Showcasing Washington Tattoo, social media coordinator and Highland Dancer Emily Carter

Emily Carter

This year marks 22 years since Emily Carter first stepped into a pair of ghillies, and fittingly, her 22nd Tattoo performance will be in September. Over the years, Highland dance has taken her around the world, but one of the most meaningful parts of her journey has been dancing with the Scottish band, Skerryvore.

Emily first connected with Skerryvore in 2022, completely by chance. The night before their set at the Dublin Irish Festival, piper, Scott Wood reached out and asked if she’d be interested in dancing with them. She hopped in the car, choreographed a full dance to their song, “The Showman” on the way, and performed it with them multiple times that weekend. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision that turned into something unforgettable.

If you’re not familiar with Skerryvore, they’re a band from Scotland in their 20th Anniversary year known for blending traditional folk with rock, pop, and a bit of everything in between. Their music is packed with energy and performing to it is just plain fun. Since that first weekend, Emily has danced with the band at multiple festivals and concert tour stops, creating original choreography to a range of their songs.

Emily on stage!

Most recently, Emily reached out to singer and guitarist, Alec Dalglish, to see if the band would be interested in having a dancer again at this year’s Dublin Irish Festival. After finalizing the details, she returned to Columbus, Ohio and brought “The Showman” back to the stage—this time with more experience, but the same level of excitement, probably more!

Skerryvore has been incredibly welcoming and encouraging since day one. Emily describes them as “genuinely some of the nicest people I’ve met in the music world and Scottish community ” and is deeply grateful for her relationship with the band and every opportunity they’ve given her to perform. She looks forward to many more collaborations