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Welcome to our dance group's web site!
HISTORY OF CAPE BRETON STEP DANCING
Cape Breton Step Dancing began in the early 1700s when Gaelic-speaking settlers from Scotland's Western Isles and Highlands started arriving in Cape Breton, the island portion of Canada's Province of Nova Scotia (New Scotland). Singing, story telling, fiddling, and dancing was as much a part of their lives as the hard work it took just to survive from day to day.
This form of Celtic hard shoe dancing, which is percussive and rhythmic, has similarities to Irish Step Dancing and influenced Appalachian Clogging. While it flourished and evolved in Cape Breton, it disappeared in Scotland.
Traditionally Cape Breton Step Dancing is done in a kitchen-like setting among friends and family. Passed down from parent to child, even today there is no formalization of this dance form other than through teacher's notes and video tapes. Also, since there are very few traditional, choreographed dances, each dance group sets its dancing to the selected music.
The current members of Stepping Out are:
 | | Lauren Davis-Todd
|  | | Sherri Hollenbeck
|  | | Kelle O'Brien
|  | | Chuck Todd | | | |
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