have a great time!

Can boys sign up?

Highland dance was ONLY allowed to be danced by men for generations! It is only in the last century that women began participating and many of the worlds top dancers are men. In the Scottish battalions, soldiers that are part of the performance team are often required to learn dances such as the Sword Dance. So the answer is yes!

Is Highland dance just for kids?

NO!! Highland dancing can be done by people of any age, within reason. If you can jump up and down, you can do Highland dance! In the past, we have had interest in starting a specialized 18+ adult class. This is something we’re still looking at organizing in the future. Whether you’re a returning adult dancer looking to get back to it or just interested in learning a bit for fun, we encourage you to come by and dance with us.

Looking for more info? Send us an email at nescarts@gmail.com or send us a message using the form below!