Irish dance

Irish dances can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dances. Irish social dancing can be divided further into céilí and set dancing. Irish céilí dances are danced by formations (ceili) of couples of 2 to 8 people. Irish social dance is a living tradition, and variations in particular dances are found across the Irish dance community; in some places, dances are deliberately modified and new dances are choreographed.

Irish performance dancing is traditionally referred to as stepdance. Irish stepdance, popularized in 1994 by the world-famous show "Riverdance," is notable for its rapid leg movements, body and arms being kept largely stationary. Most competitive stepdances are solo dances, though many stepdancers also perform and compete using céilí dances. The solo stepdance is generally characterized by a controlled but not rigid upper body, straight arms, and quick, precise movements of the feet.

The dancing traditions of Ireland probably grew in close association with Irish traditional music. Originating in Pre-Christian Ireland, Irish dance was later influenced by dance forms from the Continent, especially the Quadrille. Travelling dancing masters taught all over Ireland, as late as the early 1900s.

Sean-nós Dancing

The tradition of stepdancing in Ireland grew from an indigenous form of percussive dance that developed alongside traditional Irish music. The current incarnation of this tradition is known as sean-nós dancing (damhsa ar an sean-nós or rince sa sean-nós). The strongest tradition of sean-nós dancing persists in the Connemara Gaeltacht in the West of Ireland, although sean-nós dancers can be found throughout Ireland.

Sean-nós, which literally means 'old style' or 'old way' in the Irish language (Gaeilge), is a form of old-style solo step dancing. Characteristics of sean-nós dancing include percussive steps, relaxed arms and upper body, steps danced close to the floor, self-expression, improvisation, and an emphasis on the relationship between the steps and the music. Most sean-nós dancers prefer to dance to one musician. The melodeon or accordion is a popular choice for the accompaniment of sean-nós dance.

Sean-nós dancing is generally non-competitive, and sean-nós dancers can be found performing in homes, in pubs, and at céilís. The largest gathering of sean-nós dancers occurs at An Oireachtas na Gaeilge, an annual festival which celebrates the Irish language (Gaeilge) and includes the most prestigious competitions in sean-nós dancing and sean-nós singing.

Sean-nós dancing has experienced a revival in the past ten years with increasing participation by people of all ages learning the steps through classes and workshops. Fledgling sean-nós dance communities are appearing outside of Ireland in the United States and Australia.

Sean-nós dancing in the Irish Diaspora

As the Irish peoples migrated to other lands, they have taken sean-nós dancing with them. This form of dance then has influenced various other forms of traditional solo dance extant in those other lands—such as American traditional informal freeform solo folk dancing. Sean-nós dance in America may differ from how it is practiced in Ireland, because it in turn has been influenced by other culture's dance styles there. Sean-nós dancing in America and Canada is most commonly seen at folk festivals, although dance workshops are beginning to introduce the style more widely.

Old-Style Step Dancing

(Also termed Munster-style sean-nós dancing.)

Old-style step dancing (a tradition related to, yet distinct from, sean-nós dancing) evolved in the late 18th and early 19th century from the dancing of traveling Irish dance masters. The dance masters slowly formalized 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 -- once with the left foot and once with the right. Old-style step dancers dance with arms loosely (but not rigidly) 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 persist in Modern Irish Step Dancing.

Irish Céilí Dances

Irish social, or céilí (Template:PronEng in English) 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 eight. Céilí dances may also be danced with an unlimited number of couples in a long line or proceeding around in a circle (such as in "The Walls of Limerick", "The Waves of Tory", or "Bonfire Dance"). Céilí dances are often fast and 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 term céilí dance was invented in the late 19th century by the Gaelic League to distinguish non-quadrille dances from the quadrille-based set dances, which were thought to be a British or foreign import to Ireland.

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 (plural of céilí) will only have céilí dancing, some will only have set dancing, and some will have a mixture.

In various parts of Ireland on St. Stephen's Day, December 26th, Wrenboys (mummers) celebrate Wren Day (also pronounced as the Wran) by dressing up in straw masks and colorful clothing and parading through towns and villages accompanied by traditional céilí music bands. This tradition also exists (or existed) in various parts of Britain, especially Wales.

Irish Ceili Dancing

Ceili dances are a repertoire of social dances made up by the London Gaelic League in the late 1800s. In their attempt to diminish what they felt to be British cultural domination and because they felt the quadrille-based social dancing that actually occurred in Ireland was a product of that domination, these dances were made up so as to not dance what they felt to be foreign dances. This though they themselves were no longer living in Ireland and the Irish people themselves danced the quadrilles. The first Irish ceili was in London in October 1897, but none of the Irish people, many of whom were from the Cork and Kerry counties of Ireland, knew these made up dances so they danced their own Irish dances.

Irish Ceili dancing is popular in some parts of Northern Ireland as well as in Canada, the United States, Australia, Europe and other countries.

Irish Stepdance

Roots of Irish Stepdance

Stepdancing as a modern form is descended directly from old-style step dancing^{[citation needed]}. There are several different forms of stepdancing in Ireland (including sean-nós dancing and old style stepdancing), 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.

Dances

Irish solo stepdances fall into two broad categories based on the shoes worn: hard shoe and soft shoe dances.

Soft shoe dances include the reel, slip jig, light jig, and single jig. Reels have a 4/4 (or sometimes 2/4 or 2/2) 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 2/4 time, the hard jig (also called the treble jig), in a slow 6/8, the treble reel, and traditional sets, which are a group of 36 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.

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 dance competitions only ask for a short piece of any given dance, in the interests of time.

Shoes and Costume

Two types of shoes are worn in step dancing: hard shoes and soft shoes. The hard shoe is 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 increase the footwork sounds. The soft shoes, which are called ghillies, resembles a ballet shoe minus the hard toe, the ribbons for laces, and the pink color for black. Gillies are only worn by girls, while boys wear a black leather shoe called a reel shoe, which resembles a black jazz shoe with a hard heel. Boy's soft-shoe dancing features audible heel clicks.

Several generations ago, the appropriate dress for a competition was simply your "Sunday Best". In the 1980's ornately embroidered dresses became popular. Today even more ornamentation is used on girls' dresses, including lace, sequins, silk, extensive embroidery, feathers, faux fur and more. Irish Dancing schools have school dresses, which are worn by "Beginner" through "Novice" dancers. When dancers reach a level decided by their school, may get a solo dress of their own design and colors. Today most women and girls curl their hair or wear a wig for a competition or feis (feis pronounced fesh). Today in competition, most men wear a shirt, vest, and tie assigned by their school paired with black pants. But when they get into the higher levels, as the girls do, they get to pick their own vest, shirt and tie.

Competition Structure

An organized step dance competition is referred to as a feis (Template:PronEng, plural feiseanna). The word feis means "festival" in Irish, and strictly speaking would also have competitions in music and crafts. Féile (/ˈfeɪlə/) 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 vary between countries and regions.

An annual regional Championship competition is known as an oireachtas (/oʊˈrɒktəs/). Dancers from each age group may qualify for the World Championships. Qualifying for the World Championships, Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne, (roughly translated to Irish Dance Championship of the World) varies slightly due to the competition or region. Dancers may either qualify at their regional Oireachts or a secondary qualifying event. In the United States, the secondary qualifying event is the North American Championships, which includes the U.S., Canada and Mexico. In Ireland, the secondary qualifying event is the All Irelands, Oireachtas Rince na hEireann. The All Irelands are held in February of each year and it is considered to have the highest level of competition, after the World Championships. For England, Scotland and Wales, the secondary qualifying event is the British National Championships or the Great Britain Championships. These championships take it year about to act as the secondary qualifier.

The World Championships first took place in 1970 in Colaiste Mhuire, Dublin. The first mens and ladies champions were Dan Armstrong, Belfast and Ruth Pentony, Dublin. The record for the most World Championship titles is held by Colm Ó Sé, Dublin, Ireland who won eleven titles. The most World Championships won by a female was by Gráinne Feeley, Kildare, Ireland who won ten titles. In the past, the World Championships have only been held in Ireland, Northern Ireland, or Scotland. The 2006 competition was in Belfast, Ireland. The 2007 competition was in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2008, it returned to Belfast, Ireland. However in 2009, for the first time, they will be held in the United States in Philadelphia. In 2010 they will return to Glasgow, Scotland.

References

CLRG An Coimisuin le Rinci Gaelacha

References

Caoimhe Mullen: "Best Irish Dancer Ever" and from Skerries.
Helen Brennan: The Story of Irish Dancing, Mount Eagle Publications Ltd., 1999 ISBN 0 86322 244 7
John Cullinane: Aspects of the History of Irish Céilí Dancing, The Central Remedial Clinic, Clontarf, Dublin 3,(1998), ISBN 0-952-79522-1
An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha: Ár Rincí Fóirne-Thirty Popular Céilí Dances, Westside Press (2003)
J. G. O' Keeffe, Art O' Brien: A Handbook of Irish Dances, 1. Edition, O'Donoghue & Co., (1902)[1]
Pat Murphy: Toss the Feathers - Irish Set Dancing, Mercier Press, 1995 ISBN 1-85635-115-7
Pat Murphy: The Flowing Tide - More Irish Set Dancing, Mercier Press, 2000 ISBN 1-85635-308-7

External Links

General information

International, National, and Regional Irish Dance Organizations

An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha / The Irish Dancing Commission (CLRG)

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Sean-nós Dancing

Sean-nós dancing in the Irish Diaspora

Old-Style Step Dancing

Irish Céilí Dances

Irish Ceili Dancing

Irish Stepdance

Roots of Irish Stepdance

Dances

Shoes and Costume

Competition Structure

References

See also

References

External Links

General information

International, National, and Regional Irish Dance Organizations

An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha / The Irish Dancing Commission (CLRG)