HIGHLAND DANCING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 43, 20 January 1936, Page 8

HIGHLAND DANCING.

IMPORTANCE OF TRADITION. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. 18. “Highland dancing, which is surrounded by jealous regard for tradition, will iive vigorously, but the moment its national character is sacrificed to the thirst fordnnovation it will fall into decay and earn the contempt deserved by such hybridisation. Of late years Highland dances have become comniorcialiscd owing to people taking up the art, not for the art itself, but as a means of gaining prizes at sports gatherings.” These remarks were made by Mr Alex. Sutherland, of Dunedin, who is now visiting Auckland and who is an authority on. Highland dancing. Mr Sutherland criticised the tendency to introduce new steps into folk dances and therefore destroy tradition. In all Highland dancing the steps must he true to type. "1 am ■sorry to say that in recent years a lot of modern innovations have crept in which have destroyed to a certain degree the character and dignity of Highland dances. If a dancer who is trained in another school of dancing, such as French, Italian, or Russian, takes up Highland dancing lie will dance it as a foreigner and introduce into it tilings which are natural to his own country but unnatural to Scotland. The day may even come when you will lie getting American tap dancing introduced into Highland dancing, Wo should determinedly hold to tradition, otherwise we may some day see the scan trubhais jazzed.”