Need some help... Highland dancing

**Barb T** · 3rd February 14, 04:03 AM

Can we please chill about this and stick to sharing information and clarifying inaccuracies without accusation? As I said previously, there is good information in this thread, and it would be a real shame to have this sent to the cooling off corner.

**SemperFyffe** · 3rd February 14, 11:01 AM

Yes, I agree. I would like to thank ALL for the most helpful advice, especially Barb T and Bonnie Heather for addressing some of my main concerns. After reading the posts I feel that perhaps I may not have given enough information in my first post. My four children are beginners yes, but are not very young. They are 16, 13, 12, and 10. Due to their age and size, I don't think a kiltie would suit any of them, so we are stuck with supplying kilts for all. Our dilemma is that none of them really like any of the traditional dance tartans. I don't want to open up another can of worms here, just stating our preference. If we have to invest in a kilt, I want it to be something that they will want to wear even when not dancing. Their instructor recommended the Edinburgh Dress Tartan which everyone seems to like as it is not quite as dramatic in contrast as most dress/dance tartans but still provides good contrast in colors for some flash.

As to the pleat, logically it seems to me that the military box pleat would be the first choice with the amount of flash and swish that it provides. WHY is it not well suited for highland dance? I KNOW that traditionally highland dancers have kilts in traditional dancers tartan pleated to the sett and a knife pleat, but I don't understand why. Is there a limitation or is it just simply because that is what everyone does? Please understand I am new to this and just seeking knowledge, not controversy. Thanks again.

**Barb T** · 3rd February 14, 11:21 AM

To be honest, I don't think a military box would be very practical for a dancer's kilt (way too much trouble to press!), and a properly made knife-pleated kilt swings just fine. And, in fact, I suspect (although I haven't actually tried this) that the stiffness of the extra creases in the military box would inhibit the flashy swing that Highland dancers get with their knife-pleated kilts.

No reason at all not to pick whatever tartan you want and to pleat it either to the sett or stripe. Although most Highland dancers have kilts pleated to the sett, there's no rule against pleating to the stripe. Our daughter competed for many years (very successfully) in an Antarctica kilt pleated to the stripe, and her best friend competed in the Arctic tartan, pleated to the stripe:

has great flash

**SemperFyffe** · 3rd February 14, 01:19 PM

THANK-YOU Barb! That makes sense to me. Yes, there is a good deal of beautiful flash to those kilts. I am leaning towards pleating to the stripe for that reason. I really appreciate your opinion both as a kilt maker and mother of a dancer. BTW, I just got your book this weekend. Unfortunately the whole family was down with the flu so I have yet been able to do more than flip through and look at the pictures. I can't wait to get started though.