January 25th people all over the world will celebrate the 260th birthday of Scotland's national poet Robert Burns. They say that only Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus have more statues in their honour, making Burns Number Three (since all those statues of Lenin and Stalin were pulled down, I suppose). I shall dance for Burns at the New York RSCDS party this coming Thursday. And Jan 29th I plan to dance in Edinburgh where I shall certainly drink to Burns' memory somewhere along the Royal Mile. Burns was an important product of the Scottish Enlightenment, alongside luminaries like Adam Smith, David Hume, Adam Ferguson ....  and Burns' contribution to Scottish music and dance is also considerable. In my book I Dance Therefore I Am, there is a whole chapter about Burns and his rival as Scotland's most famous poet: William MacGonagall. It is hilarious!

Robert Burns Born: January 25, 1759, Alloway, Ayrshire

Died: July 21, 1796, Dumfries RIP.