The Athletes and Athletic Sports of Scotland

DANCING. 95 class taken when doing the same step—some judges would be made to feel heartily ashamed of their decisions. We haveheard people who professed to be judges ofdancing maintain that grace and precision werenot good points ofHighland dancing. They would object toa performer dancing withease, grace,and pre­ cision that hisdancing was too fine, not Highlandenough; while a dancer caperingwildly all over the platform, who did the step already described with his heel sixinches above his knee andhis toe pointing to the horizon,would exactly fit their idea of a good Highland dancer. What such people likeis not dancing, but a caricature of dancing. To describe grotesque awkward capers as good Highland dancing is a libel onthe Highland character, as Highlanders have always been remarkable not for awkward, ungainly movements, but for the natural ease and graceof their deportment. FIRST-CLASS DANCERS.— Thefollowing is a list of the really first-class dancers atHighland gatherings for the past 30 years and up to the present time. The listhas received the approval of a gentleman who is probably better qualified to speak on the subject than anyone else:—John M'Neill, senior, Edinburgh, the best all round dancer of his time; James Paton, Murthly, the famous athlete, themost graceful dancer for a big man of his time; T. S. Douglas, Aberdeen; John Gumming, Tarland, a model reel dancer; William M'Lennan, Edinburgh, and John M'Coll, Bonaw, the famous pipers; Forbes Notman, John M'Kenzie, Glasgow; John M'Neill, junior, Edinburgh; John N. M'Leod, Kirkcaldy; R. M, Sinclair, Perth; Archibald M'Donald, Gharles Scott, JamesA. Niven, Aberdeen ; William Glendinning, Edinburgh. It sometimes happens that a really first-class dancer hardly ever goes beyond his own district, as was the case with Donald Grant, Grantown, who died, quitea young man, not many years ago. Others, again, are especially good at one dance, asR. Lawson, Gulloden, and D. M'Donald the pole-vaulter, Inverness, at the Highland fling. More en­ couragement shouldbe given to young boys to come forward as