Traditional dance has evolved over the centuries. The Scottish people still have a great fondness for their native music and dance. Anyone who visits Angus and comes into contact with its lively music cannot help tapping their feet and enjoying it, whether it is played on the bagpipe, fiddle, or by a whole dance band.
Dancing is a sociable activity which brings out many a ’hooch’ (loud cry when dancing) and plenty of ’birling’ (spinning with your partner). This lends an informal party atmosphere to most dance events. Visitors who would like to participate are welcomed and the local dancers are happy to help them through the steps. Apart from the exhilaration of taking part, it is an extremely good form of exercise and a great way of keeping fit. You only have to see the ages of some who are still dancing and playing the music ..in their 80’s!
Highland Dancing, Scottish Country Dancing and the more informal Old Time Scottish Dancing are still being taught by many dance teachers in Angus. Dancing is very much alive and kicking. Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust in partnership with Angus Council Cultural Services, has embarked upon a 3 year project to conserve, research and promote traditional Scottish dances and dance music.
Written records mention dancing in Scotland as far back as the 1300’s. The son of Mary, Queen of Scots , King James VI was very enthusiastic about the arts and greatly encouraged music and dance. The first dancing assemblies though, did not start until the early 1700’s. Edinburgh led the way and soon other cities and towns followed. By the late 1700’s all the Angus burghs were building new Town Houses with an Assembly Hall for dancing.
From late 1700’s dancing was taught throughout Angus by Dancing Masters or "Dancies". Apart from teaching local children and adults many of the traditional dances, prominent Dancies were invited to the big country houses to teach royalty and the country landowners to dance. Our present Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon of Glamis, was taught to dance by Dancie Neill, of Forfar.
An early and famous ’Dancie’ was John Low. He was a shoemaker and dance teacher in Brechin. His skill in teaching dancing was passed on to his children and grandchildren. One of John Low’s sons, Joseph Lowe, 1796-1866, (descendants of John Low added an ’e’ to the surname) taught dancing in Edinburgh and Inverness. He also taught the royal Family at Balmoral and Windsor. Subsequent generations of the Lowe family kept this tradition alive until quite recently.
Dancing masters like Dancie John Reid of Newtyle and Dancie Kydd of Forfar often walked or cycled many miles round the Angus countryside to their classes. While teaching, the Dancies played the fiddle, sometimes known as a ’kit’ . The dancing masters were strict and correct social behaviour was also stressed during the dance classes.
Mr Lowe senior of Arbroath was another skilled dancing teacher and his enthusiasm rubbed off on his sons, George and Bert. George ("G.B." as he was known to his many friends) was educated at Keptie Public School and at 14 years of age he started working as an apprentice printer with the Arbroath herald. He became manager of the paper at the age of 20 and Managing Director six years later and remained so until 1989. For G.B., dance became a major leisure interest. In 1920 he attended his first Braemar gathering and was on the prize winners list and thereafter often featured as a winner in the dance competitions. He died in 1991 aged 88. His brother Bert was a renowned dance teacher in and around Arbroath. He also had his own successes in Highland Dance Competitions.
Dancie Williamson and his nephews, the three Jackson Brothers, were also well respected Dancing Masters, fiddle players and fiddle makers, living in the Arbroath area until quite recently.
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