Mall celebrates Tartan Day with Scottish dancing
Pull out the bagpipes. Don a kilt. Do a traditional dance.
These are all ideas the Village of Rochester Hills outdoor mall, located at 104 N. Adams Road in Rochester Hills, probably considered as possibilities to celebrate Tartan Day, which is basically the Scottish Independence Day. But, that was likely before they settled on inviting the Kate DeGood School of Dance to perform traditional Scottish Highland Dancing from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday at Fountain Park.
According to the American Scottish Foundation, Tartan Day is a Canadian and American holiday where those of Scottish heritage celebrate their independence and commemorate their roots, much like how, on St. Patrick’s Day, people of Irish heritage commemorate their Irish roots.
The holiday is traditionally celebrated on April 6, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath.
The Declaration was signed by Scottish nobles and addressed to the Pope at Arbroath Abbey on April 6, 1320 and is the Scottish
Declaration of Independence from Britain.
When asked about Saturday’s performance, Kate DeGood School of Dance owner and instructor, Kate DeGood, said there were dancers ages 3 and up doing the traditional Scottish dancing, dressed in traditional garb, such as the Abonye dress for women and kilts for men, as well as Sailor’s Hornpipe.
She also said it is her school’s first performance
since the start of the pandemic.
“This is our very first live performance back in over 14 months. We are so, so excited. We are so, so excited to be in the Village to dance today,” DeGood said.
Emily Rito, a DeGood dancer from Beverly Hills, said she started dancing in second grade and is now in seventh.
When asked how it felt to perform for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started, she said it felt amazing.
“It feels amazing. It is really nice to see some of the people I dance with in person,” Rito said.
According to the dance school’s Facebook page, DeGood teaches Scottish Highland Dancing to dancers of all ages, from beginners to championship level, at the Detroit St. Andrew’s Society Kilgour Scottish Centre in Troy, Michigan.
DeGood teaches online and in-person.
Originally done by soldiers, Scottish Highland Dancing is an athletic and graceful form of dance that has many benefits, which include increased strength and aerobic fitness, a fun way to meet new friends, a way to learn increased discipline, hard word and responsibility and increased confidence and self esteem, the dance school writes.
For more information about the Kate DeGood School of Dance, visit their website. Or, for more information about the Village of Rochester Hills mall, located at Walton and Adams Roads, visit thevorh.com.