Irish stepdance is a type of performance dance originated in Ireland from traditional Irish dance, characterised by solo dancers who dance with hands by their sides and upper body stiff, making quick, intricate movements of the feet, often with a troupe. Irish stepdancing was popularized by the show "Riverdance". Irish stepdance is performed in most places with large Irish populations. Aside from public dance performances, there are also stepdance competitions all over the world. Most competitive stepdances are solo dances, though many stepdancers also perform and compete using traditional set and céilí dances.
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The dancing traditions of Ireland probably grew in tandem with traditions of Irish traditional music. The very first roots might have been in Pre-Christian Ireland, but Irish dance was also partially influenced by dance forms on the Continent, especially the quadrille dances. Traveling dancing masters taught all over Ireland as late as the early 1900s.
Stepdancing as a modern form is said to be descended directly from sean-nós ("old style") stepdancing. However Professor Margaret Scanlan, author of Culture and customs of Ireland, points out that the earliest feis or stepdancing competition dates no earlier than 1897, and states: "Although the feis rhetoric suggests that the rules [for international stepdancing competitions] derive from an ancient past, set dances are a product of modern times."[1] There are in fact many other forms of stepdancing in Ireland (such as the Connemara style stepdancing), but the style most familiar is the Munster, or southern, form, which has been formalized by An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha, which first met in 1930. An Coimisiún was formed from a directorate of the Gaelic League during the so-called Modern Revival.
Irish stepdance has very precise rules about what one may and may not do and when, but within these rules leeway is provided for innovation and variety. Thus, stepdance can evolve while still remaining confined within the original rules.
In the nineteenth century, the Irish diaspora spread Irish dance all over the world, especially to North America and Australia. However, schools and feiseanna were not established until the early 1900s: in America these tended to be created within Irish-American urban communities, notably in Chicago. The first classes in stepdancing were held there by the Philadelphian-born John McNamara.[2]
One explanation for the unique habit of keeping the hands and upper body stiff relates to the stage. In order to get a hard surface to dance on, people would often unhinge doors and lay them on the ground. Since this was clearly a very small "stage", there was no room for the movement of the arms. But perhaps the most likely explanation is a practical one. The solo dances are characterized by quick, intricate movements of the feet. Reportedly, as in "sean nós" (old style) dancing, the arms were kept relaxed or with fists on the hips before the late 1890s.
Dance teachers often place a bent clothes hanger around the back of the dancer and have them hold it in place with their arms during practice so that they will be trained to keep their arms in this rigid position.
Sometime in that decade or the one following, a dance master had his students compete with arms held firmly down to their sides, hands in fists, in order to call more attention to the intricacy of the steps. The adjudicator approved by placing the students well. Other teachers and dancers quickly followed the new trend. Movement of the arms is sometimes incorporated into modern Irish stepdance, although this is generally seen as a hybrid and non-traditional addition.
Irish solo stepdances fall into two broad categories based on the shoes worn: hard shoe and soft shoe dances.
"Reel", "slip jig", "hornpipe", and "jig" (soft shoe and hard shoe) are all types of Irish stepdances and are also types of Irish traditional music. Reels are in 2/4 or 4/4 time. Slip jigs are in 9/8 time, and are considered to be the lightest and most graceful of the dances. Hornpipes can be in 2/4 or 4/4 time, and are danced in hard shoes. There are three jigs danced in competition, the light jig, the single jig and the treble jig (also called double jig). Light and single jigs are in 6/8 time, and are soft shoes dances, while the treble jig is hard shoe, danced in a slow 6/8.
The actual steps in Irish stepdance are usually unique to each school or dance teacher. Steps are developed by Irish dance teachers for students of their school. Each dance is built out of the same basic elements, or steps, but the dance itself is unique, and new dances are being choreographed all the time. For this reason, videotaping of competitions is forbidden under the rules of An Coimisiun.
Each step is a sequence of foot movements, leg movements and leaps, which lasts for 8 bars of music for the "right foot" and is repeated for the "left foot" of the step. Hard shoe dancing includes clicking (striking the heels of the feet against each other), trebles (the toe of the shoe striking the floor), stamps (the entire foot striking the floor), and an increasing number of complicated combinations of taps from the toes and heels.
There are two types of hard shoe dance, the solo dances, which are the hornpipe and treble jig, and the traditional set dances, also called set dances, which are solo dances, despite having the same name as the social dances. There are approximately thirty solo set dance tunes, mostly jigs and hornpipes. These tunes vary in tempo to allow for more difficult steps for higher level dancers. Teachers choreograph the contemporary non-traditional sets their dancers dance to these special tunes. An unusual feature of the set dance tune is that many are "crooked", with some of the parts, or sections, of the tunes departing from the common 8 bar formula. The crooked tune may have a part consisting of 7½ bars, fourteen bars, etc. For example, the "St. Patrick's Day" traditional set music consists of an eight-bar "step," followed by a fourteen-bar "set."
The music and steps for each traditional set was set down by past dance masters and passed down under An Coimisiún auspices as part of the rich history of stepdancing, hence the "traditional." There are about 30 traditional sets used in modern stepdance, but the traditional sets performed in most levels of competition are St. Patrick's Day, the Blackbird, Job of Journeywork, Garden of Daisies, King of the Fairies, and Jockey to the Fair. The remaining traditional set dances are primarily danced at championship levels.
The céilí dances used in competition are bouncier and more precise versions of those danced in pubs and church basements. There is a list of 30 céilí dances which have been standardized and published in An Coimisiun's "Ar Rinncidhe Foirne" as examples of typical Irish folk dances; these are called the "book" dances by competitive stepdancers. Most céilí dances in competition are significantly shortened in the interests of time; many stepdancers never learn the entire dance, as they will never dance the later parts of the dance in competition.
Many CLRG dance schools place as much emphasis on ceili dancing as on solo dances, meticulously rehearsing the dances as written in the book, striving for perfect interpretation. In local competition, figure dances may be competed including 2 or 3 dancers. These are not traditional book dances and are choreographed similar to solo dancing. Dances for 4, 6 or 8 dancers are also often found in competition, but the book dances for 16 dancers are rarely offered. The Figure Choreography competition at Major Oireachtasi must be for more than 8 dancers and is a chance for teachers to show off interesting and intricate group choreography. A winning team at an Oireachtas gains a reputation for their school, and is thus an important part of competition.
Some of the footwork of softshoe dances is echoed in the footwork of Scottish country dancing, though the two styles are distinct. American tap dance was also influenced by Irish Stepdancing.
Three types of shoes are worn in competitive step dancing: hard shoes and two kinds of soft shoe. The hard shoe, which is also called heavy shoe and jig shoe, is unlike the tap shoe, in that the tips and heels are made of fiberglass, instead of metal. The first hard shoes had wooden taps with metal nails. It was common practice in the 17th and 18th century to hammer nails into the soles of a shoe in order to increase the life of the shoe. Dancers used the sounds created by the nails to create the rhythms that characterize hard shoe dancing. Later the soles were changed into resin or fiberglass to reduce the weight and increase the sounds of the footwork.
Each shoe has eight striking surfaces: the toe, bottom, and sides of the front tap and the back, bottom, and sides of the back tap (the heel). Hard shoes are made of black leather with flexible soles. Sometimes the front taps are filed flat to enable the dancer to stand on his or her toes, somewhat like pointe shoes. The same hard shoes are worn by all dancers, regardless of gender or age.
A legend about hard shoe dances is that the Irish used to dance at crossroads or on the earthen floors of their houses, and they removed and soaped their doors to create a resonant surface for hard shoe dancing. (The more common actuality was that dancers "battered" on a stone laid in the floor with a space underneath; in the case of set dancing, the head couple of the set would claim the stone.)
Soft shoes, often called "ghillies" (or "gillies"), fit more like ballet slippers, but they are of black leather, with a leather sole and a very flexible body. They lace from toe to ankle and do not make sounds against the dance surface. They are worn by female dancers for the light jig, the reel, the single jig, the slip jig, and group dances with two or more people. They also can be worn for céilí dancing, though social céilí dance doesn't have rules about the sorts of shoes worn.
The second kind of soft shoe is worn by male dancers; these are called "Reel Shoes" and are similar to oxford or jazz shoes in black leather, with fiberglass heels that the dancers can click together. Some male dancers do not have fiberglass heels. The men's steps may be choreographed in a different style to girls' in order to take advantage of the heels.
In public performances, dancers wear costumes appropriate to the show. The costumes are frequently modern interpretations of traditional Irish styles of dress. In competitions, there are various rules and traditions which govern the choice of a dancer's costume.
Judges at competitions critique the dancers primarily on their performance, but they also take into account presentation. In every level of competition the dancers must wear either hard shoes or soft shoes, and white poodle socks or tights. In commission schools, female dancers either curl their hair or wear a curly wig, although most dancers choose to wear wigs. In more festival schools the hair is often worn down and loose. Boys and girls wear very distinctive costumes. The girls wear dresses with stiff skirts which are intricately embroidered. Some dresses have flat backed crystals added for stage appeal. Swarovski is being used more frequently. The boys used to wear jackets and kilts, but now more commonly perform in black trousers with a colourful shirt and tie and, more frequently, a vest with embroidery and crystals. Costumes can be more simple for the beginning female dancer; they often wear a simple dance skirt and plain blouse.
Competition dresses have changed in many ways since Irish Dance first appeared. Several generations ago the appropriate dress was simply your "Sunday Best". In the 1980s ornately embroidered velvet became popular. Other materials include gaberdine and wool. Today many different fabrics are used, including lace, sequins, silk, embroidered organzas and more and can be decorated with crystals for more "bling". Velvet is also becoming popular again, but in multiple colors with very different and modern embrodery. The commission dresses have a stiffened skirt pleated into panels which are stiffened with Vilene. A beginner dancer can be any age, including adults. In the Advanced Beginner and Novice levels the dancers begin to wear their dancing school’s costume. The certain colors and emblem that are used on the dresses represents the dance school to differentiate it from other dance schools. These are are similar to a solo dress, but are simple with only a few colors, while are still more pounds, depending on the fabric, and may require some getting used to. Again the festival style differs, styling more towards simple designs and flowing, un-stiffened materials.
Preliminary and Open Championship are levels where dancers can qualify for Major competitions. At these levels, solo costumes help each dancer show their sense of style, and they enable them to stand out among a crowd. The dancers can either have a new solo dress made specially for them with their choice of colours, fabrics, and designs (some dancers will even design the dress themselves), they can choose new dresses and have them tailored to fit them or they can buy second hand from another dancer. Championship dresses often have expensive fabrics, and it is popular for only two or three colors to be used. Since the dresses are hand made with pricey materials, unique designs, and are measured to each dancer’s body type, the dresses cost between $600 and $4,000. When each dancer grows out of the dress she can sell it at competitions, at their dance school or via internet websites specificaly for irish dresses or through other websites, like Ebay.
Along with having the hand crafted dresses, championship commission dancers have wigs and crowns or decorative headbands. Dancers in lower levels have the choice to wear either a wig or curl their hair, but usually in championship, girls choose to wear a wig, as wigs are more convenient. Dancers get synthetic ringlet wigs that match their hair color or go with a extreamely different shade (a blonde dancer wearing a black wig or vice versa). The wigs can range from $20.00 to $150. Usually the crowns match the colors and materials of the dresses, but some dancers choose to wear tiaras, or tiaras with a fabric crown. Nowadays, wearing ringlet wigs is going out of style in some feisanna in favor of letting girls and women having their natural hair. The championship competitions are usually danced on a stage with a lot of lighting. To prevent looking washed out, dancers often wear stage makeup and tan their legs. A ban was put in place in January 2005 for Under 10 dancers forbidding them to wear fake tan, and in October 2005 it was decided that Under 12 dancers who were in the Beginner and Primary levels would not be allowed to wear fake tan or make up.
Modern Irish stepdance can be taught anywhere. Teachers must be certified with one of several separate organizations such as An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha ("The Irish Dancing Commission"), Comhdháil Múinteoirí Na Rincí Gaelacha ("The Congress of Irish Dancing Teachers"), NAIDF ("North American Irish Dance Federation") or World Irish Dance Association (WIDA), (other less well known organisations also exist) in order for their students to be eligible for competitions (dancers may only enter competitions run by the organization the teacher is registered with). However WIDA feisana are open to everybody. <"feis" is singular. "feiseanna" is plural>
Each organization has a certification process which consists of a written and practical exam in the applicant's ability to teach Irish dance. In An Coimisiún these certificates are the T.M.R.F. (gives permission to teach céilí dances), T.C.R.G. (gives permission to teach solo dances) and A.D.C.R.G. (gives permission to judge at feiseanna).
Competitive step dancing has grown steadily since the mid 1900's, and more rapidly since the appearance of Riverdance. An organized stepdance competition is referred to as a feis ( /ˈfɛʃ/, plural feiseanna). The word feis means "festival" in Irish, and strictly speaking is also composed of competitions in music and crafts. Féile ("faila") is a more correct term for the dance competition, but the terms may be used interchangeably. Many annual competitions are truly becoming full-fledged feiseanna, by adding competitions in music, art, baking, etc.
Participants in a feis must be students of an accredited step dance teacher. Dance competitions are divided by age and level of expertise. The names for feis competition levels vary around the world:
Despite a competition structure and culture that almost exclusively supports children, many feiseanna offer competitions for adult Irish dancers. At the beginner level, an adult Irish dancer is someone who did not dance as a child and is over the age of 18. Past beginner level, there is no restriction. Adult competitions, when offered, are held separately from children's competitions, and adults may advance only to Prizewinner level. If they wish to attempt higher levels, then they must switch over to competitions for young adults and may no longer compete as "Adults." This is referred to an "And Over" level, such as Ages 18 and Over.
In North America, the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America has recently changed its rules to restrict adult Irish dancers to the simpler, traditional speed hardshoe dances. Adult dancers capable of dancing the more complex, non-traditional speed hardshoe dances must have the support of their teacher before they can compete in the "And Over" age categories where they may perform the more complex dances.
Rules for feiseanna are set by the Organisation, not a particular feis. In An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (the largest of the "official" organizations), dancers are judged by adjudicators certified by An Coimisiún. This certification is known as the A.D.C.R.G., meaning Ard Diploma Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (in English - Highest Diploma in Gaelic Dancing.) It is awarded to those who have passed the exams set by the An Coimisiún and have also been certified as T.C.R.G. Local organizations may add additional rules to the basic rule set. The Irish Dance Teacher's Association of North America (IDTANA) is the largest body of dance teachers associated with An Coimsiun le Rince Gaelacha. There are seven CLRG regions in North America.
An annual regional Championship competition is known as an oireachtas ( /ˈɪərəxtəs/). Regional Oireachtas are normally held in November and December. Up to 10 dancers from each age group may qualify for the World Championships - the exact number is worked out with a formula and is based on the number of dancers competing. National championship competitions are held annually in Ireland (the All Ireland Championships and the Irish Nationals, happening for the first time in May 2011), North America (including Canada and the United States, called the North American Irish Dance Championships, or sometimes the North American Nationals, or "NAN's"), the UK (the Great Britains and the British Nationals), South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. The annual World Championship competitions began in 1970 and have been held in The Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Past and future host cities of the World Championships include: