There are several forms of dance that practiced in Gaelic communities and in Scotland in general, and many people claim that they date back to beyond the mists of time, but the forms of dance that survive into the present only began to emerge in the eighteenth century, and they were greatly changed in the second half of the nineteenth century. This presentation will provide a summary of the main influences that created Scottish dance as we have it in the present, especially in Gaelic contexts.

Dr Michael Newton earned a Ph.D. in Celtic Studies from the University of Edinburgh in 1998 and was an Assistant Professor in the Celtic Studies department of St Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia 2008-2013. He has written a multitude of books and articles about Gaelic culture and history and is a leading authority on Scottish Gaelic heritage in North America.