To the editor:
In an era when family values, morals, tradition and culture are questioned daily by popular media and outside exposure, it is shocking to see yet another important event for the youth of our community being cut. The annual Gaelic College Highland Dance Competition is one of the longest standing Highland Dance competitions in Canada. For this reason alone, it is a very important part of the history of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Canada. It is also important to our Cape Breton dancers as an event for these locals to perform for their families and their community without, once again, having to leave the Island. This competition attracts dancers from all over Canada, many of which have relatives in Cape Breton, and plan their summer vacations around the competition.
This past Fall, the Gaelic College elected a new administration which included a new Executive Director and Director of Education. Under this administration, there will be a change in focus at the College, moving more towards the Gaelic language and only ‘non’ competitive studies. There will no longer be study in the Great Highland Bagpipe (only Cape Breton style piping), no Pipeband Drumming, etc. Eventually, they hope to fade out one of the College’s longest standing areas of study, Highland Dance.
The Gaelic College began in 1938 as a Gaelic institution, at a time when Gaelic was a central part of Cape Breton communities–spoken at home and in school. Years later, Highland Dance and Bagpiping were added to the curriculum due to their ties with the language, culture and music, and they have continued through its history. Step Dance and Fiddle were not added to the program until many years later–the early ’80s. I have no issue with a Gaelic focus, I think it’s wonderful. My Dad’s family is from Inverness and spoke Gaelic in their home, and my daughter is studying Gaelic Song at the Gaelic College. My issue is with the disregard for other longstanding areas of study. If, back in the day, Gaelic College administration felt Highland Dance had strong enough ties to be one of the first evolving areas of study, why does the new administration feel it cannot be part of this tradition? Yes, the fiddle and step dance have been a large part of this culture, especially renewed in the past 20+ years, however, they were not original disciplines of study at the Gaelic College back when the Gaelic was center stage, yet Highland Dance was.
In early days, they also ran an annual Gaelic Mod that hosted competitions in Gaelic Song and Story, Highland Dance, and Pipebands. Through the years, the Mod has sadly become extinct, following along with so many events that have been lost to our Island. The Highland Dance Competition, however, has continued to run successfully since its inception. Due to the dedication and loyalty I have felt towards this event, the College’s traditions, and the local dancers, I have continued to organize this for the past 20 years with the support of the previous administrations and community volunteers. I run this purely on a volunteer basis, with no association as is the norm with other competitions.
So why would the Gaelic College pull this event? Their answer, aside from their new non-competitive view, is they don’t feel Highland Dance is connected in any way to the Gaelic Culture!!! I asked where they are getting their history and beliefs, and it was simply stated they just knew these things from being around the Gaelic lifestyle. This is very interesting. Certainly the dancing has changed over time, but it should still have a place in the culture, so it doesn’t get completely lost. Quoting a friend who has his Masters in Ethnochoreology (Traditional Dance Studies): “Both strands of the dance tradition (Highland & Step) should co-habit as they support and inform each other. Highland Flings have been danced to puirt a beul (mouth music) in Scotland for the past 50-60 years”…as have they been danced at the Gaelic College through mouth music in my younger years, and currently with my own students.
Healthy competition for youth has been a reason why many of these Celtic traditions have lasted through a time where media promotes a much more elaborate sense of living for youth. Competition allows young people to set goals, strive for improvement and share their skills with others. Isn’t this what our Gaelic/Cape Breton culture is about: families actually spending time together at community events full of tradition, culture and values? Not to mention the money that goes back in to our community’s economy when 100-200 dancers and their families spend the weekend dancing in Cape Breton (staying at our hotels, buying our gas, eating at our restaurants, shopping at our stores). I think maybe the administration may want to consider attending such an event before deciding its fate.
This is a disappointing loss to Highland Dance, which is a unique art form in many areas around the world. It is a great loss to our history and culture on the Island and within the Province, where Highland Dance competitions and Highland Games have been decreasing annually due to monetary reasons. Why can’t the Gaelic College pursue its ideals with the Gaelic Language, while still allowing the school portion of the institution to teach other just as relevant sectors of the culture? How is it that suddenly a few people get to decide what is a relevant part of tradition at the Gaelic College? If Highland Dance was relevant enough to be a starting new discipline way back in early Gaelic College days, why is it suddenly “not part of the culture”?
If our own Island, an Island that survives on our Celtic culture through tourism, and the Gaelic College, an institution promising to promote the local culture within our community, does not support Highland Dance… then who exactly will?
The Gaelic College is run overall by a Board of Governors. This Board makes all final decisions regarding the Gaelic College. If you would like to support the continuation of Highland Dance and the Dance Competition at the Gaelic College, please send any letters of support along to the Board Chairperson: Maureen Carroll maureen@mcarrollconsulting.ca.
Kelly MacAuthur
kelly@macarthurdance.com
Kelly MacArthur is the Director of the MacArthur School of Dance. She has been teaching Highland & Step Dance at the Gaelic College for the past 23 years. Kelly is the organizer of the GC Highland Dance Competition.
Just a thought says
For a small fee you can become a Gaelic College Foundation member. Not sure of the number but it takes a % of the membership to call for a foundation meeting. With the number of people voicing concerns it
might be an avenue for getting the answers and clarification needed.
Chris MacNeil says
Is there a link to join the foundation?
Kelly says
This is for those who support my article and its ideals:
First of all ~ Thank You for believing in the traditions and culture of Highland Dance and the Highland Dance Competition, and its rightful place in the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts curriculum history.
I want to remind everyone on this forum, that my battle is not with the beliefs of other sectors of the culture in their own right. My battle is not with the Gaelic speaking community, I respect their belief in their part of the culture, as I think they should respect mine. I have not made a single derogatory remark with regards to any other sectors of the culture. My battle is purely with GC administrative choices.
I am battling FOR the inclusion of all parts of the culture at the GC for its teaching programs. THIS is my stand. I feel we can all continue in harmony and respect ~ as we have for decades ~ and still consider and explore the larger focus on the Gaelic Language itself. I would love to see this happen. I am battling FOR inclusion of all disciplines, not against anything.
Having said this, as you can imagine, this battle has gotten much larger and involves much more than was intended. The loss of the Great Pipes and Drums of the competitive world is another battle I am willing to pursue. They have been completely removed (in regards to their original long standing form) from the 2012 March Break Program, and (as of right now) are not being included in the 2012 Summer School Programs. The Celtic Harp and Bodhran has also been removed form the March Break Program, and Bohdran is only being offered for one week in the summer program.
As the CEO said in his statement to the press this evening ~ the Highland Dance Competition will continue for the summer of 2012, however, its future is doubtful, although that will be a board decision in the end. As this was said, the re-installment was obviously to appease me enough to back down, with hopes that I would go away.
Well, I will continue to pursue this battle as originated, and now I have added the Pipe Band plea to my battles, as they go hand in hand with Highland Dance ~ and I KNOW that no one in the Pipe Band world, that I know and love, will ever say we don't belong with them in their culture. I know this because I have LIVED this most outstanding and wonderful lifestyle. I have grown up in this world ~ full of pride, loyalty, dedication and talent. A lifestyle where setting goals, improving skills and competing to meet these ideals is looked upon as a wonderful thing. The friendships and respect amongst members of this community are untouched. I support the pipers and drummers of the Highland Culture 100%, as I believe they support me.
So, I am appealing to all on this forum who are behind me, and have said they would like to help. I am furthering my investigations and gathering information. I will be contacting every Scottish Heritage source I can gain across Canada to get them on board. I am ready to fight the fight (from an informative and rational perspective). Those who would like to help ~ or can offer me any assistance ~ please drop me an email:
kelly@macarthurdance.com
I also ask that the naysayers on this forum give their negative responses to other areas of the forum please. I am appealing here only to those who are with me 100% and would like to help out. If you have a problem with this, then you can appeal to those who will support your objectives.
THANK YOU so much for all the support. Any doubts I had when I wrote this original article are gone. I have never felt more strongly for anything as I do for this respect. I have had 'thousands' of positive responses through messages, letters. emails and phone calls from all over the world. I have never been more proud of my culture :)
The Gaelic College Alumni has grown to hundreds of thousands over the past 73 years, and we are a strong, passionate and loyal bunch! If anyone actually believed we would go down without a fight…they haven't met us :)
Chris MacNeil says
Thanks Kelly – you're amazing!
Robyn Whitty says
Kelly Mac, you go girl! You're 100% right on the money. (Okay,that's probably enough cliches for one post.) Seriously…just listened to the former premier on the news saying "…competition does not foster education…".??? This from a former teacher?!?
Incredibly wrongheaded decision at the GC. Like so many others I also first came to the school as a highland dancer, & the experience quite literally changed my life. It was while attending the college that I became a piper, developed a lifelong appreciation of Gaelic language as the bedrock of our Scottish culture,& learned to love Cape Breton fiddling.. I"m at a loss to understand how any one aspect of our heritage in any way detracts from any other…in fact I was always under the impression we all appreciated & enriched each other.
Please, board of governors, reconsider! I learned so much & made my closest lifelong friends at the college, & none of that would've happened if there hadn't been competitive highland dance classes & competitions to draw me there.
And Kelly, any time you need a piper for the dancers, I'm there!
Kelly says
Best dancin' piper in the world right there ;) Love ya.
Mary Higgins says
Robyn…you go girl…you are also 100% on the money. We past students should all pull our ranks together to give Kelly all and indeed every form of suppot she may need to ensure the curriculum remains the same with the option to add in whatever other Celtic Arts students are requesting. It is not "Rocket Science". There is room for everyone's chosen specialties.
Has anyone stopped to consider how much our parents sacrificed to enable us to study at the Gaelic College? What is the Gaelic College or in fact any "Highland Games" without competition? That is simply how we are empowered to attain excellece and reach the reqired levels of expertise to "Teach" and "Judge".
I am here if you need my assistance.
I will close in saying that I believe Chris MacNeil has made some extremely knowledgeable, germane comments based on many years of dedicated support and study of our Celtic heritage in its entirety. We each have our own perspective, and since our perspective is our reality…I believe Chris was simply supporting what the Gaelic College has stood for since its inception.
Tara says
I am delighted to see that the Gaelic College will be doing more for the Gaelic language and I commend the decision made by the Board.
I'm also happy to discover that the College is not actually scrapping piping or highland dancing, and that they're just taking out the competition classes. Competitive piping and dancing were never parts of Gaelic culture! They may have "traditional ties with the College" as Kelly says, but that doesn't make them inherently traditional. Meanwhile, the Gaelic language has been a largely neglected part of our culture for centuries and it needs to be developed and supported. The Board's decision shows that they recognize this, and they know where the money really needs to be spent.
As a traditional musician from Cape Breton, learning the Gaelic language has opened many doors for me, including travel and employment opportunities. I am now teaching traditional music and dance through the medium of Gaelic to Gaelic-speaking students; and I'm teaching the language to parents who want to speak it and pass it on to the younger generations. Learning the language has also enhanced my understanding of the traditional music that I play and the Gaelic songs that I sing. I encourage all traditional musicians, music tutors and dance tutors to take up the language if they haven't learned it yet.
I have total confidence in the Board's decision; and I have complete faith in Rodney and Tracey's abilities and in what they are doing for the future of the Gaelic College and for Gaelic culture in Nova Scotia.
hmmm says
Does anyone really think that 3 weeks of Highland Dance classes, in the summer to young girls, will kill the Gaelic language? These girls bring their families and money into Cape Breton and have kept the place going for 78 years, …Are you willing to say good-bye so easily and callously? That, to me, says there is something very self-serving going on here and we need to ask ourselves if this exclusivity will limit exposure to the Gaelic language itself. I'm not one for biting off my own nose, to spite my face.