Irish dancing or Irish dance is a group of traditional dance forms originating
in Ireland which can broadly be divided into social dances and performance
dances. Irish social dancing can be divided
further into céilí and set dancing. Irish set dances are quadrilles, danced
by four couples arranged in a square, while céilí dances are danced by varied
formations of two to sixteen people. In addition to their formation, there are
significant stylistic differences between these two forms of social dance.
Irish social dance is a living tradition, and variations in particular
dances are found across the Irish dancing community; in some places,
dances are deliberately modified and new dances are choreographed.
Irish step dancing, popularized in 1994 by the world-famous show Riverdance, is
notable for its rapid leg and foot movements, body and arms being kept
largely stationary. The solo stepdance is generally characterised by a
controlled and rigid upper body, straight arms and back, and quick,
precise movements of feet and legs. The solo dances can either be in "soft
shoes" or "hard shoes". Soft shoes are often called ghillies or pumps. They are
constructed of very soft kid leather - similar to ballet shoes in texture.
Their laces crisscross across the top of the feet and are tied up either around
the ankle or under the arch of the foot. Hard shoes are often called heavy shoes
or jig shoes. They are used to create the beautiful rhythmical percussions.
They are made of black leather with fiberglass heels and taps on the tips of
the shoes with a leather strap across the top of the foot.
History The dancing traditions of Ireland
probably grew in close association with traditional Irish music. Although its
origins are unclear, Irish dancing was later influenced by dance forms from the
Continent, especially the Quadrille. Travelling dancing masters taught all
over Ireland, as late as the 18th and early 19th centuries. During this time,
places for competitions and fairs were always small, so there was little room
for the Dance Masters to perform. They had to dance on tabletops, sometimes
even the top of a barrel. Because of this, the dancing styles were very
contained, with hands rigid at the sides, and a lack of arm movement and
travelling across the stage. It is often said that when the British soldiers
banned dancing across the land, the Irish would shut the bottom of their
doors and continue to dance only using their feet--with their arms rigid by
their sides. As time went on, larger places for dance competitions and
performances were found, so styles grew to include more movement, more dancing
across the stage as seen, for example, in Riverdance.
Irish céilí dances Irish social, or céilí dances vary
widely throughout Ireland and the rest of the world. A céilí dance may be
performed with as few as two people and as many as sixteen.
Céilí dances may also be danced with an unlimited number of couples in a long
line or proceeding around in a circle. Céilí dances are often fast and some are
quite complex. In a social setting, a céilí dance may
be "called" – that is, the upcoming steps are announced during the dance for
the benefit of newcomers. The céilí dances are typically danced to Irish
instruments such as the Irish bodhrán or fiddle in addition to the concertina,
guitar, whistle or flute. The term céilí dance was invented in the
late 19th century by the Gaelic League. Céilí as a noun differs from the
adjective céilí. A céilí is a social gathering featuring Irish music and
dance. Céilí dancing is a specific type of Irish dance. Some céilithe will only
have céilí dancing, some only have set dancing, and some will have a mixture.
Irish set dancing Irish set dancing are dances based on
French quadrilles that were adapted by the Irish by integrating their sean-nós
steps and Irish music. The distinguishing characteristics of Irish
set dancing is that it is danced in square sets of four couples, and consist
of several "figures," each of which has a number of parts, frequently repeated
throughout the set. Each part of the set dance is danced to a music tempo, mostly
reels, jigs and hornpipes. The sets come from various parts of Ireland and are
often named for their place of origin; examples are the Corofin Plain Set, the
South Galway Set and the Clare Lancers Set.
The organisation Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann promotes and hosts many set
dance events. Irish Step Dancing
Stepdancing as a modern form is descended directly from old-style step
dancing. There are several different forms of stepdancing in Ireland, but the
style most familiar to the public at large is the Munster, or southern, form,
which has been formalised by An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha—the Irish
Dancing Commission. Irish stepdancing is primarily done in
competitions, public performances or other formal settings. Most competitive
dances are solo dances, though many stepdancers also perform and compete
using céilí dances. = Sean-nós dancing in the Irish diaspora
As Irish people emigrate all over the world, they took their cultural
traditions with them. Many people theorise that Sean-nós dancing has
influenced various other forms of traditional solo dance, especially those
found in areas with strong Irish communities. Sean-nós dance likely
influenced the development of many American and Canadian traditional
percussive dance forms, such as buck dancing, flatfooting, clogging, and tap
dancing. Sean-nós dancing in the United States and Canada is most commonly seen
at folk festivals, although dance workshops are beginning to introduce the
style more widely. = Old-style step dancing =
Old-style step dancing is a tradition related to, yet distinct from, sean-nós
dancing, though it is sometimes called "Munster-style sean-nós". Old-style step
dancing evolved in the late 18th and early 19th century from the dancing of
travelling Irish dance masters. The dance masters slowly formalised and
transformed both solo and social dances. Modern masters of old-style step dancing
style can trace the lineage of their steps directly back to 18th century
dancers. The Irish dance masters refined and
codified indigenous Irish dance traditions. Rules emerged about proper
upper body, arm, and foot placement. Also, dancers were instructed to dance a
step twice—first with the right foot then with the left. Old-style step
dancers dance with arms loosely at their sides. They dance in a limited space.
There is an emphasis on making percussive sound with the toes. The
Irish dance masters of this period also choreographed particular steps to
particular tunes in traditional music creating the solo set dances such as the
Blackbird, St. Patrick's Day, and the Job of Journey Work, which also persist
in modern Irish stepdancing. In this context, "set dance" signifies a
separate tradition from the social dance tradition also called set dance.
= Dances = Irish solo stepdances fall into two
broad categories based on the shoes worn: hard shoe and soft shoe dances.
There are four soft shoe dance styles: the reel, slip jig, light jig and single
jig. Reels have a 4/4 time signature. Slip jigs are in 9/8 time. Light and
single jigs are in 6/8 time, with different emphasis within the measure
distinguishing the music. Hard shoe dances include the hornpipe in
syncopated 2/4 or 4/4 time, the treble jig in a slow 6/8, the treble reel and
traditional sets, which are a group of dances with set music and steps. Many
traditional sets have irregular musical phrasing. There are also more advanced
"non-traditional sets" done by advanced dancers. These have set music, but not
steps. There are multiple traditional sets, including St. Patrick's Day,
Blackbird, Job of Journeywork, Three Sea Captains, Garden of Daisies, and King of
the Fairies. Competitive dancers generally dance four
or six steps at a time, depending on their dancing level. Each step lasts
eight bars of music. They are each danced starting with the right foot,
then repeated with the left foot, doing opposite movements. Set dances, however,
have a different format. The dancer usually dances one step, which is
limited to eight bars, and is then repeated, resembling the steps of other
dances. Then the dancer usually dances a "set" which is not repeated. It is a
highly sought after and competitive feat to dance this "third round"--at
regional, national, and world competitions, only a small percentage of
dancers are invited back to perform, although in the mainland qualifying
competion for the World Championships, it is easier to be good enough to do it,
as there are few dancers in that region. The céilí dances used in competitions
are more precise versions of those danced in less formal settings. There is
a list of 30 céilí dances which have been standardised and published in An
Coimisiún's Ar Rinncidhe Foirne as examples of typical Irish folk dances;
these are called the "book" dances by competitive stepdancers. Most Irish
dancing competitions only ask for a short piece of any given dance, in the
interests of time. = Shoes and costume =
There are two types of shoes; soft shoes and hard shoes. Hard shoes are similar
to tap shoes, except that the tips and heels are made of fiberglass, instead of
metal, and are significantly bulkier. The first hard shoes had wooden or
leather taps with metal nails. Later the taps and heels were changed into resin
or fiberglass to reduce the weight and to make the sounds louder. The soft
shoes, which are called ghillies, are black lace-up shoes. Ghillies are only
worn by girls, while boys wear black leather shoes called "reel shoes", which
resemble black jazz shoes with a hard heel. Boy's soft-shoe dancing features
audible heel clicks. A new trend includes adding white laces to the soft
shoes, and white tape to the straps of the hard shoes in order to give the
illusion of elongating the legs. Several generations ago, the appropriate
dress for a competition was simply "Sunday best". Irish Dance schools
generally have school dresses, worn by lower-level competitors and in public
performances. As dancers advance in competition or are given starring roles
in public performances, they may get a solo dress of their own design and
colours or wear the team dress. In the 1970s and 1980s, ornately embroidered
dresses became popular. Today even more ornamentation is used on girls' dresses.
Solo dresses are unique to each dancer. Today most women and girls wear a wig or
hairpiece for a competition, but some still curl their own hair. Most men wear
a shirt, vest, and tie paired with black trousers.
= Competition structure = An organized step dance competition is
referred to as a feis. The word feis means "festival" in Irish, and strictly
speaking would also have competitions in music and crafts. Féile is a more
correct term for the dance competition, but the terms may be used
interchangeably. Dance competitions are divided by age and level of expertise.
The names of the levels and other organising rules vary between countries
and regions. Dancers are scored based on technique, style and other items such as
timing, rhythm, and sounds in their hard shoe dances.
An annual regional Championship competition is known as an oireachtas.
An Coimisiún holds various "national" championship competitions. Each of the
major Irish step dance organisations hosts a premier championship, going by
differing titles. An Coimisiún's World Championships are the largest, with over
6,000 dancers competing from over 30 countries world-wide. The Aisling is
awarded to the highest placing dancer in each category from oversees to encourage
them to continue their dream of dancing. Oireachtas Rince Na Cruinne, or "The
World Championships", first took place in Dublin in 1970 at Coláiste Mhuire, a
school in Parnell Square. The "Worlds" outgrew its original location and moved
around the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 2002, for the first
time, the "Worlds" left Ireland for Glasgow. In 2009, for the first time,
the World Championships were held in the United States, in Philadelphia. The 2011
championships were held once again in Dublin. The 2012 championships were held
in Belfast, with the 2013–2016 Worlds scheduled for Boston, London, Montréal
and Glasgow respectively. The BBC documentary film Jig provided an insight
into championship level dancers competing in the 2010 World
Championships held in Glasgow. An Comhdhail's All Ireland and
International championships takes place each Easter week, with the competition
being held in Ennis in 2011. The largest NAIDF competition currently is The
Nationals held at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 2010, and at
The Valley Forge Convention Center in Pennsylvania in 2012. The WIDA, which is
mainly dancers from European countries, also hold their own World and European
Championships over the Easter week, with the competition being held in Berlin in
2011, and scheduled for Poland in 2012. See also
Set dance Céilidh
Festival Irish dance World Irish Dance Association
References External links
= General information = Irish Dancing & Culture Magazine
Set Dancing News: portal for set dancing information
Diddlyi.com: Irish Dance and Music Social Network
O'Keeffe & O'Brien – A Handbook of Irish Dance
Diochra.com: Discover Irish dance! Beginners Guide to Irish Dancing
The History of Irish Dance Irish Step Dancing
Set Dance World Irish Dancing
Dance instruction database = Irish Dance Organisations =
An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha The Irish Dancing Commission
An Comhdháil Múinteora Rince Gaelacha Congress of Irish Dance Teachers
Cumann Rince Náisiúnta National Dance Association
World Irish Dance Association North American Irish Dance Federation
Irish Dancing Network Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann Gathering of
Musicians of Ireland Cumman Rince Dea Mheasa An Organisation
of Good Will