Highland Dancing was once an athletic event.  Many were solo dances of the Highland men and are so vigorous that one must be in top physical shape to perform them.

Highland Fling
The oldest of the traditional dances of Scotland is the Highland Fling.  This is believed to be a dance of victory in battle.  The dancer performed with a Scottish shield, called a “Targe.”  Since the Targe contained a sharp spike extending out of the center, the dancer had to be very careful in the execution of his steps.

Hornpipe
This is also considered one of the National dances and the competitors wear the dress of the Royal Navy.  It depicts the sailors in their daily lives on board ship.

Sword Dance
The Sword Dance (Ghillie Callum) is thought to be the oldest of the Scottish dances.  Sword and scabbard were placed on the ground in the form of a cross and if the dancer’s feet managed to avoid touching either one, it was believed the clan would be blessed with good fortune in the coming battle.  If the sword or scabbard were disarranged, the prediction was defeat.  In the modern dance, the top sword is in direct line front to back, with the hilt towards the dance.  The slip in footwork, formerly interpreted as an evil omen, now provides one of the principal methods of eliminating contestants.

Seann Triubhas (pronounced Shawn Trues)
Many of the steps in this dance are intended to express the Scotsman’s displeasure for the old law which at one time forbade the wearing of kilts.  Literally translated Seann Triubhas means “old trews,” or old trousers.  The name is a derisive reference to the law enforced after the unsuccessful Rebellions of 1745 in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie when kilts, were forbidden.  Many of the steps of the dance were intended to indicate the Scotsman’s efforts to “kick off the trews.”

The 2026 Highland Dance Competition will be judged by Emma Trentman who has been teaching Highland Dance for 29 years. She is a lifetime member of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing, and an RSOBHD judge.  She founded Highland Dance Albuquerque in 2013.  Her students have been nominated for the Sadie Simpson North American Scholarships, and have represented the Southwest region at the United States Inter-Regional Championships.  Emma is president of the New Mexico Scottish Highland Dance Association, SW ScotDance USA treasurer, and dance coordinator at the Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival.  Outside of dance, Emma is a professor of Arabic and director of the Language Learning Center at the University of New Mexico.  She enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.