Jigs, Reels & Strathspeys on the Lawn Boone Scottish Country Dancers Perform at Jones House Friday By Jeff Eason There’s some old dances out there like the Lindy hop, the Charleston, the twist and the mashed potato. And then there are the really old dances that some people like to perform. The Boone Scottish Country Dancers will perform at the Jones House this Friday at 5:30 p.m. The Boone Scottish Country Dancers are a group of dancers who specialize in dances that were popular on the British Isles in the 18th century. The dances fell out of vogue as the kids of the 19th century turned their attention to more modern dance steps. “All of these dances were being lost,” said Boone Scottish Country Dancer Lee Ryan. “Then around the start of the 20th century there was a revival of interest in them. A woman named Miss Milligan helped revive this type of dancing and started the Royal Scottish Dancing Society. She researched all of the old dances and recorded the various steps for history. Today there are Royal Scottish Dancing Society groups all over the world, even in Japan and Germany.” The Boone Scottish Country Dancers will give a performance and demonstration on the front lawn of the Jones House on Friday, September 10th at 5:30 p.m. The performance of this year’s Concert on the Lawn Series and is presented by the Watauga County Arts Council. The Boone Scottish Country Dancers performing Friday include Lee and Joann Ryan, Ralph and Debra Grosswald, Bob and Katherine Oelberg, Tom Shirah and Ann Wolfe. The group will perform a number of jigs, reels and strathspeys that are authentic to those danced in 18th century Scotland. “The steps and figures in these dances have been standardized,” said Ryan. “So you can go anywhere in the world and join a group of Scottish dancers and jump right in.” Ryan added that the jigs and reels are the quicker, more lively dances, while the strathspey is a slower, more elegant and stately dance. Jigs are danced to music performed at 6/8 time while the music for reels is in 4/4 time. The Boone Scottish Country Dancers meet regularly and classes are held for the dances every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in room 203 of Appalachian State University’s Broome Kirk Gymnasium. Beginners are invited to join the next new class which starts Tuesday, September 21st. The instructor is Larry Boyer. “It can really be a fun thing to do,” said Ryan. “It takes a little time and effort to become proficient, but it’s worth it.” At the end of Friday’s performance at the Jones House, the Group will invite the public to try its hand, or foot if you will, at Scottish dancing. Friday’s performance will include the Scottish dances “The Devil’s Elbow,” “The Renaissance Man,” “Shiftin’ Bobbins,” “Mairi’s Wedding,” “Burns by Centenary” and “Oh My America.” “Shiftin’ Bobbins” is a fast dance that recreates the motion of workers in a textile mill. “Mairi’s Wedding” is an older dance from the islands off of the Scottish coast. A dance of happiness, it is a popular wedding dance that involves a weaving of the dancers. “Oh My America” is a dance that has the partners in a square set and shows how the older dances of the British Isles directly influenced American square dance moves. The dance is said to represent how Scottish immigrants left their homes and sailed for America in the 18th century. Dance lovers are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the Jones House for this special free performance. This year’s Concert on the Lawn series is sponsored in part by the Mast General Store, High Country Bank and Earth Fare. For more information, call the Watauga County Arts Council at (828) 264-1789.