Rainbow Schottische

[Chrisanderson40]

Go to a disco or dance in Scandinavia and you will not find an amorphous mass standing and waving their arms. These are the dances everyone does. I enjoyed my time there...rock music and a waltz!!. I was taught this at school and I am ancient.

[tonyjstuart]

I know the tune is the rainbow schottische as it made it's way into the Australian traditional repertoire, but is that the name of the dance as well?

[WestfaliaMagna]

Let the Schottische be Scottish in origin... At first the Scottish was called for Scottish country dances, then the name spread over to all dances with changing steps like this - whether the tune was Scottish or not. The was a Scottish-folk-mania in europe around 1800, and even Beethoven wrote around 180 arrangements of Scottish songs for piano, including "Scotland the Brave" !

[1chisai]

@ HaKaHappy. My research indicated the origins are Bohemian. But I also understand there were Celtic people living in old Bohemia so you could be right. Thing is, so many people claim this dance, and from what I read, it originated in Bohemia (now Czech Republic) traveled through Europe in the mid 19th century and was incorporated into many cultures with their own music. Tell me more.

[HaKaHappY]

I so enjoy watching these dancers! I love what they do with quadrilles.

[1chisai]

Sultanof song removed comment directed at me for reasons I don' know. At first bit of research I thought the Schottische was Scandinavian but further research suggested in originated in Bohemia. It has spread all over and who brought it to the U.S. I don't know. I never said Africans brought it here. I said that it when it was introduced to the Americas it became part of African Amerian and then American country dancing. I would like to know more. Always interested in new information.

[HaKaHappY]

@1chisai Schottisch is German for Scottish as is the French Eccosaise. I think more likely it is a dance that moved with the Ballroom craze across Europe and then on to America, but probably originated in Scotland or Ireland. Just another theory.

[msgoodlistener]

All I know is my Norwegian grandmother taught the schottische to me in 1945. I always assumed it was Scandinavian.

[1chisai]

Direness. If your friend looks at the Country Schottische YouTube video I mentioned, she might see dance steps that look more familiar. So far I haven't seen anything specifically African-American, but there is a lot of African dance in American country.

[1chisai]

Direness again. I'm struggling to reply. What is your background? In dance etc? I seem to be evolving into a folk dance researcher, would like to correspond with you but having trouble getting message through.

[1chisai]

This is to direness. I couldn't seem to post before, or reply directly. It seems the Schottische went far and wide and took on the character of every country and culture that adopted it. It's hard to see why it is even categorized as the same dance. Perhaps Afro-Americans didn't dance like the dancers on this video, but they did introduce the Scottische to the American scene.

[sultansofsing]

@1chisai This is a laugh... The Schottische was not introduced to the "American Scene" by the "Afro-Americans". It was brought over from Scandinavia! Where it originated can be debated, but the name "Schotische" and the dance entered the states with the Scandinavians.

[1chisai]

I've tried to reply to this and it doesn't work. I try again.

[animangaai]

Wonderful dancers :)

[1chisai]

The dance looks wildly different in different countries, e.g. like a polka in Poland, a bit like a highland fling in Scotland, a salsa in Latin America. This video should lead you to others (that's how I found this one). For a couple of American versions type in Country Schottische and Shenandoah Schottische. Someone taught me the dance last year so it's new and fascinating to me.

[1chisai]

The Schottische, according to my research, was originally a Bohemian dance (Bohemia is now Czech Republic). It became popular in the mid 19th century in Europe and spread to other countries, where it took on the characteristics and music of that country. In the U.S. it became part of the African ragtime and jazz craze and is now part of American country dancing.

[Direness]

@1chisai Thank you! I tried to explain this dance's contribution to the early American jazz dances to a young lady. She tried to tell me that African Americans wouldn't have done such a dance, "they would have been hung." I threw her a list of dance references regarding Black social elite clubs in the North and the balls that occurred in New Orleans amongst various classes. People have a one dimensional view of history and won't deviate from it; they can't be bothered to read a book.

[sultansofsing]

@Direness Then yet others choose to make their own history and find others to back them up. Gotta love peopel that supposedly read books and believe everything they read. Also gotta love people that say things like "according to my research" and don't give any indication as to what that "research" is, just to pass off their beliefs or their own make up history?

[pjcook94]

I wanna dress like that! the girl in the blue dances beautifully, and with a very light step!

[ladyleandra]

I've never seen a Schottische done this way. It looks beautiful and so much fun!

[janitor300]

1:12 I wouldn't do that, anyway what's the origin of this dance..Which country?

[enailil19]

quel est le compositeur de cette jolie musique?

who has written this pretty music?

[etienne4208]

@enailil19 i would like to now that too??? componist or orchestra?

[susieweasley]

I want to learn this one!

[ladyirish1860]

Wow! Grinning the whole time! Makes me want to go put my hoops on and join you!!!

[Gwaihirintheair]

It makes me feel glad!!! Thanks a lot!!!

[CapaodaCanoa]

I love all kind orf schottisch!

[amohrbutter]

Wheres is this dance from and where did you learn the steps.

[numberonefilmfan]

Just lovely, thanks for posting it!

[AttheCircus]

It's pretty.