How one dancer brought Oklahoma to Tartan Day

Scottish Highland Dance is one of the most challenging dances anywhere. With origins going back over 900 years, today it's still going strong and attracting a younger generation.

“Scottish Highland dance is the traditional Scottish solo dancing as opposed to social dancing,” said Elizabeth Kabrick with Okie Skye Highland Dance. 

Historically, Scottish military regiments used the dances as a form of exercise for soldiers to get in shape and ready for battle.

The dances were only allowed for men because of the military roots, which all changed around the time of World War I.

“Now, most of the competitors that you see are girls and women outnumbering men about 10 to 1,” said Kabrick.

Kalie Murray has been in many types of dance since her childhood, but after discovering her Scottish heritage, she became consumed with the dance.

“It’s one of those things where you can know a dance pretty well, but you’re constantly refining and polishing it,” she said.

Even though Murray has only been studying the dance for about two years, when she heard about the Tartan Day celebration in New York City, it instantly became a goal.

“It was open to anyone, so not even just the US and Canada, but folks from Scotland, folks from Germany, Australia,” said Murray.

Encouraged by her father, Murray auditioned.

“I did it, very terrified, and figured I wouldn’t get it. But then, to my excitement, I got one of the 25 spots,” said Murray. 

No other dancer has ever been invited to participate in the festivities, and Murray had never been to New York before, but there she was dancing in the weeklong activities, and she took a little piece of Oklahoma with her.

“I had kept a pin right above my heart from home that said Oklahoma, with a heart in it, it was from my dance team, and so I felt like I had them right there with me. And so, when I would get nervous, I would just like look at the pin,” said Murray.

Murray hopes to inspire more dancers to audition and, hopefully, participate in next year’s Tartan celebration.