Dance has a long a varied history. This book focuses on the beautiful and unique dances of Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Scottish dances stand in a category of their own, to which the ordinary canons do not apply. They are sometimes very effective and are capable of considerable artistic development, but their style, which is peculiarly their own, and peculiarly adapted to the people cannot be treated with full justice unless it has been thoroughly mastered. In Ireland, the people of which country possess, or at any rate possessed formerly, a reputation for gaiety and humour, one naturally expects to find that dancing flourishes and is a favourite national amusement. And this is so to a great extent, though they have not, perhaps, such a variety of popular measures as other countries. The Welsh are very light and active, and, being Celts have many dances. We can glean few particulars of their native measures, that they do dance often is evident.
