The Highland Fling

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La Sylphide was the first ballet to successfully express the Romantic philosophy: a hero on the brink of complacency, who suddenly throws it all away in a search for true happiness – a search that in the end proves fruitless.

Together with the Sword Dance, the Highland Fling is probably the most famous of the Scottish Highland Dances. Tullochgorm was the earliest form of Highland Fling, but towards the end of the 18th century it had undergone changes and improvements. It is thought to have evolved about 1790, when legend has it that a shepherd boy on a hillside watched stags rearing and wheeling. The boy tried to copy the stag’s antics and hence we have the graceful curve of the hands and arms depicting the stag’s antlers. Flett, JF and TM (1996). Traditional Step-Dancing in Scotland. Scottish Cultural Press. p. 29. ISBN 1898218455. Flett, JF and TM (1996). Traditional Step-Dancing in Scotland. Scottish Cultural Press. pp. 109–125. ISBN 1898218455. Long fell/hill races and very long distance walking events may be accepted at our discretion. Please note that GPS data such as Strava/Garmin/Suunto logs from training runs are not accepted. We are fully committed to upholding all principles of the Scottish LGBT Sports Charterand aim tobe as inclusive as possible. The organisers have a zero tolerance policy to any form of discrimination. ​In 2008 the SOBHD recommended a tempo of 112-124 bpm for the Highland Fling on 2008 is 112-124 bpm. This has slowed considerably over the years – from 192 bpm one hundred years ago, 152 bpm in the 1960s and then 134 bpm in the 1980s. [ citation needed] In popular culture edit

Fling steps illustrated by C. MacIntyre North in the Book of the Club of True Highlanders, London, 1880 The dance should be danced on the same spot throughout, because clansmen traditionally danced on their targes (leather covered studded shield). 2. Sword Dance James, a Scottish peasant, is about to marry a peasant girl named Effie. A Sylphide (a mythical winged sprite as difficult to hold as a dream) falls in love with James on his wedding day. She makes herself visible to him, and he falls in love with her and leaves his bride-to-be, relatives and wedding guests to escape with the Sylphide. James, a simple mortal, realizes that it is impossible to keep her at his side. Madge, the witch, sees James’ conundrum and offers him a magic scarf which he must tie around the Sylphide’s waist. This however will make her wings drop off leaving her unable to fly. James’ hope of the Sylphide being his forever is shattered as she falls to the ground dead. Flett, JF and TM (1996). Traditional Step-Dancing in Scotland. Scottish Cultural Press. pp. 199–200. ISBN 1898218455. Eight-step dance: very rarely at Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (SOBHD) competitions, although it is still danced at some traditional Highland Games.To qualify for the 2024 event, you must have at some point in the past completed an ultramarathon, a road marathon or trail marathon. If your longest race is a road marathon, the finish time must be under 5 hours. If you have completed an ultramarathon on road or trail, any finish time is acceptable. If you have done a road marathon in over 5 hours BUT it was at the end of an Ironman, that's acceptable. Said to reflect the Highlanders contempt at having to wear trousers when the kilt was prohibited after the 1745 rebellion. The Act of Proscription in 1746 banned the wearing of Highland dress, the carrying of arms and the playing of bagpipes. In other words, the dance originated as a political protest. The slow tempo shows the dancers attempt to shake off the offending garment and the fast tempo shows the pleasure at the rescinding of the ban in 1782. Many of the movements are balletic and are influenced by French style of embellishments such as pirouettes. 3. Strathspey & Highland Reel