Highland dancers wear ghillies for the hornpipe. There is only one type of hornpipe done by highland dancers, and that is the sailor's hornpipe. The costume worn is a sailor suit, complete with a sailor's hat.

Also, I've been told by an Irish dancer (and I'm quite sure that she's correct) that the tune we use for our Hornpipe is actually a reel and not a hornpipe at all...yup we're crazy, us highland dancers!!

I could be wrong, but I always understood the dance is called the sailor's hornpipe because that is the instrument playing the music (rather than bagpipes), not that any specific song be used--because I think there are several different tunes used.

I don't think the sailor's hornpipe is danced to reel music. The time signature for reels is 4/4, and hornpipes are either 4/4 or 2/4 but there is a slight difference in rhythm between reels and hornpipes.

I can dance my Irish hornpipe to various tunes for the sailor's hornpipe, although the Scottish hornpipes tend to be about a billion times too fast.

Could be a reel though, but I never thought it was.

The hornpipe is an instrument, but I've only ever heard the sailor's hornpipe played on the bagpipes. The hornpipe (as a piece of music) originated in England, so technically the sailor's hornpipe is not a scottish dance. Reels are scottish/irish in origin, and have a definate 4 beat rhythm, a hornpipe has more of an uneven rhythm. Hornpipes can be in 3/2, 2/4 or 4/4. There are lots of different hornpipes, just like there are lots of reels, strathspeys, etc, so you'll probably a hear a few different ones at comps now and then.

That's what I know from my very average knowledge of folk music, I might research this one a bit more!!

Ok, I'm not sure about all the tunes, but I do know that one tune we commonly use for the Sailor's Hornpipe around my area in competitions and on a lot of our cds is definately the same tune used as a reel by Irish dancers. It's on my Irish dancing friend's cd listed as a reel.

xxx

We wear ghillies to do the highland dancing's hornpipe. One tune that is used for the dance is "Jackie Tar". The rhythm is slightly different from the reel, even though the time signature, 4/4, is the same for both. The hornpipe costume is a sailor's suit, worn with a sailor's hat that has a circular crown. The dance is supposed to depict the everyday chores done by sailors on a ship.

yeah im lucky my friend's older sister has been dancing for quite some time and shes going to give me her hornipie outfit =D my mom knows nothing about highland and she was like "hey am i crazy or that like a.... well a SAILOR's suit? ^o) hahaha yes mother its a sailor suit, but much more dignified cause we got the dance to go with it!

I totally agree highlandlassie.
We are the Psycho dancers of the highlands.
Hey, did you knwo highland dance in french is Danse de montange. Which directly translated into english is Dance of Mountains. LOL

I'm French, and I've never heard it called Danse de Montagne. When anyone asks me in French what type of dancing I do, I say it's "danse écossaise", which translates into Scottish dancing.

There's French and then there's French-Canadian and then there's regional differences. I had a huge laugh when I tried to tell my daughter's primary teacher 'en francais' that 'ma fille' had the chicken pox. In our french-canadian dictionary it was 'la varicelle', but the teacher laughed at that and said that in Nova Scotia you say "la poule" (not poulet) and I said "my daughter's got the chicken? maybe I'll get some eggs".

Anyway, France was Scotland's traditional ally so 'danse de montange' is probably the 'proper' way to describe it, but with today's melting pot of immigration the 'danse ecossaise' certainly pin points the country and brings a vivid picture to mind. And who knows maybe at one point the phrase was 'danse de montagne de ecosse' (hopefully I've got that phrasing right).

It's certainly fasinating how words can lead you places. Remember the 'pas de basques'? I believe that the Basque region is quite mountainous and it's true that today's modern highland dancing has a close relationship to ballet which evovled greatly in France. Makes you think.

Hard shoes in highland dancing are only used in the jig. The only diference between the Irish and highland, i would have to say is highland your knees are turned out. I ahve never seen an irish dance with thier knees turned out.

One of the most distinctive features of Irish dancing is that the dancer's feet must be crossed almost 95% of the time, a position that CANNOT be achieved without turnout. If you've never seen an Irish dancer with knees turned out, I don't where you were looking ...

There are many other differences (and similarities) between Irish and Highland dancing; just ask one of the many board members who does both!

Booverly - do they really say la poule? It's la varicelle, darnit!

I think the point may have been they are different turnouts??
I have heard that irish dancers only turn out from the knee down whereas in highland you turn out from the hip.

SeniorLady: I can't comment on what the native french speakers in Nova Scotia (who are the decendants of Acadians) really say, but the teacher who told me was from such a family (and area) and that's what they say. You can ask when you get here. I can just hear that conversation.....

My take on Irish turnout: For extensions of the leg it's pretty much the same as highland. But as soon as the knee is bent it's facing straight forward, whereas it stays turned out with a bent knee in highland.

What highlandlassie said, with a few exceptions.
Irish dancers do turnout from the hip; turning out from the knees down is just plain wrong in ANY dance form (not to mention detrimental to your body!)

Good point Seniorlady, I should have added that. I saw a girl at a feis recently (I went to watch) who was standing facing the wall to push her feet out (trying to get her heels on the wall). I wanted to go over and shake her and tell her that she would regret ruining her knees later in life! I hope that nobody here does that, and if you do, STOP! It turns only the leg below the knee, and twists your knee. OUCH!

Hi, I was just dropping by the Highland site, I'm an Irish dancer. I don't think there's a difference in turnout, since both Irish and Highland dancers turn out from the hips. The main difference seems to be in the knees - Highland dancers keep them wide, but Irish dancers keep them together. I think the origin of that was Catholic modesty. Also our legs are straight, even on landing jumps. Not so good for the knees - I know from experience. Oh, we suffer for our art!

Eep, i'm tired. But i just nee a couple more posts before i can make an avvi. I can't remember if i posted here but...
You use normal ghillies. The other shoes are used for the jig.

I can see how highland dance could be translated to danse de montage, because montage is mountain.. Think about it ---> highland... ---> mountain... Get it? haha, I agree with SeniorLady, danse écossaise is a good way to describe to someone French what highland dance is. Although it musn't get mized up with Scottish country dancing, as they are different.